SPECIAL INTERVIEW

The importance of CISB in the SwB Programme

Glaucius Oliva, President of CNPq

In this interview with the President of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Glaucius Oliva, he talks about the role of the CISB in intensification of the relationship between Brazil and Sweden, as well as presenting a general overview of the Science without Borders (SwB) programme.

CISB - Is the partnership with the CISB centred on the Science without Borders project?
Glaucius Oliva - This partnership was the first stage that attached us to the CISB [Swedish-Brazilian Innovation Centre]. When we were just starting out with Science without Borders, this Innovation Centre arose with a proposal that had the very spirit we were looking for: that of not simply finding a vacancy abroad, but establishing a connection between graduate students and companies. These companies should have a focus, a DNA based on technology and innovation, and also have the opportunity or an interest in bringing these students back home, to work in Brazil.

CISB - Was this partnership a distinguishing factor, from the viewpoints of Sweden and Brazil, in the forwarding of the programme?
Glaucius Oliva - Yes, indeed. We would not have had such a widespread insertion in Sweden, in such an organised way, had we not had the participation of the CISB. The fact that the companies are based on Brazil, and hence were able to get over to Brasília, also made things a lot easier, as in other cases we had to go abroad to reach agreements. However, the CISB also brought a significant contribution to the CNPq related to the issue of open innovation, a concept that is not that well known in Brazil.

CISB - And why not?
Glaucius Oliva - Brazilian heads still think largely about patents as being the most important instrument of innovation. The concept of open innovation, in which you can encourage knowledge and exchange of information in a highly co-operative manner, is a concept that motivated us through CISB. For this reason, I consider this partnership to be very interesting.

CISB - Between the first and the second and third calls of Science without Borders, what know-how has been added?
Glaucius Oliva - More companies doing things, and a greater capacity of permeability of information about Sweden for potential candidates. As we have agreements with the main countries, I would say that this has become a competitive market. When a Brazilian student thinks of studying abroad, he or she normally goes to the United States or to Europe, especially France, England, Germany or Italy. To pursue a doctoral course in Sweden, the student needs access to information, and the CISB promotes this information at special events where the opportunities are publicised.

In our last call-up, the CISB also actively participated in the process at which the candidates were selected. We carried out the whole pre-selection process, but the final stage was an interview, to try to blend in the interest of vacancies as pre-identified by the CISB in Sweden with the qualifications and interests of these students. This was a face-to-face interview, something that we could never do in Brasília, because of the size - each call-up made by the CNPq has some dozens of thousands of candidates. Personal contact is lost. The CISB has managed to do this, and has been helping us tremendously with the process for selection of good candidates for Sweden.

CISB - For the second phase of Science without Borders, how do you see its forwarding?
Glaucius Oliva - What seems extremely crucial to us is that the programme makes progress, ceasing to be just a system for the Federal Government do dish out grants and vacancies. We want it to be able to promote a real and effective partnership between Brazilian universities and similar institutions, partner universities abroad.

We would also like there to be an increase in graduate studies, compared with undergraduate courses. The more qualified the group of students, the better. We want more students on sandwich doctorate courses, full doctoral studies and post-doctorate, in this second phase. The more sophisticated our relationship is, the more we shall need partners who help us to establish this meeting between the Brazilian researcher and the researcher abroad, whether in the academic environment or in companies.

CISB - In this aspect, thinking more about the researcher, rather than just undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, do you see a possibility of the CISB helping?
Glaucius Oliva - Yes, I do. This is due to the very fact that they visit institutions to publicise the programme, often intermediating relationships between Swedish companies and academic, research and University partnerships in Brazil.

Consider the area of aviation, for example, where the agreement is quite significant from the resources point of view. This involves transfer of technology, which is not just simply a case of buying an asset. We shall manage to attract Swedish engineers to the country, but the bulk of the labour force needs to consist of engineers, companies and scientists from Brazil. If they can have training abroad, in Swedish universities and companies, and then bring this training over to Brazil, then I see this as a niche.

CISB - And from the standpoint of the coming of Swedish researchers to Brazil, does the CNPq have any expectations?
Glaucius Oliva - The second phase of Science without Borders II shall continue with the programme involving young talents and special visiting researchers, which are the two types that we have in the programme. In Science without Borders I, out of the 101 thousand grants, some 1,800 have already been allocated to young talents and also special visitors from abroad. By the end of the year, this figure should rise to some 2,500 grants. This means that 2.5% of the grants were not to send people abroad, but rather to bring in young talents and visiting researchers.

