Research Support Foundations in the North Region: history and characteristics

Abstract

The Research Support Foundations (FAPs) are one of the mechanisms for decentralizing investments in ST&I and their actions allow the scientific community access to financial resources, especially in states with fewer resources and with low financial investments aimed at scientific research. FAPs support researchers, research institutions and universities, encourage scientific careers and the expansion of ST&I infrastructure, etc. In the North region of Brazil, the first was created in 2002 in Amazonas and the last in Acre in 2012. Roraima is the only state that does not have a FAP. Before the creation of the FAPs, researchers and local scientific institutions depended almost exclusively on financial transfers from federal funding agencies, competing with more developed regions in the area of ​​ST&I. This article describes the history, legal characteristics and actions of FAPs in the North region, given the importance they represent for this part of the country, as the main state institution to capture and provide financial resources for science. The present investigation takes place through documentary research, in consultation with institutional websites, state legislation, management reports, newspapers, magazines and also through bibliographic research in institutional repositories of local universities and in scientific articles to describe the history and characteristics of these institutions. One of the main problems in the region is the training of human resources in the scientific area, both those related to training and those related to the permanence of professionals. In this analysis, it is observed that the main focus of funding programs is the training and permanence of researchers in institutions and universities in the region with the purpose of promoting growth and local scientific development.