The CNPq, in partnership with the Ministries of Equality Racial and of Women, launched the second edition of its ‘Atlânticas – Beatriz Nascimento’ call on 30 June, earmarking R$ 4.92 million to fund overseas research stints for Black, Indigenous, quilombola and Romani women. Applications close on 30 September, and awards cover sandwich PhDs, post-docs and innovation fellowships abroad starting March 2027. The programme builds on a 2024 pilot that sponsored 86 scholars and responds to persistent diversity gaps in Brazilian science, where women of colour hold fewer than 5 % of international mobility grants. By shouldering tuition, living stipends and childcare allowances, the new call removes key barriers that often derail outbound opportunities for under-represented researchers. Corporate R&D departments can benefit indirectly: awardees are expected to bring back expertise in strategic fields such as bio-pharma, AI and energy transition, and the scheme encourages joint projects with companies. Host institutions abroad must agree to mentoring plans and reciprocal lab access, creating avenues for Brazilian subsidiaries to embed staff in global innovation clusters. Applicants must demonstrate project relevance to Brazil’s socio-economic priorities and commit to a re-entry dissemination plan. Selection criteria add an originality bonus for proposals that interface with traditional knowledge or community impact, aligning with ESG goals many corporations now track. Successful candidates will receive pre-departure cultural-competence training and a one-year reintegration grant upon return, tackling the “brain-drain” criticism often levelled at outward mobility schemes.
Source: CNPq