CISB - How can the co-operation agreement with the CISB grow beyond Science without Borders?
Glaucius Oliva - The agreement is very wide in scope. The agreement says we can promote actions of interest in the promotion of science and technology and also in the interface between Sweden and Brazil. This could even lead to other types of action. Today we have co-operation agreements with large companies in Norway, for example. I have recently signed a major agreement with Statoil of Norway. They shall invest several million Brazilian Reais for us to make call-ups, and shall participate in the programme for INCTs, identifying those INCTs that address issues related to oil and gas, and in which they wish to participate. They shall be financing these projects jointly with us.

CISB - Are there similar partnerships in Brazil?
Glaucius Oliva - Yes, with companies such as Vale and Petrobras. We have several joint actions.

CISB - Was this Norwegian company the first one from abroad?
Glaucius Oliva - No. We have already had call-ups with Glaxo Smith Kline, a British pharmaceutical company. The company invests money for research while I provide grants for the Science without Borders programme. You combine agency instruments with company instruments. So, I believe that as the companies start identifying whatever is interesting and useful, we shall have partnerships not only with Universities but also with companies. Currently, for example, I have a high proposal document which is a bidding document aimed at companies. What do they seek? Grants and human resources, so they can have people working on R&D projects at the company. This co-operation agreement already opens the possibility of expansion of the actions with CNPq, in partnership with the CISB.

CISB - Could you give further details about how the dynamics operated in the partnership with GSK, in Norway, please?
Glaucius Oliva - Glaxo defined the main areas of pharmaceutical development that were in the company’s interests. Thus, we called up researchers from Universities here in Brazil, interested in working on projects in this area. A team from Glaxo then came to Brazil to help us to assess the projects and choose which ones would go ahead under their tutorship. The project was from a research group in Brazil, but received funding from Glaxo and also CNPq grants. Glaxo invested a total of 1 million British Pounds in project financing. Pharmaceutical innovation is still largely uncharted territory in Brazil, so this experience was really interesting.

CISB - With what destination do the funds like those of the Glaxo project come to the ICT and to Brazilian Universities?
Glaucius Oliva - There are several different paths. The money may go direct to the ICT through a support foundation, but can also go straight to CNPq, in which case the institution hires as a research project or a researcher. We open a special budget credit which needs to be approved by the Brazilian Congress, after which the institution can receive the funding. This is a special account. Later I can hire a project, like a contract in the Chamada Universal scheme of the National Institute for Science and Technology (Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - INCT). Then there are elements of funding, capital and grants. This goes direct to the researcher, and the project is under this researcher’s entire responsibility. This mechanism is very interesting indeed.

CISB - What is your general view of the Science without Borders project? Evidently, from this original perspective set by the project, that of helping to make Brazilian science, the actions of the students and the actions of Brazilian researchers more international.
Glaucius Oliva - The Science without Borders project has caused quite a stir within the process to make Brazilian Universities and science more international. We came from a period where internationalisation was spontaneous, and exclusively at the will of the researcher. Now, we have started to indicate a completely different direction.

Brazil was practically unknown in the world, from a scientific standpoint. Now, not a week goes by without delegations coming to the country, entering Universities to inspect the infrastructure, requesting partnerships. Our students are now very successful abroad. The reason for this is, first and foremost, a high degree of selection. We have between 2% and 3% of our 7 million undergraduate students abroad every year. Another distinctive factor that we have here is our scientific initiation programme, which is very different from what occurs in other countries.  Here in Brazil, an undergraduate student joins a research laboratory very early. When his or her undergraduate course ends, the student has already learnt how to use a pipette, to deal with equipment, to carry out statistical analysis or draw a graph. Sometimes, the students have already had something published.

The success of Brazilian students is great, and this has given unique exposure to Brazilian science abroad. Now, we have earned a lot of respect. The general aspect of Brazilian science has changed significantly, as it has now really opened itself to the whole world. Hence, my assessment is extraordinary. With all the difficulties that this has represented in terms of budget. This was a major investment, a programme for 100 thousand students.

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SENAI National Department is the latest member of CISB

Institution created to support competitiveness of Brazilian industry seeks inspiration in Sweden to enhance their instruments for innovation.

