Research Units Sign Manifesto Against CAPES Cuts

The Research Units (RUs) of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC) express their surprise and dismay at the announcement of the drastic reduction in CAPES' budget for 2019, which could cause immeasurable impacts on the Brazilian science, technology and innovation (S,T&I) system.

CAPES is one of the main agencies for funding research in Science, Technology & Innovation in the country and has made an important contribution to the international recognition this system has gained in recent decades. Without these resources, development in these areas – and consequently, that related to Brazil's economic and social field – will suffer a severe and irreversible setback.

Among the consequences of this budget cut are: the suspension of scholarships for master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies; the interruption of the training of basic education professionals, with the suspension of scholarship programs for initiation into teaching, pedagogical residency, and teacher training at that level; the interruption of the operation of the Open University of Brazil System (UAB), as well as the Professional Master's Program for the Qualification of Teachers in the Public Basic Education Network (ProEB); and the interruption of CAPES funding programs destined for abroad, harming international cooperation.

In addition to representing a setback for the Brazilian science, technology, and innovation system, these cuts directly affect approximately 500,000 people.

We, the directors – supported by civil servants, employees, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students from the MCTIC Research Units – appeal to the Minister of Education to immediately reverse this cut. And we call upon society as a whole to join us in defending science and the technological development of the country – a fundamental path to a sovereign and dignified nation.

Brazilian Center for Physics Research – CBPF

Renato Archer Information Technology Center – CTI

Mineral Technology Center – CETEM

Center for Strategic Technologies of the Northeast – CETENE

National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters – CEMADEM

National Center for Research in Energy and Materials – CNPEM

Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology – IBICT

Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development – IDSM

Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics – IMPA

National Institute of the Atlantic Forest – INMA

National Institute for Amazonian Research – INPA

National Institute for Space Research – INPE

National Institute of Technology – INT

National Institute of the Semi-Arid Region – INSA

National Astrophysics Laboratory – LNA

National Laboratory for Scientific Computing – LNCC

Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences – MAST

Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará – MPEG

National Observatory – ON