Brazil Engages Public and Experts to Align Science and Innovation Policies with Public Health Needs
Brazil opens public consultation and holds expert webinar to better integrate science policies with public health system needs.
- • Brazil invites public input on the National Strategy for Science, Technology, and Innovation 2024-2034 until December 20, 2023.
- • The strategy aims to align scientific and technological policies with societal and industry needs for the next decade.
- • A webinar on December 16, 2025, will discuss research challenges in connecting funding to SUS health priorities.
- • Experts call for better evaluation of research social impact and stronger collaboration between scientists and policymakers.
Key details
Brazil is advancing efforts to better integrate science, technology, and innovation policies with the priorities of its public health system, the SUS. The Federal Government has opened a public consultation for the National Strategy for Science, Technology, and Innovation (ENCTI) 2024-2034, inviting societal input until December 20, 2023. This strategy aims to provide medium-term guidelines for Brazil’s scientific and technological policies, emphasizing connections among science, technology, innovation, industry, territory, and society. It builds on recommendations from the 5th National Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation, which involved over 100,000 participants nationwide. The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) highlighted the importance of public contributions to ensure the strategy reflects Brazil’s realities and strengthens the national scientific and innovation agenda.
Complementing the public consultation, a webinar organized by the Centro de Estudos Estratégicos da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (CEE-Fiocruz) will be held on December 16, 2025. Key representatives such as Olival Freire Júnior, President of CNPq; Denise Pires de Carvalho, President of Capes; and researcher Ligia Bahia from UFRJ, will discuss the alignment between scientific research and public health needs.
The webinar will present findings from a study involving 26 coordinators of National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCT/CNPq) about challenges in connecting INCT funding to SUS priorities. According to Patrícia Braga, author of the recent book "Políticas de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação e os desafios de conexão com o SUS," evaluations of research programs have focused excessively on academic outputs rather than their social impact, limiting effective alignment with public health demands. The event seeks to foster improved collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and the health sector to enhance research relevance, social impact, and human resources development.
Carlos Gadelha, a Fiocruz researcher and event mediator, underscored the critical role of science and education in Brazil’s sovereignty and sustainable development. Together, these initiatives demonstrate Brazil’s commitment to integrating scientific innovation with public health objectives through participatory policymaking and cross-sector collaboration.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.