The project, selected by FAPESP’s Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (CEPID) program, is coordinated by researcher Edson Roberto Leite and brings together researchers from USP, UNESP, UFABC, UFSCAR, EMBRAPA and the Nuclear Energy Research Institute (IPEN).
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), a social organization funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), was recently selected to host the Molecular Engineering for Advanced Materials Research Center (CeMol), one of four new Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (CEPID) funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) as part of a call for proposals related to exact sciences, earth sciences, and engineering. The goal of FAPESP’s CEPID program is to establish centers of scientific excellence that will make decisive advances in cutting-edge research, human resources training, and knowledge transfer to society.
This accomplishment will allow CNPEM to expand its research, development and innovation activities in order to meet global challenges in strategic areas such as alternative energy sources, quantum and sustainable materials, and advances in health. The new research center is founded on a molecular engineering approach that combines advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology, data science and artificial intelligence to develop new materials and systems. The project is a partnership with six institutions: the University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo State
University (UNESP), the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Research Institute (IPEN).
Work in the new CeMol center will take place in an integrated manner on three complementary fronts: top-notch scientific research, technological innovation, and knowledge dissemination. The center will play a strategic role in training new scientists, with more than 40 research and training grants for students and researchers at different career stages. Training programs in nanotechnology, biotechnology, data science and artificial intelligence are planned, promoting critical skills for scientific and technological advancement in molecular engineering research. Fostering innovation is also a strategic imperative, with the establishment of partnerships with companies and other research institutions in order to transfer technologies and develop scientific solutions which will have a direct impact on society. At the same time, CeMol will invest in scientific dissemination and public engagement, promoting science education, dialog with schools and fostering interest in science and technology among various audiences. These activities are intended to not only publicize the center’s advances, but also strengthen a broader, more inclusive and participatory culture of science in Brazilian society.
Additionally, the planned investment will fortify CNPEM’s research infrastructure, with the implementation of new state-of-the-art multi-user equipment open to scientists, reinforcing the Center’s role as a hub of excellence for the Brazilian and Latin American scientific communities.
With support from FAPESP, CNPEM is moving forward to firmly establish Brazil as a leading player in developing sustainable, high-tech solutions, promoting scientific progress and the creation of new products and processes with the potential to transform domestic industry and improve quality of life.
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).
