The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), through the Oswaldo Cruz House (COC), and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) are launching a call for the International Research Excellence Program of the Oswaldo Cruz House (PROEP-INTER 2025) The notice was published last Friday (2/21) in the Federal Official Gazette by the CNPq.
Because of its importance, the agreement was mentioned in the Joint Declaration, an official document that reflects the commitments and understandings established during the 14th Brazil-Portugal Summit, which marked the beginning of the celebrations of 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Collaboration to face challenges
The call aims to foster collaborative research projects between the two countries, to create new lines of research, train qualified researchers, and deepening institutional partnerships. Academic mobility and mentoring of graduate students are also part of the program's guidelines.
Four research projects will be considered, each with maximum funding of R$750,000 in Brazil. Of this amount, up to R$500,000 should be earmarked for funding and R$250,000 for scholarships. In Portugal, financial support will be up to 125,000 Euros per project, by FCT rules.
Projects should address the following thematic areas: anthropocene, climate and health in the long time arc (19th-21st centuries); circulation of knowledge in the Portuguese-speaking world (19th-21st centuries); science and citizenship: dialogues with society, and memory as a right. The call also stipulates that proposals must have a coordinator from the Oswaldo Cruz House and another from the proposing institution in Portugal, representing the FCT. Projects must demonstrate their scientific, methodological, and social relevance, as well as their impact on the production of knowledge in the areas covered.
The need to strengthen international cooperation is even more important given the challenges posed by climate change and its impact on biodiversity, public health, and social inequalities. Recent UN reports warn of growing food and water insecurity, as well as an increase in the number of climate refugees around the world. In this context, funding for innovative projects that address these issues becomes essential for building solutions based on science and technology.
Transatlantic partnership
Magali Romero Sá, deputy director of Research and Education at the Oswaldo Cruz House, explains that the idea is to strengthen existing collaborations and encourage new initiatives: "With this, the House expands its presence in transnational research, promoting dialogues between researchers, professors, and students from both countries." She further highlights the special nature of the venture: "This call is an original and unique proposal at Fiocruz and consolidates COC's vision as a strategic and innovative international center for research and education."
For Maria Paula Diogo, a member of FCT's Board of Directors, the call reinforces the importance of deeper collaboration between Portugal and Brazil in the field of academic research, going beyond traditional results and dialoguing with major issues in contemporary society: "This collaboration institutionalizes informal ties that have been woven for many years, allowing for strengthening joint research and encouraging younger generations of researchers to continue this transatlantic partnership."
The two institutions expect to promote the advancement of knowledge and the confrontation of global challenges, bringing a new vision from the Portuguese-speaking countries. As Magali Sá puts it: "We hope to achieve innovative results, with the creation of lines of research, the strengthening of scientific cooperation, and the formation of new research networks." Maria Paula Diogo emphasizes the pioneering nature of the initiative: "It is relevant per se, because of how it can anchor future collaborations with other countries whose common language is Portuguese and as an alternative to the hegemonic vision built on the voices of the so-called 'centers'."
The director of the Oswaldo Cruz House, Marcos Pinheiro, also welcomes the partnership: "This is the result of historic partnerships established between the House and research and teaching institutions in Portugal, and of bold and innovative action by the institutions that signed the Technical Cooperation Agreement." The director further highlights the efforts that made the agreement possible, including the mission to Portugal and Spain in 2023, as well as the House's ongoing investments to meet Fiocruz's strategic internationalization guideline.
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