On the afternoon of 4/19, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, through the Secretariat for Research and Scientific Training of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (SEFEP/MCTI), announced the winners of the first edition of the SiBBr Biodiversity Award, carried out by FINEP/MCTI. The contest aims to reveal talent, boost scientific research and technological development, as well as promote innovation in the field of biodiversity, in order to support its sustainable use.

The selected projects will be made available on SiBBr, an online platform built, implemented and operated by RNP, which integrates data and information on biodiversity and ecosystems from different sources, making them accessible for different uses.

At the virtual award ceremony, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Paulo Alvim, highlighted the importance of the initiatives that aim to publicize the vast scientific work developed in Brazil on biodiversity.

“When we talk about biodiversity, we are talking about the competitive advantage of a country, which needs to use science to give visibility to everything we can do in an inclusive and sustainable way with the use and benefits for society. We want to thank Finep, CNPq and RNP for their partnership. Without our units, we cannot move forward. More than that, I want to congratulate the 29 candidates, they are all winners. I think that this effort to disseminate the capacity of scientific production in the country is fundamental within a subject so questioned, where science has a differentiated role, but more than that, the ability to innovate in this process. I want to congratulate everyone who got involved and hope that more applications for the next awards will come. I think we have a base of scientific and technological knowledge in the diversity of Brazilian biomes that need to be seen, recognized and shown to society, of the much that Brazilian science does, in favor of Brazilian biodiversity”, declared the minister.

The Secretary of Research and Scientific Training of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (SEFEP/MCTI), Marcelo Morales, praised the role of SiBBr in the democratization of information related to the country's biodiversity.

“The results of the selected projects will be included in SiBBr, this initiative that aims to gather and provide access to data and information to support public policies, support conservation actions and promote the sustainable use of biodiversity. It is one of the largest biodiversity platforms in the world and all this data can be freely accessed by society, which can also obtain information about endangered and native species, information about biomes, protected areas in Brazil, Brazilian collections, research projects and several other actions. Through SiBBr, we managed to gather approximately 17 million records of Brazilian species”, highlighted Morales.

Also participating in the ceremony were the president of FINEP/MCTI, General Valdemar Barbosa and the Coordinator of Human and Social Sciences and Natural Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Fábio Eon.

The SIBBr Biodiversity Award has institutional collaboration from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/MCTI). Prizes for the top three in both categories total R$50,000.

Check out the winners:

Academic Production Category:

1st place: Genetic Improvement of Euterpe Edulis for Fruit Production - Guilherme Bravim Canal

2nd place: Biotechnological Potential of Cyanobacteria in the Health Area. – Isabel Virginia

3rd place: Isolation, Synthesis and Bioactivity Studies of Tepenoid Fomactin – Roberto Gomes de Souza Berlinck

Technological Development and Innovation Category:

1st place: Pollen Catalogue, Floristic Inventory and Honey Production in Marcelino Vieira, Rio Grande do Norte – Enio Giuliano Girão

2nd place: Drying of Brazil Nuts by Micro-Waves – Lucas da Silva

3rd place: Implementation of Social Technologies and Environmental Education in Communities in the Upper Pantanal of Mato Grosso – Samir Curi