MSCA Fellow of the Month
This month, we spotlight
Daniela Portella Sampaio
a former MSCA postdoctoral fellow at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) in Germany.
She worked on the POLARPOL project, which investigated the hurdles governments face when implementing their diplomatic commitments for the polar regions.
Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth that belongs to no single country. Protecting its fragile environment depends on international cooperation and on countries following through on the measures they have agreed together.
Through POLARPOL, Daniela studied what helps governments put those commitments into practice and how successful approaches can support the protection of the polar regions.
I am now showing that it is really hard to make everybody happy, but they still need to try to listen to each other, so that Antarctica can be protected. When people feel heard, they are more friendly and willing to work together.
Protecting a continent without borders
The polar regions are home to unique ecosystems and wildlife, but they are increasingly affected by environmental pressures and human activities.
POLARPOL focused on measures related to environmental emergencies and human safety in Antarctica. By comparing European Antarctic programmes, Daniela investigated why some countries are more successful than others in implementing agreed measures.
Her research showed that factors such as dedicated funding, administrative autonomy and previous experience with similar agreements can help governments translate international commitments into concrete action, strengthening the protection of vulnerable polar environments.
Following in Marie Skłodowska-Curie’s footsteps
Originally from Brazil, Daniela has built an international career in environmental governance, public policy and international relations.
She completed her PhD at the University of São Paulo and spent time at Royal Holloway, University of London. Since 2015, she has also worked as an advisor to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, helping countries reach decisions on issues affecting Antarctica.
Her fellowship built on insights gained during a previous MSCA project at the University of Leeds, where she studied commercial pressures on the Antarctic Treaty.
My Marie Curie fellowships have been life-changing. As a kid, the chemistry lab in my school was named after Marie Curie. Seeing a girl’s name for the first time in science struck me.
Bringing policymaking to life
Daniela is passionate about making international cooperation more accessible to wider audiences.
For Germany’s “Day of the Future”, she developed a policymaking tabletop game in collaboration with Royal Holloway, University of London and the Higher Education Outreach Network. The game teaches participants how difficult it can be to bring different interests together to reach a common goal. It has since been used during school visits in Germany and the United Kingdom.
She has organised negotiation strategy games for secondary school students and contributed her expertise to policymakers through work with the European Parliament and the UK Parliament.
Marie Curie Alumni Association
Daniela is a member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA). Through the Association, she attended talks on topics such as research culture, which encouraged her to explore how her research projects could evolve and how her findings could be developed into new ideas advancing both her polar governance research agenda and her career as a researcher and policy advisor.
She particularly appreciated the active MCAA community, which shares opportunities while fostering a strong sense of belonging among current and former MSCA fellows. Daniela encourages members to take part in MCAA initiatives and activities to benefit from the knowledge, networks, and future collaborations they can create.
So far, what I most enjoyed is how active the MCAA community is, sharing not only opportunities, but also providing us with a sense of belonging – Marie Curie continues in our lives.
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