About Us

International relations and stimulus to cooperation are present since the early ages of CNPq´s creation.  Therefore, since 1951, the international cooperation agenda is part of the Council´s mandate.

 The international agenda produces an expressive set of initiatives, projects and programs that brings together instituions of the kind worldwide, which, similar to CNPQ, were created with same understanding that science has a transforming role in people´s lives and is intrinsically linked to progress of civilization in general, and of nations, in particular.

 The idea that there is no borders in science and that, in that regard, international collaboration in S,T&I is an imperative to produce knowledge, mobilizing skills in Brazil and abroad, always guided the international agenda intertwined with CNPq´s creation.

 The Council has it´s own management and governance body linked to the international cooperation segment, which produces long standing agreements and partnerships. The systemic, strategic and operational approach is set in the Council´s organizational structure as an international affairs unit called on International Cooperation General-Coordination  (CGCIN), in charge of bilateral and multilateral agreements, which brings CNPq closer to an expressive set of international partners that share same purposes and competences.      

The CGCIN unit promotes internationalization through stimulus to Science, Technology and Innovation (S,T&I) institutions that act on international cooperation, integrating Brazilian researchers to the science and technology international ecosystems and strengthening international cooperation research network.

Within the scope of CGCINs action there is: collaboration with bilateral, multilateral and regional international programs, with international scientific foruns along with research and development institutions, support to joint S,T&I projects, holding events, and technical missions. We also embrace researchers exchange and participation in international organizations to strengthen strategic partnerships with priority countries in the scope of Brazil´s foreign policy, especially in themes and future-bearing areas, which aim at strengthening science, technology and innovation in Brazil  towards economic development, social and environmental sustainability.

CNPq/CGCIN supports training for Brazilian human resources through the grant of scholarships such as:  Doctorate, Doctorate “sandwich", and Pos-Doctorate, following joint established criteria between CNPq and partners at foreign agencies convenents. It aims to reinforce the strategic scope of S,T &I funding, with applications linked to international and joint research projects, to favor   partnerships between research groups.

Additionally, there are opportunities for foreign students in Brazil, through the Students-Agreement Graduate Program (PEC-PG) in the Masters and Doctorate degrees by means of  the agreement with The World Academy of Sciences (TWAs) for Doctorate and Post-Doctorate studies.

The International Cooperation General-Coordination (CGCIN) unit has within it´s competence, specifically:

I – develop and strengthen international cooperation through negotiation, signing of agreements and other international cooperation instruments;

II – coordinate and develop programs, international projects and cooperation nets in S,T&I;

III – monitor and evaluate international cooperation actions and accomplish prospective and strategic studies aligned within it´s institutional mission;

IV – support and subsidize CNPq´s Directors regarding international negociations and partnerships;

V - manage actions towards Open Science progress;

VI – manage programs and actions towards data synthesis and high international patterns concepts, emphasizing projects that deal with current problems, leading to socially relevant outcomes; 

VII – supervise activities related to accreditation for scientific, technological and innovation imports, as well as the imports of goods and granting of tax incentives to S,T&I research;

VIII – coordinate actions regarding requests for formal scientific expeditions, based on ongoing legislation;

IX – operate governing regulations and granting for licenses to scientific expeditions in the Brazilian territory; and

X – propose and support the dissemination of S,T&I international cooperation programs and actions.