Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Name	Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Native name	Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Formation	1916
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Rio de Janeiro
Region served	Brazil
Language	Portuguese
Leader title	President

Contents

Academia Brasileira de Ciências is a learned society in Brazil founded in 1916 to promote scientific research, dissemination, and advisory roles. It serves as a national hub connecting researchers across institutions such as Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, and Instituto Butantan. The academy interacts with international bodies including the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), the Académie des sciences, the Max Planck Society, and the International Council for Science.

History

The academy was established in 1916 amid scientific developments linked to figures and institutions like Oswaldo Cruz, Carlos Chagas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Butantan, and municipal initiatives in Rio de Janeiro (city). Early members included researchers associated with Museu Nacional (Brazil), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, and the Instituto de Medicina Tropical. Over the twentieth century the academy engaged with policies and events involving Getúlio Vargas, Estado Novo (Brazil), World War II, Pan American Union, and diplomatic ties with the United States and France. In later decades it fostered collaborations with regional centers such as Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, and international initiatives like the Human Genome Project and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The academy's mission emphasizes promotion of science in the public sphere, advising authorities such as the Presidency of Brazil, the Ministry of Health (Brazil), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil), and legislative bodies including the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil). Objectives include strengthening links with institutions like the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, Confederação Nacional da Indústria, and agencies such as the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior to advance research, innovation, and policy relevant to national priorities, responding to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and environmental challenges in the Amazon rainforest.

Membership comprises elected fellows drawn from universities and research institutes including Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto Butantan, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, and international associates from organizations like the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences (United States). Fellows have included prominent scientists connected to Oswaldo Cruz, Carlos Chagas, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda (intellectuals linked to science policy), researchers from Embrapa, and laureates of awards such as the Nobel Prize and the Lasker Award. Election procedures mirror practices seen at the Académie des sciences and the Royal Society with nomination, peer review, and confirmation by the sitting membership.

The academy is governed by a council and presidium with officers analogous to leadership structures in bodies like the National Academy of Sciences (United States), Royal Society, and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Administrative headquarters in Rio de Janeiro (city) coordinate with regional representatives from states including São Paulo (state), Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná (state). Committees span thematic areas linked to institutes such as the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, and international networks including UNESCO and the World Health Organization.

The academy organizes symposia, lectures, and workshops partnering with universities like Universidade de São Paulo and international organizations such as the European Research Council, International Union of Biological Sciences, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Programs address topics tied to institutes such as the Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas and agencies like Agência Financiadora de Inovação do Brasil, covering areas from public health responses aligned with Fundação Oswaldo Cruz to biodiversity studies in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia and conservation initiatives involving Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade.

The academy publishes reports, proceedings, and bulletins akin to outputs from the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences (United States), collaborating with publishers and journals tied to SciELO, Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, and university presses of Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Research initiatives have intersected with projects like the Human Genome Project, climate assessments in the tradition of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and biodiversity cataloging with museums such as the Museu Nacional (Brazil) and research centers like Embrapa. The academy also issues policy briefs for ministries including the Ministry of Health (Brazil) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil).

The academy confers medals, prizes, and recognition awards comparable to honors from the Lasker Foundation, the Royal Society, and national orders such as the Order of Rio Branco. Recipients have spanned researchers affiliated with Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Embrapa, Instituto Butantan, and international collaborators from institutions like the Max Planck Society and the National Academy of Sciences (United States). Awards spotlight contributions to fields represented by members connected to Oswaldo Cruz, Carlos Chagas, and contemporary figures active in epidemiology, ecology, and physics.

Category:Scientific societies Category:Organizations established in 1916 Category:Science and technology in Brazil