Daniel Bueno The government of the state of São Paulo plans to install chief scientists at the departmental level who will be responsible for providing data and advice based on scientific knowledge. The announcement was made by Deputy Governor Márcio França at the opening of the Forum of the Brazilian National Council of State Funding Agencies (CONFAP), held at FAPESP on August 27-28, 2015. França, who also heads the state’s Department of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, says the proposal is the result of his visit to FAPESP in March 2015. Foundation President Celso Lafer pointed to the experience of countries such as the United Kingdom and Israel, whose governments include that position in their organization charts, as does the U.S. Department of State. “We need to establish a partnership between research and policy,” França said, noting that details of the proposal are being worked out with FAPESP. “Our goal is to enable science to play a role in government,” Scientific Director Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz told Agência FAPESP. “We’ve talked for so long about interaction between the university and business. But interaction between the university and government is just as valuable. Science and scientists can help business and government to be better.”
