How Brazil’s resilient research ecosystem weathered funding cuts

From 2014 to 2022, Brazil’s government cut federal funding for research by about 60%¹, and many institutes, including São Paulo State University (UNESP), faced financial pressure to find innovative ways to support science. According to Edson Botelho, vice-president of research at UNESP, these cuts forced the end of many research projects, and scientists had to leave in search of better opportunities.

UNESP pushed forward, particularly when hit with a global crisis. “Over the past three years, we have worked heavily in the medical field,” says Botelho, “specifically in technologies, including diagnostics and vaccines, involving solutions for COVID-19.” This emphasis on the pandemic generated more than 150 projects related to the biology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic, and how to control it.

One study from scientists at various Brazilian universities, including UNESP, showed that COVID-19 vaccines saved the lives of about 60,000 people in Brazil over the age of 60². This work highlighted the importance of finding innovative solutions and rolling them out quickly.

With help from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), which is funded by the state, and UNESP’s drive to keep science alive, the university survived these lean years of federal funding. “FAPESP has remained very active, even in recent years,” says Botelho. “The foundation plays a fundamental role in the research ecosystem of our state and represents a lot of the success of our research.”

Brighter futures

Founded in 1976, the 24-campus university offers courses in different areas of theoretical and experimental sciences, such as engineering, health, communications, humanities, society development, arts and more. UNESP has already kick-started projects in a wide range of topics beyond the medical field: from bioeconomy and biodiversity to social inequality and sustainable development.

Many opportunities for success lie ahead for UNESP. Botelho points out the Brazilian government’s new growth acceleration programme called PAC. Launched in 2023, the initiative plans to invest about R$1.2 billion (US$250 million) in scientific research by 2026. “With this programme, from investments by CNPq, FINEP and CAPES, we can recover and expand scientific and technological research infrastructure in universities and institutes,” Botelho says.

Soon, adds Botelho, UNESP is looking to expand in many ways, including to develop more complex research projects. And the future looks promising: researchers from UNESP recently received funding from FAPESP to create a research programme in biodiversity dynamics and climate change. “We are working to obtain funding like this in other areas.”

In addition to improvements in infrastructure and securing funding for large research projects, UNESP plans to expand its community of scientists. Because of the federal funding cuts, Botelho says, there was “brain drain from Brazil — mainly of young researchers, who moved to countries that understood the role of science and technology in their social and economic development.” He hopes to help reverse that trend.

In fact, UNESP plans to invigorate Brazilian science in general. “We want to expand our international partnerships,” Botelho says. “We also want to provide as much research support as possible, so that our students and scientists remain motivated and inspired to carry out their work.”