Brazilian Academy of Sciences

Brazilian Academy of Sciences
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Name	Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Native name	Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Formation	1916
Type	National academy
Headquarters	Rio de Janeiro
Location	Brazil
Language	Portuguese
Leader title	President

Brazilian Academy of Sciences is a national learned society founded in 1916 that promotes scientific research, advises public institutions, and recognizes scientific excellence in Brazil. It functions as a forum linking researchers from universities, research institutes, and industry across Brazil and engages with international organizations to influence science policy. The Academy has contributed to debates involving scientific institutions such as the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Universidade de São Paulo, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, and ministries responsible for science and technology.

History

The Academy was established in the context of early 20th-century scientific professionalization, following precedents set by the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences (United States), and contemporary developments in Latin America such as the Instituto Butantan and the Academia Chilena de Ciencias. Founding members included prominent figures associated with the Museu Nacional (Brazil), the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, and the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro leadership. Throughout the 20th century the Academy interacted with institutions like the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the Fundação Getulio Vargas, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro while responding to national events such as the Vargas Era and the military regime; it also engaged with global initiatives like the League of Nations scientific programs and later with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In recent decades the Academy has adapted to changes brought by policies from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil), partnerships with the European Research Council, and collaboration with academies including the Royal Society and the African Academy of Sciences.

Organization and Membership

The Academy is structured into thematic sections reflecting disciplinary traditions represented at institutions such as the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and the National Institute for Space Research. Members include full, corresponding, and honorary fellows drawn from faculties at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, researchers affiliated with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, and scientists associated with the National Observatory (Brazil). Election to membership follows nomination and ballot procedures similar to those of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the French Academy of Sciences, and notable inductees have included scholars connected to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, recipients of prizes like the TWAS Prize, and leaders from the Fiocruz network. The Academy maintains advisory councils and committees which liaise with entities such as the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science and the Inter-American Development Bank on issues requiring multidisciplinary expertise.

Mission and Activities

The Academy's mission emphasizes the advancement of scientific knowledge, the advising of public policy makers, and the promotion of science outreach to Brazilian society. Its activities encompass policy reports addressing topics encountered by the Ministry of Health (Brazil), the Ministry of Education (Brazil), and the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), as well as position statements on matters such as climate change discussed in forums like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Academy organizes symposia, seminars, and public lectures with partners such as the Brazilian Chemical Society, the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science, and universities including the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Education and capacity-building initiatives engage younger researchers from graduate programs at institutions like the State University of São Paulo and technical staff from research centers like the Embrapa system.

Awards and Publications

The Academy confers medals, prizes, and fellowships that recognize achievement comparable to awards such as the Lasker Award and the Prince of Asturias Awards; recipients often include investigators from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo and directors of research at the Brazilian National Laboratory for Scientific Computation. Its publication program issues monographs, policy briefs, and proceedings; these appear alongside academic journals and series comparable to those produced by the Royal Society Publishing and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy has published reports on topics related to the Amazon rainforest, Zika virus, and national infrastructure which are cited by agencies including the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

National and International Collaborations

Nationally, the Academy partners with institutions such as the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, the Brazilian Space Agency, and state research foundations like the São Paulo Research Foundation and the FAPERJ. International linkages include memoranda and joint programs with the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and regional networks like the Academy of Sciences of Latin America. Collaborative projects have spanned biodiversity initiatives involving the International Union for Conservation of Nature, public health campaigns coordinated with the Pan American Health Organization, and capacity-building programs connected to the United Nations Development Programme.

Funding and Governance

Funding derives from a combination of membership dues, philanthropic endowments, project grants from agencies such as the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development and the São Paulo Research Foundation, and contractual work with ministries and institutions like the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil). Governance is exercised by an elected council and executive board whose procedures mirror those of academies including the Academia Mexicana de Ciencias; oversight mechanisms involve audits and reporting to stakeholders such as sponsoring foundations and partner universities. The Academy’s strategic planning aligns with national research agendas promoted by actors like the Ministry of Economy (Brazil) and international funding bodies including the World Bank.

Category:Scientific organizations based in Brazil