In a country where 1.26% of GDP is invested in R&D (47% of it is from the private sector), Brazilians have been with a shortage on research funding for a while, preventing its further growth. Since the recession in the economy in 2015-2016, Brazilian researchers have been struggling to obtain funds for their research. Osvaldo N. Oliveira Jr., who is a professor at the University of São Paulo and past president of the Brazilian MRS (Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa em Materiais, SBPMat), explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted research in Brazil.
Whilst as a supervisor and group leader, Prof. Oliveira Jr. works from home through virtual meetings with his students and collaborators, as well as taking part in webinars (either attending in the audience or delivering lectures). “These activities do not replace attending conferences in person, but they minimize the possible isolation one may feel,” he says. However, at his laboratory, he says that only a few students are working now, and a number of experiments had to be postponed. Prof. Oliveira Jr., who is a world-renowned expert in ultrathin film sensors, adds, “In the other area I have been working on, related to artificial intelligence, research has been continued and even strengthened.”
He believes the following three major topics/areas will see further investments in R&D with the COVID-19 pandemic:
- new fast, accurate and low-cost diagnostic methodologies based on immunosensors and genosensors for infection outbreaks;
- new materials with antimicrobial properties for prevention and novel therapeutic strategies;
- integration of machine learning and other artificial intelligence methods into materials applications, such as data analysis for diagnosis and to search for new molecules and materials for therapy.
Together with collaborators from different fields, Prof. Oliveira Jr.’s research group is working on topics from items 1) and 2) above. Prof. Oliveira Jr. says, “We are investing heavily on new strategies for data analysis, with the hope of integrating data from text, clinical exams, and images into a single system for diagnosis.”
When asked about the funding impact on R&D in Brazil with the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Oliveira Jr. feels disheartened. He mentioned that the extra funds to address the pandemic is insufficient to compensate the other cuts that caused a shortage of scholarships for graduate students and post-docs.
He says, “Today, many scientists with PhDs have to live with savings they may have made or with help from their families. With all the visibility that science has had in the media, I am hopeful that the government agencies and companies will realize that investing in research is the only way forward for the security of the country.”
- Monica Jung de Andrade
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