The São Paulo scientific community received with pleasure the visit of the Minister of Science and Technology (MCT), Ronaldo Sardenberg to FAPESP on the 16th of May. He clarified a series of points on the projects of sectorial funds for research bill sent to the National Congress by the Federal Government. On the platform of the Foundation’s auditorium were, the President of Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science(SBPC), Glaci Zancan, Directors of 28 scientific societies linked to SBPC and various representatives of research institutes and universities.
Even the severest critics of the path which the scientific and technological policy of the government is going, praised the attitude of the Minister in entering into discussion with the researchers. Minister Sardenberg spoke of the necessity and of the importance of the funds as one of the solutions to supplement the MCT resources for research, as well as to expand the interaction between the academic community and the productive sector (see the interview with the Minister in issue 52 of Pesquisa FAPESP).
The forecast funds are for information technology, telecommunications, energy, water resources, minerals, transport and space technology. Under study are funds for health, agronomy and aeronautics. The Minister also clarified that the perspective of the funds incorporates the group of sciences, both in technical applications and in basics. Now it is time to wait for the approval of the first funds which should put together a total of R$ 1.2 billion over the next year.
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