André Acetose, Innovation and Technology Unit, SENAI

In 2012, representatives of SENAI’s National Department went to Sweden to get to know the main agents of the innovation ecosystem of that country. They wanted to see how this Nordic country, considered one of the most innovative in the world, promotes its innovation chain. “One thing that called our attention was the operation of the ecosystem for innovation and the results obtained by collaborative action of the players within this ecosystem”, says André Acetose, from the institution’s Innovation and Technology Unit.

About two years later, SENAI’s National Department has just become a member of the Swedish-Brazilian Research and Innovation Centre (CISB), and takes a key step to enhance its instruments for innovation and to work in collaboration with Swedish partners. “The current moment experienced by SENAI, with consolidation and maturation of innovation actions, has made possible our institutional approximation”, says Mr Acetose.

The quest for mechanisms to innovate more and more is an element that is well ingrained in SENAI’s structures. First established in 1942 to promote innovation in Brazilian industry, this institution is now recognised throughout the country for its model of professional training and also for the quality of its technological services.

Since SENAI was first set up, over 55 million professional people have already been trained. At present, the 809 mobile and fixed operational units scattered throughout Brazil receive some 2.5 million enrolments in about 3 thousand courses to prepare workers for 28 industrial segments.

At present, SENAI has a certified network of 208 laboratories that provide technical and technological services to companies throughout the country. In 2011, this network provided services to over 18 thousand companies - there were 139,149 individual services to support the innovation and the technological development of industry.

Partnership - According to Mr Acetose, the membership of the Innovation Centre shall help to carry out collaboration projects between the SENAI institute and similar institutions in Sweden. “The CISB is an important articulation agent of this network, and manages to get all three interested parties involved: the industrial segment, academia and the Government”, he says.

The innovation system in Sweden is collaborative and has little bureaucracy, being focused on the solution of challenges of society, involving multidisciplinary teams. “In Brazil, this process is still largely divided into compartments, and there is difficulty in proving to society that innovation makes the difference in its life”, adds Mr Acetose.

The choice that was made in favour of Swedish expertise, according to Mr Acetose, ended up occurring naturally, as this Nordic country is a world reference in terms of innovation. “They arrive at innovative responses through the launching of a challenge in society, that is solved in a transversal manner”, he says.

For Fellipe Sabat, the coordinator of CISB Portfolio of Projects and Partnerships, “the potential for this partnership is encouraging, as today there is a strong interest from Swedish technology institutes and companies in the Brazilian market, matching with SENAI strategy to internationalize its institutes in a way to turn them more competitive.”

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Technological innovation in Brazil

Petter Krus (Linkoping University), Luciana Pereira (UFABC), Victor Juliano De Negri (UFSC) and Alessandra Holmo (CISB)

In the 1930s, when Brazil really started its process towards industrialisation, the region known as Greater ABC (Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo and São Caetano do Sul) took up a position of prominence. The most important car makers came to the region. However, the national units at that time were only assemblers - essentially the only work left for Brazil was the manual labour of putting the components together. “The development of the project, the moment when innovation is most present, had already been completed. Innovation was never discussed over here”, says Luciana Pereira, a professor at the Federal University of the ABC (UFABC), one of the organisers of the 2nd Workshop on Innovative Engineering for Fluid Power’, to take place on 2 and 3 September.

The history of the automobile industry in Brazil is very similar to that of the other industrial segments in the country. Over here, very few are the companies that have active product development departments - in most cases, these departments are located in the companies’ head offices abroad. “This can be clearly felt in the balance of trade. We import a greater volume of capital goods than we export; in other words, we do not create new products here in Brazil”, says Victor Juliano De Negri, the coordinator of the Hydraulics and Pneumatics Laboratory at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and also one of the organisers of the Workshop.

Departments intended for thinking about development and innovation are still new areas within Brazilian national industry. With encouragement from the Government and also from institutions such as CISB, the partnerships between the three key pillars - Universities, companies and the Government - are still in their early stages. “This partnership is essential, as the process working towards innovation starts inside the University environment, with research. Nowadays, what the University does is still largely limited to theory, to articles that are published”, adds Luciana.

This reality has been changing in the country over the last few years, and there are more partnerships between Universities and the industrial area. “The Brazilian Government is now taking action to encourage and create mechanisms that allow innovation to occur”, says Professor De Nigri. He stresses, however, that the University needs to take on the role of research, while innovation shall be the responsibility of the companies. “We understand that innovation is a company’s capacity to put a new idea on the market. The University institution makes research, and not a relationship with the market”, he says.

