The Control and Dynamical Systems Alliance (CDSA) will develop a shared curriculum at leading research and educational institutions in the US and Brazil in the areas of control and dynamical systems. These areas are well positioned to play a pivotal role over the next several years in shaping a common scientific language across a variety of disciplines, from mechanical, aerospace, and environmental engineering to bioengineering, communications, and economics. This wide rage of applications makes these disciplines ideally suited for cross-disciplinary fertilization and it will foster applications attractive to a wide scientific audience. A key focus of the activity will be in developing new approaches to education and outreach for the dissemination of basic ideas to non-traditional audiences.

FY 2002 Award: $30,376
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $208,000

US Lead Contact:

The US-Brazil Technological Cultural Initiative will utilize cross-national curriculum development and student and faculty study abroad experiences to bring necessary internationalization to the areas of Information Technology and Business Administration, along with new knowledge about e-commerce and the impact of cultural, social, and political dynamics. A minimum of 50 students will be prepared in language and culture at their home institutions; they will follow their preparation with one to four semesters in study abroad in information technology, including an internship or work-related experience. A total of 12 faculty will also travel abroad and participate in an internship to enhance the development of six new on-line courses and the internationalization and alignment of the remainder of the information technology curriculum. The overall goal of this initiative is to improve information technology education, especially within the fields of business administration and economics. The anticipated outcomes include enhanced curriculum, increased marketability of students, firmly established relationships, systems and procedures for future student mobility, and a life-changing experience for participating students, faculty, and all the benefactors of a truly internationalized curriculum.

FY 2002 Award: $30,000
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $210,000

US Lead Contact:

This postbaccalaureate project will investigate issues in international affairs from the perspective of the African diaspora. Partner institutions will develop and implement courses incorporating this perspective; one of these courses will be delivered electronically in both English and Portuguese. To gain a fuller perspective, students from each university will spend at least one semester at a partner institution in another country.

FY 2002 Award: $25,812
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $210,830

US Lead Contact:

The manufacturing and production engineering consortia will create teams of American and Brazilian engineering students to solve engineering design problems in manufacturing and production at companies in America and in Brazil. The participating students will interact through project meetings held in person, in project meetings held via the Internet and video conferencing, in individual interactions via Internet audio and Internet video connections, and in using the Web. The objectives of the project are (1) to enable two universities in the US and two universities in Brazil to promote international exchange of engineering students, (2) to enhance the foreign language skills and the ability of students to understand different social cultures and technical cultures, and (3) to learn how to work in a multi-national engineering design team. It is expected that students completing this program will be able to organize and participate successfully in international engineering design teams because the project will focus on understanding the cross-cultural issues that can impede successful team performance.

FY 2002 Award: $30,000
Total Funding Estimate for 4 years: $204,115

US Lead Contact:

The US-Brazil Consortium for Environmental Responsibility will fashion a robust interdisciplinary environmental studies curriculum and inter-hemispheric learning experience for faculty and students alike. This collaboration will feature coursework, seminars, internships, applied research, language and culture training, a common web site, video-conferencing, and student exchange. Throughout, learning experiences will be informed by principles of environmental responsibility that recognize the challenge of encouraging economic growth to alleviate poverty, while respecting the benefits of conservation of natural resources, eco-systems, habitats, and species. Our goal is to establish a permanent partnership that trains future citizen-leaders and experts who--

• understand the complexity of relations (economic, business, political, legal, ethical, cultural, social, scientific, educational, health) that impact efforts to devise and sustain environmental policy within and across each nation's borders;
• are bilingual and have a great appreciation of the hemispheric partner and peoples; and
• will advance US-Brazil dialogue, collaboration, and problem solving on environmental issues.

FY 2002 Award: $26,537
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $207,828

US Lead Contact:

Sustainable development has emerged as the paradigm to address ecological concerns through economic and social equity strategies. The Consortium for Sustainable Urban Design and Community Based Resource Management brings these issues front and center by challenging students to develop multidisciplinary approaches to improving the quality of life and health of poor urban communities. This student-centered curriculum will emphasize problem-based learning, community capacity building, and participatory action research. The institutions for this consortium were chosen for their expertise in urban poverty, participatory planning and design, and a proven track record in service learning curricula. The knowledge and skills garnered through the program will prepare students for careers with international agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that focus on urban growth and change.

FY 2002 Award: $29,657
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $209,935

US Lead Contact:

There is an acute need to combat rural poverty, enhance food security, and conserve the natural resource base in order to provide options to small farmers and to convert large-scale, high-input farming systems to sustainable management both in the US and Brazil. To achieve this, the consortium will promote an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional educational exchange program allowing students from US and Brazil to become knowledgeable in the area of agroecology, critical for the design and management of sustainable farming systems. Through a series of modules integrating experiential, classroom and web-based learning, this program will allow students to engage in a four-month academic program, leading to an understanding of the challenges facing agriculture in the hemisphere as well the various technical, socio-economic and policy options for moving towards sustainability.

FY 2002 Award: $25,958
Total Funding Estimate for 4 years: $212,312

US Lead Contact:

Forest and wetland resource management is a function of the climate, landscape, and society in which it exists. This consortium will develop professionals in forest and wetland resource management that have first-hand experience in ecosystems from the humid and semi-arid tropics to the temperate zone in several different cultural settings. The education consortium addresses the need to solve future problems in conservation of soil, water quality and plant diversity at an international level. Each student will enhance their training from their home institution with field-based study in the guest institution's country. They will be exposed to forest management and wetland utilization within the guest country and will develop an appreciation of society's influence on resource management. The program further seeks to develop a professional population bilingual in English and Portuguese capable of working within either country and with the potential to contribute to greater international cooperation in resolving forest and wetland management issues. Students participating in this program will have increased opportunities to further their studies at a post-graduate level after graduation.

FY 2002 Award: $29,768
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $209,965

US Lead Contact:

The participating institutions in this project plan to construct and implement a concentration in deepwater technology for petroleum recovery through an exchange program. This concentration will be a subpart of the Petroleum Engineering Curriculum. The exploration and production of petroleum in deepwater is a new and an expensive challenge to the industry. The technology is complicated and sophisticated, but it is a major thrust of the industry into the future. The United States and Brazil have vast petroleum reserves to explore and produce. The United States is considered a leader in the development of technology in deepwater for petroleum recovery and Brazil has led in the application of technology. This exchange program will develop educational modules for implementation into the traditional Petroleum Engineering Curriculum through the establishment of a structured concentration in deepwater issues. The faculty members at the participating institutions will accomplish these tasks by utilizing various technologies such as videoconferencing, web site development, and distance learning. Furthermore, they will promote the exchange program to industrial partners for the continuation of collaboration of professionals in both countries affecting technical and economical advantages. In recent years, due to major discoveries in various parts of the world, Petroleum Engineering graduates find it more likely to work outside the United States and collaborate with their counterparts in other countries. Mobility of the professionals in this profession has come to be a major consideration in hiring practices. Therefore, this project, other than building their technical skills, will prepare the students for an international career.

FY 2002 Award: $30,000
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $210,975

US Lead Contact:

This project conducts student and faculty exchanges focused on the interdisciplinary and international study of film, literature and culture. Brazilian and American undergraduate and graduate students spend one or two semesters of study, and faculty are welcomed for periods of sabbatical research and for teaching courses, at either of the participating institutions in the other country. The project will expand cultural awareness, heighten sensitivity to comparative and international perspectives, and increase the ability to communicate in a second language.

FY 2002 Award: $29,873
Total US Funding Estimate for 4 years: $209,992

US Lead Contact: