Brazil's CNPq launches R$300 million universal research funding call

The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) have issued the universal call CNPq/FNDCT No. 06/2026, allocating R$300 million to support research projects across all areas of knowledge in Brazil. The programme, announced on the Institute Federal de São Paulo’s (IFSP) Trilha da Ciência YouTube broadcast on 29 June, will accept submissions until 3 August 2026. Three funding categories are defined:

• Category A for recent PhDs without institutional ties, teams of at least three doctors, funding up to R$243 520; • Category B for recent PhDs with permanent contracts, funding up to R$200 000; • Category C for established researchers, teams of at least five doctors from at least two institutions, funding up to R$250 000.

The call covers costs such as consumables, travel, services, open‑access publication fees, equipment, and one scholarship per project in the forms of scientific initiation, industrial technology initiation, or technical support. Preliminary results will be announced on 3 November 2026, with final decisions on 4 December 2026. The IFSP episode featured professors Adriano Maniçoba (campus Suzano) and Vagner Romito (Itapetininga) to explain the call and the application process.