The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) will accept proposals for research involving its electron microscopy facilities from September 22 to October 24, 2025. Researchers from around the country can submit research proposals through the SAU online system and select the facility most relevant to their projects.
The proposals will be evaluated by the technical and scientific committees, and selected projects will be carried out from February 2026 onward. The facilities that are available for research use are:
- Scanning Electron and Dual Beam Microscopy (SEM-FIB) Laboratory
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Laboratory
- Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy (CRYO-EM) Laboratory
Scanning electron (SEM) and dual beam (FIB) microscopy
The Scanning Electron and Dual Beam Microscopy Laboratory has the infrastructure required for sample preparation, high-resolution image acquisition, chemical analysis using EDS, crystallographic analysis via EBSD/TKD, and advanced experiments involving in situ heating and deformation. Dual beam microscopes (also known as focused ion beam microscopes) also allow users to prepare thin samples for TEM, cross-sectional analysis and “slice and view” tomography.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
The Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory allows users to characterize hard materials (metals, alloys, ceramics, semiconductors, etc.) in terms of size, morphology, crystalline and electronic structure and chemical composition, and can attain atomic resolution using transmission electron microscopes with cameras for image capture, electron diffraction and spectrometers for compositional analysis (EELS/EDS). It can also analyze soft materials (such as self-aggregated systems, emulsions and nanocomposites) in conventional (TEM) or cryogenic (cryo-TEM) mode. The open facilities have the equipment and specialists required to prepare various types of materials for imaging in their native state.
Electron cryomicroscopy (CRYO-EM)
The state-of-the-art transmission electron cryomicroscopes available at CNPEM, along with the labs for preparing samples, make it possible to characterize cell ultrastructures and biological macromolecules. The method of freezing and vitrifying samples also allows users to obtain high-resolution structural data on biomolecules.
Selection process
The project evaluation process is conducted by external and internal committees that consider technical feasibility, scientific merit and sample safety. More information can be found on the LNNano Proposal Submission page (cnpem.br).
When submitting proposals, applicants should select the corresponding External Committee (C1- Metals, Ceramics and Minerals, C2 -Cells and Biological Structures, or C3-Polymers and Colloids).
Assistance for researchers outside the state of São Paulo
Researchers at institutions outside the state of São Paulo whose proposals are selected may request assistance to fund their travel, as well as meals (lunch) and lodging. More details and requirements can be found on the CNPEM User Office website.
Important dates
- Submit proposals: September 22 to October 24, 2025
- Results announced: 2nd half of December, 2025
- Selected research projects begin: February 2026
About LNNano
The Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) works in research and development at the nano scale using sophisticated infrastructure and highly specialized teams that can search for answers to scientific challenges and leverage technology solutions. Its open facilities comprise a center that is unrivaled in Brazil and include electron and atomic force microscopy, as well as clean rooms and laboratory spaces that allow activities ranging from materials synthesis and characterization to device manufacturing. Scientific research at LNNano covers strategic topics where nanoscience and nanotechnology can help solve problems facing the country, in areas like renewable energy, materials for sustainability, health and quantum devices. LNNano is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, a private, non-profit organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
