Wealthy philanthropies in Brazil are increasingly funding scientific research, a trend that could provide a buffer against potential government funding cuts. This marks a shift for the nation, which historically has not prioritized charitable support for research.
The Serrapilheira Institute, founded within the last decade, has distributed over US$25 million to early-career researchers. Other philanthropic science funders have also emerged. In 2023, the University of São Paulo launched a research centre dedicated to fostering science philanthropy. This movement comes as Brazil faces uncertainty in science funding, following cuts made during the 2019-23 tenure of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Ahead of the October 4th presidential election, polls show a close race between Flávio Bolsonaro and current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Kate Lowry, strategy director at the Science Philanthropy Alliance, notes that philanthropy can act as “a little bit of bridge support” for science, as seen in the United States.
Scientists benefiting from this funding highlight its flexibility. Biologist Paulo Teixeira of the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture received public funding for a growth chamber but used funds from the Serrapilheira Institute to cover the cost of connecting it to the electrical grid, a cost not initially included in his public funding proposal. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without that money,” he stated.
Historically, some scientists at Brazilian public universities have been critical of private donations, believing science should be fully government-funded. Philanthropist José Luiz Egydio Setúbal, head of a foundation focused on child and adolescent health, explains that in Brazil, “people don’t see science as a priority” given the country’s significant social and economic inequalities.
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