Three years of accomplishments at CNPq
It was with great satisfaction that we represented the areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy before Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) funding agency during the July 2007 - June 2010 triennium. We will now present a brief report of the activities undertaken and some of the results of our activities. This was the first representation elected by the community of researchers in our area, a fact that made us feel honored and committed to the task entrusted to us.
During this period, we participated in the grant selection panel of CNPq's annual notice (Edital Universal) and supported the organization of scientific events, special grants (national and overseas post-doctoral grants, short-term overseas doctoral grants, visiting scholar grants), undergraduate research fellowships, technical support grants, and research productivity grants. We also participated in occasional selection panels such as the 2008 Young Researcher Grant and the 2009 New Campus Grant. To justify the need for more funding and grants, we engaged in discussions on the selection criteria and policies for the area, systematically showing the rapid growth in our research community through data-supported documentation.
The work was very intensive and often very frustrating, as in the case of the selection panel for the Young Researcher Grant that attracted many qualified applications in experimental sciences (79 applications of up to R$ 500,000) and non-experimental sciences (11 applications of up to R$ 120,000). However, the available funding was only R$ 413,000 for both categories combined. At other times, the work brought great satisfaction, as in the case of Notice MCT/CNPq/CT-Saúde N.58/2009 entitled "Aging, Work and Health: promoting quality of life in the Brazilian population through physical activity, occupational activity, and language". This was the first notice prepared by the Multidisciplinary Health Committee for our areas, and it was achieved through our own enterprise in writing letters and contacting the board of directors and the president of CNPq. Furthermore, we received funding from government departments that we visited after overcoming several obstacles given that we were unfamiliar with this type of activity. Nevertheless, we had the generous support of Prof. Marco Antonio Zago, president of CNPq at the time, and Dr. Isaac Roitman, of the Department of Science and Technology, whom we wish to thank here. It is also important to remember that we have learned the ropes with these experiences, and this will help future representatives to seek new funding alternatives for our research.
The existence of selection criteria and a clear résumé scoring system, available on the CNPq website, made our task easier and more transparent. Every year, we prepared reports of our activities for the selection participants.
Next, we will briefly provide some information on two regular notices that have the Committee in their annual selection panels and that can help the community to understand the selection process and learn about some of their results.
Edital Universal
In this triennium, the Edital Universal, previously issued biannually, became an annual notice, which doubled the chances of researchers to receive funding. Another characteristic of this notice is that 30% of the available funding is awarded to qualified applicantions from the country's North, Northeast and Midwest regions. In 2007, we had 111 total applications distributed into three tiers (A, B, and C), and there was funding available for 20 projects from 10 different institutions. In 2008, we received 81 applications and awarded CNPq funding to 23 recipients in all three tiers. In 2009, we received 117 applications and awarded funding to 27 recipients across 13 institutions from eight Brazilian states, providing different groups throughout the country with good conditions for research development.
The number of funding recipients depends on the funding made available by CNPq for each tier, and it is related to the competitiveness of the applicants of that group. However, it also depends on the overall demand per area, as the amount of funding for each committee is defined by CNPq according to the amount requested by its researchers in each notice. Therefore, qualified applications are a consistent way of supporting the area, particularly in the annual notices of Edital Universal and research productivity grants. Regular visits to the CNPq website also keep researchers informed about the large number of funding notices and opportunities.
The applications that meet the requirements of each notice are selected on the basis of merit, taking into account the quality of the project and the résumé score for each participant. In the selections conducted during the triennium, there was a progressive increase in the participants' score. Table 1 shows some numbers relating to the résumé selection of the last Edital Universal (2009).
Research Productivity Grants
In 2007, when we began our activities at CNPq, the areas of physical therapy and occupation therapy had 28 research productivity (RP) grant holders from nine different institutions. Today, we have 52 grant holders from 16 institutions. This represents an extraordinary increase of 85.7% in three years. It also represents an increase in diversity as a result of the expansion of our research in different institutions and regions.
The number of applications for RP grants has been high (in 2007, N=50; in 2008, N=49; and in 2009, N=76). The number of qualified applications has also increased (approximately 50% of these applications were qualified, and some of them, highly qualified), which is very positive for our area. Our selection criteria are public and available on our section of the CNPq website. These criteria were approved by the community, which was invited in writing to participate in the process.
The fact that many qualified applications have been submitted must be recognized and celebrated, as it means that the community believes in the selection process for which they have applied. Furthermore, with the increasing number of qualified applications, the community helps its representatives to justify the requests for more funding and grants. These requests were made systematically and consistently through a number of letters to the president of CNPq, visits to the board of directors and the president, and through final reports to CNPq for all selection panels. Thus, by submitting a large number of qualified applications, the researchers actively support the growth of the area.
Therefore, we wish to recognize the response from our community expressed through the submission of many qualified applications, which has contributed to the increase in the visibility of the areas of physical therapy and occupational therapy within CNPq and to encourage more funding for the development of knowledge in our areas. Please continue to be involved and to submit your qualified applications!
Finally, we would like to announce that new representatives for the next triennium are being nominated by CNPq. We wish them a very productive period and enormous success in this activity.
Helenice Jane Cote Gil Coury
Representative of the Areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
CNPq Multidisciplinary Health Committee, July 2007- June 2010 Triennium
Marisa Cotta Mancini
Substitute Representative of the Areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
CNPq Multidisciplinary Health Committee, July 2007- June 2010 Triennium
Three years of accomplishments at CNPq
It was with great satisfaction that we represented the areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy before Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) funding agency during the July 2007 - June 2010 triennium. We will now present a brief report of the activities undertaken and some of the results of our activities. This was the first representation elected by the community of researchers in our area, a fact that made us feel honored and committed to the task entrusted to us.
