RTA Supports Program in Brazil

This summer, the UF International Center (UFIC) provided a unique opportunity for a UF faculty member and two undergraduate students to take research beyond the classroom and into the field through the Research Tutorials Abroad (RTA) program.

Sponsored by UFIC, the RTA program gives faculty the opportunity to take undergraduate students abroad for approximately one to three weeks to participate directly in an international research project. Through these experiences, students gain hands-on research skills while exploring how academic concepts and questions translate to real-world settings.

This summer, political scientist Dr. Janusz led an RTA to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with UF students Eduarda Barcelos, now a second-year student, and Sofia Maciel Rocha, now a senior. Their research focused on a fascinating question surrounding Brazil’s elections: Why do individuals choose to run for public office when they have little chance of winning?

With UFIC funding, the students traveled with Dr. Janusz and spent two weeks conducting qualitative interviews with political candidates, elected officials and party leaders. Before leaving Gainesville, they helped prepare IRB documentation, developed interview protocols and researched the people they would meet. Once in Brazil, they became active participants in the research process, conducting interviews and applying skills they had previously encountered primarily in the classroom.

The experience offered lessons that went far beyond research methodology. For Sofia, one of the most important skills she developed was learning how to ask questions and navigate unfamiliar situations while remaining curious and open to new opportunities.

“Everything was a learning experience,” Sofia said. “I learned to put myself out there, navigate different spaces, and, most importantly, remain curious.”

The students also experienced firsthand how research rarely unfolds exactly as planned. On their final day, a scheduling conflict meant that the students conducted an interview with a state deputy on their own. Their performance impressed the deputy, who invited them onto the floor of the State Assembly during a session and introduced them to the assembly’s president, who is now running for governor of Rio de Janeiro. The students then arranged an additional interview with him.

For Sofia, the experience renewed her interest in research and electoral politics as she prepares for her senior year and begins working on her thesis. “It was a trip that reminded me why I got into research in the first place,” she said, “and motivated me again to keep asking questions, pursuing opportunities, and learning from places and people around me.”

The RTA program demonstrates the impact of international experiences that connect faculty research, undergraduate learning and global engagement. By supporting faculty-led research abroad, UFIC helps create opportunities for students to move beyond textbooks and classrooms and become active participants in the discovery process.

Learn more about the Research Tutorials Abroad (RTA) program and opportunities for UF faculty and students:
Research Tutorials Abroad (RTA) – UF International Center