← back to Spain things

how a sandwich PhD works through the CAPES-PRINT scholarship

A "sandwich PhD" (doutorado sanduíche) is a Brazilian program where PhD students spend part of their doctorate abroad at a partner institution. Here's everything I learned going through the process.

What is CAPES-PRINT?

CAPES-PRINT (Programa Institucional de Internacionalização) is a Brazilian government program that funds international academic exchanges. It provides scholarships for PhD students to spend 4-12 months at foreign universities.

Requirements

• Be enrolled in a Brazilian PhD program
• Have your advisor's approval
• Have an invitation from a foreign institution
• Pass the selection process at your university
• Meet language requirements for the destination country

The Application Process

1. Find a partner institution (your university likely has existing partnerships)
2. Contact a potential supervisor abroad
3. Prepare your research plan
4. Gather required documents
5. Submit through your university's international office
6. Wait (this takes months)

What the Scholarship Covers

• Monthly stipend (varies by country, approximately €1,300-1,500 for Europe)
• Round-trip airfare
• Installation allowance
• Health insurance

Tips from Experience

• Start early - the bureaucracy takes longer than you expect
• Get everything in writing
• The stipend is enough to live on, but not luxuriously
• Make the most of the academic environment - attend seminars, meet people
• Document everything for when you return

---

← back to Spain things