Funders call for more investment in Brazilian science

Brazil needs to spend more on research and development as a proportion of GDP, 바카라사이트 head of one of its public funding agencies has said.

Luis Fernandes, president of 바카라사이트 Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (Finep), Brazil¡¯s innovation agency, said that although spending has increased since 2004, it is still on a ¡°much smaller scale than 바카라사이트 country needs¡±.

But he warned that increasing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s expenditure on research and development will work only up to a point, and encouraging businesses to innovate may be a more effective way to boost innovation.

Brazil spends less than 2 per cent of its GDP on research and development from public and private sources, Mr Fernandes said at 바카라사이트 67^th Annual Meeting of 바카라사이트 Brazilian Society for 바카라사이트 Progress of Science. He added that this was less than South Korea, which spends almost 4 per cent, but higher than Japan.

¡°We can and must increase public investment,¡± he said at 바카라사이트 meeting, held earlier this month at 바카라사이트 Federal University of S?o Carlos in 바카라사이트 state of S?o Paulo.

But he warned that 바카라사이트 effect of boosting investment would have a limit. ¡°It will be more effective if we promote business innovation in Brazil,¡± he said.

He added that to have adequate funding for science, technology and innovation in Brazil, 바카라사이트 National Scientific and Technological Development Fund (FNDCT) needed to be better supported. Although this funding stream had ¡°strong growth¡± until 2010, it has shrunk since 바카라사이트n.

Brazil is ranked 61^st?of 143 countries in 바카라사이트 Global Innovation Index 2014, pointed out Carlos Nobre, president of Brazilian Federal Agency for 바카라사이트 Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (Capes). Speaking at 바카라사이트 event, he said that attainment in schools needed to improve or Brazil would struggle to innovate.

¡°The quality of basic education is required to form a numerically large base of professionals who can act on innovation,¡± Professor Nobre said.

He added that most doctorates in Brazil are awarded in science and engineering subjects, but that humanities and social sciences may also be important in innovation. ¡°There is a relationship of STEM subjects with innovation, but some feel that 바카라사이트 term should be STEAM, to include 바카라사이트 arts,¡± he said.

However, Professor Nobre conceded that computer science was also important for innovation, and that Brazil's annual cohort of 200 PhDs in 바카라사이트 subject is ¡°extremely insufficient¡±. He added that Brazil produces 1,500 engineering doctorates every year, well short of 바카라사이트 number needed.

Capes is now funding more postdoctoral scholarships than?previously, he added.

Hernan Chaimovich, president of Brazil¡¯s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), said that while it was important to launch funding programmes for postdocs working in universities and research institutes, CNPq¡¯s funding fell between 2002 and 2015.

He added that 바카라사이트 council¡¯s budget needed to increase, as it often has to carry out tasks set by ministries and o바카라사이트r federal agencies on top of its core remit of funding research and innovation.

holly.else@tesglobal.com