However, there are still structural difficulties that need to be overcome so that these partnerships may occur more spontaneously. “Judicial obstacles are now the main difficulty found when seeking to establish collaboration between Universities and companies. The judicial system is very slow and bureaucratic, and to be at the forefront you need to be quick”, says Luciana.

The 2nd Workshop on Innovative Engineering for Fluid Power, organised by the CISB, the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Linkoping University, UFABC and also the Brazilian Association of the Machinery and Equipment Industries (ABIMAQ), has the main aim of discussing these obstacles while also encouraging research and development in the areas of pneumatics and hydraulics, as applied to sectors such as aeronautics, vehicles and energy. “We shall discuss the issue of innovation and also address technical issues related to the process and those of management”, says Luciana.

The hosting of this workshop is a good example of how the CISB encourages technological innovation, promotes the exchange of technology with Sweden, and facilitates interaction with members and partners”, says Alessandra Holmo, the Managing Director of CISB.

Sweden, a model country - As the main partner of the CISB, Sweden is now a world reference when it comes to innovation. In this Nordic country, there is a stronger and closer relationship between Universities and companies. Some Government agencies, for example, have special programmes that only accept projects that have been submitted jointly by both parties. “This is a way of making sure that this project shall be relevant. This is particularly the case in the aeronautics and automobile segments”, says professor Petter Krus, from the University of Linköping, associated to the CISB and also an organiser of this workshop.

The partnership signed between the University and the industrial segment can take place in several different ways. For example, masters’ dissertations are often prepared within a company, with supervision not only by the company involved but also by a University. There is also the case of some post-doctoral projects which are carried out within the Universities. Some of these projects need such a high volume of financial injection that they only become feasible with external support. This means that the market ends up having an influence on the choice of what shall be researched within the academic environment. According to Mr Krus, this dependence ends up providing efficient mechanisms to guide knowledge to different areas.

 “To start a project of collaboration, it is recommended that this be done on a small scale, with dialogue, to bring expectations into alignment and also to avoid possible risks and frustrations. In this way, you will gradually increase this collaboration, as trust grows on both sides”, says Mr Krus.

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“Going to Sweden was a turnaround in my work”, says researcher

A recipient of a graduate studies grant within the CNPq-CISB-Saab programme, Patrícia Nascimento is a specialist in creation and communication of tacit knowledge, and shall work as a researcher at CISB.

Patrícia Cristina and her mentor Prof. Maria Hammarén (KTH)

Understanding how a type of knowledge constructed by professional practice within innovative organisations is communicated and [re]created by other professional people. It was in a quest for answers in this area that researcher Patrícia Cristina do Nascimento Souto set off for Sweden in September 2013. As the recipient of a grant in the second phase of the CNPq-CISB-Saab project, she pursued her post-doctoral studies at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), a prestigious University in the Nordic country. “Going to Sweden was like an intellectual turnaround in my work. My research was given new and different perspectives, and I could expand and deepen my understanding of the issue and the method used over there, which can be adapted to the reality here in Brazil”, she says.

 Patrícia’s research is very important. With this research project, Brazilian organisations shall have more grounds to reap more benefits from the process of creation of knowledge. “All the insights of the research are like an intellectual platform that can inform, lead or inspire the design of practices to facilitate the creation and communication of tacit knowledge [the knowledge which is constructed through practical experience within a given context]”, she says. In her opinion, it is possible to make better use of the moment of interaction between professional people when the ultimate aim of the meeting is that of creating knowledge. In this way, the contributions made by this creation, towards innovation, become richer and more distinctive.
During her six months in Sweden, Patrícia was able to talk and to establish a network of contacts with important academic personalities and also avant-garde personalities, as well as with innovative professional people who used the method that was her subject of study and managers from the top management at the company targeted by the research. “The way in which Swedish and Nordic organisations consider and include issues related to creation and communication of tacit knowledge in management is extremely advanced when compared to Brazil”, she says.

 There, she went deeper into a method for creation and communication of tacit knowledge with solid philosophical and methodological grounds, complementary to the approach which she already used and researched, and which was developed by her tutor - an expert in this area. “I wanted to understand this method in greater depth, as by integrating this to the research which I already carried out and which I have been developing in this area, I would make some contributions to Brazilian organisations”, she comments. According to Patrícia, this was only possible because of the grant received from Sweden. “This was a phase marked by the ‘reconstruction’ and ‘deconstruction’ of continuums and sets, this being made possible only when one is within a context of  advanced discussion.”

