Contributing to the advancement of the state-of-the-art in biodiversity research: the role of FAPESP in the last 60 years

Contribuindo para o avanço do estado da arte da pesquisa em biodiversidade: o papel da FAPESP nos últimos 60 anos

Abstract

Since its creation in 1960, the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP) has been supporting biodiversity research; however, in the early years, this large umbrella was still divided into botany, ecology, and zoology. This support became more effective by the establishment of the Research Program on Characterization, Conservation, and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of São Paulo State, better known as the BIOTA/FAPESP Program, in 1999. The program adopted the definition of biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity and focused on 4 priorities: a) advancing scientific knowledge about Brazilian biodiversity; b) training high-level personnel (master’s degrees, PhDs and postdocs) to carry out biodiversity research; c) transferring the advancement of knowledge to improve public policies on biodiversity conservation and restoration; and d) transferring private sector knowledge to economically explore the potential of Brazilian biodiversity by using it sustainably. This paper summarizes the major achievements of the BIOTA/FAPESP Program, now entering its third decade of existence.

Keywords
Convention of Biological Diversity; Biodiversity Conservation; Human Resources Training in Biodiversity; Biodiversity Information Systems; Bioprospection; Research Policy