Investimento em ciência, tecnologia e inovação (CT&I): um olhar para Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB)

Abstract

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) plays a major role in the economic, social and political development of countries worldwide. In Brazil, STI driven development saw some success, but needs to be expanded. One of the country’s main tools to foster Science, Technology and Innovation are the sectorial funds, which consist of a set of measures to raise funds for financing scientific and technological development. In this context, one of the Brazilian universities main challenges is the extra budgetary fundraising, i.e. those that are not included in the institution’s Budget Guidelines Law. The aim of this study is to analyze the results obtained by using funding agencies resources that fostered research on Science, Technology and Innovation from 2007 to 2013, and to assess their contribution in building the university’s STI area. In order to attain our goals we adopted a qualitative approach consisting of documentary and descriptive research. This study addresses STI concepts, the Brazilian background and the legal framework that guides the STI funding policies, including the funds that finance those policies at UFRB. The information gathered highlights the university´s behavior in terms of raising extra budgetary funds through biddings from funding agencies such as CAPES, CNPq, FINEP, FAPESB and other that foster STI. The importance of fostering scientific and technological research, of human resources training, of infrastructure upgrading and of supporting STI events also became evident. Finally, this study shows the lack of coordination among actors, in this case professors, who should be committed to promoting the institution’s scientific and technological development, considering their role as participants in the funding agencies biddings. Despite its importance, this factor, is not the only one that impairs the consolidation of a STI area at UFRB.