 While in the Nordic country, Patrícia participated in several different activities and also struck up conversations with brilliant academics and innovative managers. In her opinion, learning how an organisational culture which is so different from that of Brazil creates and communicates the tacit knowledge of the experts was an opportunity that really transformed her. Apart from this unique learning opportunity, she could also establish a network of academic relationships that are important for the unfolding of her research study.

 Return - In Brazil, Patrícia shall embark on a cooperation work project with CISB, for support, counselling and research into the creation and communication of tacit knowledge. “I believe that, together with the CISB, I shall construct interesting ways to enrich the work involved at different moments and also within different contexts of its activities”, she comments.

 On CISB’s side, the researcher shall also develop a research project in Brazil, similar to the one she developed in Sweden - the research into another method, also used in a Nordic country, which would be intersected with other research projects and approaches of her own, and then adapted and used at the CISB. The idea is that the researcher’s know-how may enrich and add power to the practices for creation and communication of tacit knowledge, which are acknowledged as necessary for the work of the Innovation Centre.

 After her return, Patrícia was also invited to act as a researcher into creation and communication of tacit knowledge, at the CISB arena. Her mission shall be that of monitoring of the products of the organisation, and providing guidance in this area. “I feel that my experience in Sweden made it possible to advance with all these partnerships. Were it not for the innovative and advanced vision of CISB, it would not be possible to construct these work projects jointly, within so complex an issue as mine”, she adds.

 In the opinion of the Managing Director of CISB, Alessandra Holmo, the collaborations made by the researcher need to be valuable. “From the first contact with the project applied, I have already identified a good potential for collaboration with CISB and during the interview I was able to confirm the synergy between the research area and the focus of action by CISB. Now, after her return to Brazil, we have the opportunity of counting on Patrícia’s collaboration within the development of the CISB Arenas”, Ms Holmo concludes.

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CISB earns a grant in the Inova Talentos programme

A project submitted by the Centre has been approved; a master’s degree student shall be active in the Transport & Logistics Arena

For the first time, CISB has received a study grant of the Inova Talentos programme, a partnership between the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL), an institute associated with the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), and research institution CNPq. The project presented by the Centre was successful in the category of ‘Settlement and Skills Training of Human Resources - Sectorial Funds’, and shall be developed by a master or an engineer within the Transport & Logistics Arena.

With a start scheduled to occur before December, the programme shall have a duration of 12 months and have 126 hours of skills training, both presential and in the form of distance learning. All grant recipients shall receive guidance from executives appointed by the participating companies and also by IEL. The main target here is that of developing behavioural, technical and management skills for the business reality. The grant recipients shall apply this knowledge in the daily activities of the company.

“It is indeed a great development opportunity for this professional, as being in an environment of international cooperation and various players. Moreover, the empowerment of a potential collaborator for CISB itself ", says Rosário Castro, programme manager at Lindholmen Science Park.

At the end of the programme, the grant recipients who have shown the best performance shall be acknowledged and also given an award, in the form of technical visits to the best technological development and innovation centres overseas.

The Inova Talentos programme is the result of a partnership between IEL and the research institution CNPq. Its main aim is that of increasing the number of professional people qualified to pursue innovation activities in Brazil. For this reason, the programme seeks to create new innovation projects within companies and also within private institutions of research and development.

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CISB Annual Meeting takes place in November

The fourth edition of the Meeting shall bring the results of last year’s projects and shall also have room for debates.

The 4th edition of the Annual Meeting of the CISB (Swedish-Brazilian Research and Innovation Centre) shall take place on 11 November at the Blue Tree Faria Lima Hotel in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1 to 6 p.m. The event, which this year shall have the general theme of “Swedish-Brazilian Cooperation: Innovation for a Sustainable Future”, shall offer an environment which is ideal for the discussion of issues concerning innovation in Brazil.

“This shall be an important moment for the CISB, as also for its members and partners. There shall be a presentation of last year’s results and also the next challenges to be tackled, in an environment for dialogue which is ideal for the generation of new initiatives and projects. The attraction of new members to the Centre is also one of the key aims”, says Alessandra Holmo, the Managing Director of the CISB.

This meeting shall also be an opportunity to disclose projects for collaboration that have been developed by the CISB and its members - representatives from Universities, companies and the Governments of both countries are expected.

