The RIDC Redoxoma became one of USP’s Special Research and Innovation Centers (CEPix), created to continue the activities of the Research, Innovation and Diffusion Centers (RIDCs), financed by FAPESP, whose term is ending.

According to Professor Maurício Baptista, director of the CEPix Redoxoma, the initiative represents an opportunity to maintain the research network. “My vision is that now we will have to fight to remain united without funding from FAPESP. This involves negotiating and finding other forms of financing. The culture change that will have to occur now is that it is not the RIDC that will maintain all the researchers, but all the researchers have to maintain CEPix”. He recalled, however, that the RIDC Redoxoma still has 14 months to run and that the implementation of CEPix depends on some initial bureaucratic steps.

Ohara Augusto, director of the RIDC Redoxoma, stated that “it was a relief to see that the current Rectory of USP recognized the advances that FAPESP’s RIDC project provided for fundamental research, innovation, and the dissemination of knowledge at USP and in the state of São Paulo and found that these Centers should be maintained. We now hope that the Rectory will continue to support CEPIx, including financially, at least to maintain networks and dissemination activities. I also hope that the success of FAPESP’s RIDC project will inspire federal funding agencies to re-edit the INCTs [National Institutes of Science and Technology] project, but with guaranteed, long-term funding. Repeating Professor Helena Nader in her battle in defense of science and innovation in our country: Science and innovation are not made with hiccups; they require continuity and long term.”

Redoxoma, according to Baptista, has the potential to maintain recognition as an international redox center. “We have history, competence, results, and understand the area well. And homeostasis redox networks are important for everything. In my area, dermocosmetics, this is recognized as being the most important and, at the same time, what people understand less. There are these two characteristics: professionals understand that redox processes are fundamental, but they know little about the current concepts in the area. The same happens, for example, in neurodegenerative diseases and liver cancer. The redox area has the potential to make a revolution in medicine and consequently generate numerous partnerships. I dream we can become an international institute like Max Planck or CNRS [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique]”.

The Special Research and Innovation Centers (CEPIx) will become part of the academic structure of USP units. They will have administrative advantages, such as the possibility of signing contracts with public and private entities, in addition to managing their financial resources.

Meeting

With the participation of the Rector of USP, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, and the president of FAPESP, Marco Antonio Zago, the Academic Meeting “CEPIx: new frontiers of research” brought together 11 directors of RIDCs linked to USP last Thursday. At the event, the coordinators and members of the centers presented and discussed the main highlights of each RIDC in research, human resources training, innovation, internationalization, and education and dissemination.

At the meeting, Carlotti stated that USP’s concern was to ensure that the centers continue to be encouraged to work together, given that they had excellent results, highlighting that “the centers bring together some of the best scientists at USP.“

Unlike other USP research centers, CEPix will be linked to the Teaching and Research Units. “It wouldn’t be fair to bring them to the Rectory, leaving this connection, which is very important. We created a mixed model, which is linked to the Rectory and also to the unit so that they can continue to work. The agreement was made with the unit, but the Rectory gave autonomy and also offered the possibility of financing directly for these centers”, the rector said.

The president of Fapesp, Marco Antonio Zago, presented the lecture “Perspectives on financing interdisciplinary research,” in which he showed the investments made by FAPESP in several of its research funding programs.

He stated that the RIDCs model is similar to the German research support foundation program, in which projects are funded for seven years, and the groups that are not renewed receive support from universities. “Each university finds its solution, but it has to provide support until those remaining groups reorganize themselves so that the research is not interrupted. So, once again, we are doing the right thing.“

Watch the meeting “CEPIx: new research frontiers” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUz_BoUKN8