During this period, we participated in the grant selection panel of CNPq's annual notice (Edital Universal) and supported the organization of scientific events, special grants (national and overseas post-doctoral grants, short-term overseas doctoral grants, visiting scholar grants), undergraduate research fellowships, technical support grants, and research productivity grants. We also participated in occasional selection panels such as the 2008 Young Researcher Grant and the 2009 New Campus Grant. To justify the need for more funding and grants, we engaged in discussions on the selection criteria and policies for the area, systematically showing the rapid growth in our research community through data-supported documentation.
The work was very intensive and often very frustrating, as in the case of the selection panel for the Young Researcher Grant that attracted many qualified applications in experimental sciences (79 applications of up to R$ 500,000) and non-experimental sciences (11 applications of up to R$ 120,000). However, the available funding was only R$ 413,000 for both categories combined. At other times, the work brought great satisfaction, as in the case of Notice MCT/CNPq/CT-Saúde N.58/2009 entitled "Aging, Work and Health: promoting quality of life in the Brazilian population through physical activity, occupational activity, and language". This was the first notice prepared by the Multidisciplinary Health Committee for our areas, and it was achieved through our own enterprise in writing letters and contacting the board of directors and the president of CNPq. Furthermore, we received funding from government departments that we visited after overcoming several obstacles given that we were unfamiliar with this type of activity. Nevertheless, we had the generous support of Prof. Marco Antonio Zago, president of CNPq at the time, and Dr. Isaac Roitman, of the Department of Science and Technology, whom we wish to thank here. It is also important to remember that we have learned the ropes with these experiences, and this will help future representatives to seek new funding alternatives for our research.
The existence of selection criteria and a clear résumé scoring system, available on the CNPq website, made our task easier and more transparent. Every year, we prepared reports of our activities for the selection participants.
Next, we will briefly provide some information on two regular notices that have the Committee in their annual selection panels and that can help the community to understand the selection process and learn about some of their results.
Edital Universal
In this triennium, the Edital Universal, previously issued biannually, became an annual notice, which doubled the chances of researchers to receive funding. Another characteristic of this notice is that 30% of the available funding is awarded to qualified applicantions from the country's North, Northeast and Midwest regions. In 2007, we had 111 total applications distributed into three tiers (A, B, and C), and there was funding available for 20 projects from 10 different institutions. In 2008, we received 81 applications and awarded CNPq funding to 23 recipients in all three tiers. In 2009, we received 117 applications and awarded funding to 27 recipients across 13 institutions from eight Brazilian states, providing different groups throughout the country with good conditions for research development.
The number of funding recipients depends on the funding made available by CNPq for each tier, and it is related to the competitiveness of the applicants of that group. However, it also depends on the overall demand per area, as the amount of funding for each committee is defined by CNPq according to the amount requested by its researchers in each notice. Therefore, qualified applications are a consistent way of supporting the area, particularly in the annual notices of Edital Universal and research productivity grants. Regular visits to the CNPq website also keep researchers informed about the large number of funding notices and opportunities.
The applications that meet the requirements of each notice are selected on the basis of merit, taking into account the quality of the project and the résumé score for each participant. In the selections conducted during the triennium, there was a progressive increase in the participants' score. Table 1 shows some numbers relating to the résumé selection of the last Edital Universal (2009).
Research Productivity Grants
In 2007, when we began our activities at CNPq, the areas of physical therapy and occupation therapy had 28 research productivity (RP) grant holders from nine different institutions. Today, we have 52 grant holders from 16 institutions. This represents an extraordinary increase of 85.7% in three years. It also represents an increase in diversity as a result of the expansion of our research in different institutions and regions.
The number of applications for RP grants has been high (in 2007, N=50; in 2008, N=49; and in 2009, N=76). The number of qualified applications has also increased (approximately 50% of these applications were qualified, and some of them, highly qualified), which is very positive for our area. Our selection criteria are public and available on our section of the CNPq website. These criteria were approved by the community, which was invited in writing to participate in the process.
The fact that many qualified applications have been submitted must be recognized and celebrated, as it means that the community believes in the selection process for which they have applied. Furthermore, with the increasing number of qualified applications, the community helps its representatives to justify the requests for more funding and grants. These requests were made systematically and consistently through a number of letters to the president of CNPq, visits to the board of directors and the president, and through final reports to CNPq for all selection panels. Thus, by submitting a large number of qualified applications, the researchers actively support the growth of the area.
Therefore, we wish to recognize the response from our community expressed through the submission of many qualified applications, which has contributed to the increase in the visibility of the areas of physical therapy and occupational therapy within CNPq and to encourage more funding for the development of knowledge in our areas. Please continue to be involved and to submit your qualified applications!
Finally, we would like to announce that new representatives for the next triennium are being nominated by CNPq. We wish them a very productive period and enormous success in this activity.
Helenice Jane Cote Gil Coury
Representative of the Areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
CNPq Multidisciplinary Health Committee, July 2007- June 2010 Triennium
Marisa Cotta Mancini
Substitute Representative of the Areas of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
CNPq Multidisciplinary Health Committee, July 2007- June 2010 Triennium
Um triênio de conquistas conjuntas no CNPq
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
13 Oct 2011 -
Date of issue
Aug 2010