There are also plans to hold some workshops during the week. The main issues shall be aimed at the key focus areas of Defence & Security and Transport & Logistics. During these workshops, it shall be possible to have a general view towards the future, to present the technologies of the areas considered and also to provide an environment which is ideal for new initiatives and also new partnerships between Brazil and Sweden.

The Secretary for Technological Development and Innovation, of the Brazilian Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation, Álvaro Prata, has already accepted the invitation to participate in this meeting. He is to speak during the special panel on “Swedish-Brazilian Cooperation - Innovation for a Sustainable Future”, which has been pencilled in for 2:20 p.m.

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Training in Innovation and Technology Management

In its second edition, this course is aimed at the skills training of future professionals of the IME in the neighbourhood of Guaratiba, in Rio de Janeiro.

The second edition of the Training in Innovation and Technology Management, promoted by CISB in partnership with Linköping University,  the Armed Forces and also Swedish companies, started on 12 August in Rio de Janeiro. This course, which includes activities such as lessons, workshops, case studies and visits to companies and technology parks, shall last a total of six weeks, of which two weeks shall be in Brazil and the other four weeks in Sweden.

The course is primarily aimed at engineers and technicians of the Brazilian Army and the Brazilian Air Force, and has a strong focus on technology management and innovation. “The training is aimed at the defence segment, in order to collaborate with the implementation of the new Army Science and Technology Hub in the suburb of Guaratiba, in Rio de Janeiro”, says Colonel Paulo Roberto Costa, one of the co-ordinators of the project on the Brazilian Army side.

According to Col. Costa, the new building of the Military Engineering Institute (Instituto Militar de Engenharia - IME), in Guaratiba, shall bring together the organisations specialised in teaching, research, development and innovation of the Brazilian Army in one single condominium. For this reason, it shall have a new pedagogical project and also new laboratories. In addition, the capacity of the institution shall be increased from 100 to 300 Engineering undergraduate students.

The engineers who are already participating in the Training shall receive special skills training to manage this new concept that the Army is working on. This is because this course has been designed specially to train this team that shall be going to Guaratiba. “The first edition of the Training qualified those engineers who started the projects of the Innovation Management Agency and the Centre for Industrial Development”, says the colonel. These two units are part of the new building at Guaratiba.

“Due to the success of the first group, CISB and DCT have established a new Training Programme in Innovation and Technology for the period between 2014 and 2016. This second group is already the result of this programme, and courses in specific technological areas are now being planned”, says Alessandra Holmo, the Managing Director of CISB.

Curriculum - The Training Programme in Innovation and Technology management is based on the triple helix concept in the qualification of engineers. This means that there is active participation on the part of all three areas which are essential for innovation: the industrial segment, here represented by the Swedish company Saab; the Government (Swedish Armed Forces) and the University - in this case, Linköping University, also from Sweden.

“The course was tailor-made, meeting the qualification needs of the engineers, with skills for technology and innovation management as appropriate for the Brazilian Armed Forces”, says Colonel Costa.

At present, a total of 14 professional people have enrolled, including Army Officers who are engineers and other officers of the operational segment of the Brazilian Army, as well as one representative from the Industrial Nurturing Association (Instituto de Fomento Industrial) of the Brazilian Air Force. In the first edition of this event, there were nine people enrolled.

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A record number of entries for the 3rd call-up for CNPq-CISB-Saab projects

The 3rd call-up for CNPq-CISB-Saab projects, within the scope of the Science without Borders programme, has awarded grants for sandwich doctoral or post-doctoral courses at leading Swedish universities to six researchers. This call-up ended in May this year, and there was a record number of participants. There was a total of 108 different proposals of applied projects on the Carlos Chagas platform of CNPq, which works out at an increase of over 350% when compared to the second call.

Coming from the Federal Universities of the Brazilian States of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, and also the University of Brasília (UnB), the FEI University Centre, and the Aeronautical Technological Institute (ITA), these researchers shall start their projects as from September, with these projects having a duration of between 6 and 12 months.

“As each call-up process ends, there is further strengthening of the partnership between CNPq, CISB and Saab. We are also now reaping the benefits of this highly successful partnership, as some of the students of the 1st and 2nd groups, who have already returned to Brazil, now have the possibility of becoming important key researchers for collaborative projects which are currently being discussed”, says Alessandra Holmo, the Managing Director of the CISB.

The 4th call-up process is already being planned, and shall be opened by the end of 2014.

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