FAPESP: Grants for Foreign Researchers

FAPESP — the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo Research Foundation) — is the state-level research funding agency for São Paulo, Brazil’s most research-intensive state. Created by a 1962 state decree and given a permanent constitutional funding guarantee in 1989, FAPESP is a distinct institution from Brazil’s federal funders and runs several programs, including a Post-Doctoral Fellowship, a Young Investigator Award, and a Visiting Researcher Program, that are open to researchers who are not Brazilian nationals and do not require prior residency in Brazil.

What FAPESP Is

FAPESP is a public foundation of the state government of São Paulo, not a federal agency. Its funding is constitutionally guaranteed: since 1989, the São Paulo State Constitution has entitled FAPESP to 1% of all state tax revenue, transferred monthly and supplemented by income from its own financial assets and by co-funding agreements with partner institutions and companies. This arrangement gives FAPESP a degree of budgetary stability and operating autonomy that is unusual among research funders internationally, and it has made São Paulo state responsible for a large share of Brazil’s internationally published research output relative to its population.

FAPESP funds research across all fields of knowledge through peer-reviewed calls, evaluated by area-based panels of practicing researchers. Beyond individual grants and fellowships, it runs large multi-year research initiatives (in areas such as bioenergy, biodiversity and climate change), Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs/CEPIDs), a substantial small-business innovation research line, and an extensive program of bilateral and multilateral international agreements with foreign funding agencies and universities.

FAPESP vs. CNPq: State vs. Federal Funding

Researchers new to Brazil’s funding landscape frequently conflate FAPESP with CNPq, Brazil’s federal science agency — but the two are structurally distinct and, in practice, complementary rather than redundant:

CNPq is a federal agency under Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), funds research nationwide, and administers programs such as the Lattes researcher-CV platform and the CNPq–UNESCO/TWAS PhD fellowships. See CASRAI’s CNPq: A Funding Overview for International Researchers for the federal-level programs.
FAPESP is a state foundation whose mandate is limited to research carried out in, or hosted by, institutions in São Paulo state — but São Paulo hosts a large share of Brazil’s leading universities and research institutes (including the University of São Paulo, UNICAMP, and UNESP), so in practice FAPESP is one of the most internationally active funders in the country.

Each Brazilian state runs its own research foundation (collectively known as FAPs); FAPESP is the largest and best resourced, owing to São Paulo’s tax base and its 1989 constitutional funding guarantee. A foreign researcher planning to collaborate with, or be hosted by, an institution located specifically in São Paulo state should look to FAPESP first; a researcher whose Brazilian host is elsewhere in the country, or who is pursuing a nationwide instrument such as the CNPq–UNESCO/TWAS PhD program, should look to CNPq or the relevant state FAP instead. The two are not competing options for the same opportunity — they operate at different jurisdictional levels and a single collaboration can, in principle, draw on both.

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

FAPESP’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship is its principal instrument for bringing early-career researchers, including those from outside Brazil, into research groups based at São Paulo institutions.

Who it’s for: researchers, Brazilian or foreign, who completed their PhD no more than seven years before applying, with a strong research record for their career stage.
Where it’s held: the fellowship is held at a São Paulo state host institution, under the supervision of a researcher affiliated with that institution — the application is built around this host relationship rather than submitted as a fully independent proposal.
Duration: up to 24 months, with the possibility of a further renewal of up to 12 months, subject to the rules and maximum terms of the specific line or associated project the fellowship is attached to.
Application language: FAPESP’s English-language fellowship guidelines and application system mean international candidates can apply and be evaluated without needing to submit in Portuguese.
Immigration and logistics: FAPESP’s own guidance is explicit that foreign candidates are responsible for arranging their own visa and entry documentation for Brazil, typically through the Brazilian consulate nearest their current residence — this is not handled by the foundation or the host institution.

FAPESP also runs postdoctoral lines attached to specific joint programs — for example, fellowships offered jointly with UNESCO/TWAS aimed at researchers from least-developed countries. These operate as periodic calls rather than a standing, always-open track, so current openings should be confirmed directly on FAPESP’s English-language site before planning around a specific call.

Young Investigator Awards

The Young Investigator Grant (known by its Portuguese initials, JP-FAPESP) is designed to help a researcher with demonstrated postdoctoral achievement and international research experience establish an independent research group at a São Paulo institution, working on a line of research that is new to the state’s research system.

What it funds: the start-up of a new research line and group, rather than a fellowship stipend for continuing someone else’s existing project.
Who it’s for: researchers who can show a track record of quality, internationally competitive research since completing their doctorate, and who can demonstrate leadership potential for building a new group.
Evaluation basis: proposals are assessed comparatively, weighing the applicant’s prior publication and research record alongside the quality and feasibility of the proposed research project.
Follow-on support: FAPESP also runs a “Phase 2” continuation track for Young Investigator grantees whose initial group has met the program’s progress expectations, intended to help consolidate a group that has already been established under the award.

As with the Post-Doctoral Fellowship, the Young Investigator Grant is held at, and administered through, a São Paulo host institution — it is not a stipend paid directly to an individual with no institutional base in the state.

Visiting Researcher Program

The Visiting Researcher Program provides full or partial support for hosting an experienced researcher, based abroad or elsewhere in Brazil, at a São Paulo higher-education or research institution, for the purpose of an ongoing collaboration or to help launch a new one.

Duration: from two weeks up to a non-extendable maximum of 12 months (one year).
Who it’s for: visiting researchers must hold a PhD and have an established record of scientific accomplishment; the program is aimed at experienced investigators rather than early-career researchers.
Who applies: unlike the fellowship and award programs above, the proposal is submitted by the São Paulo-based host investigator and institution, not directly by the visiting researcher — a foreign researcher interested in this route needs an São Paulo-based collaborator willing to act as host and applicant.
Timing: proposals can generally be submitted on a rolling basis rather than against a single fixed annual deadline, though this should be confirmed against the current guidelines for the specific program line.

Other International Instruments Worth Knowing

Beyond the three programs above, FAPESP maintains a substantial portfolio of bilateral and multilateral agreements with foreign funding agencies and academies — historically including joint call programs with partners such as France’s CNRS and ANR, the Netherlands’ NWO, and international bodies including UNESCO/TWAS and the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS). These joint calls open and close on their own schedules and are typically announced individually on FAPESP’s English-language site rather than through a single standing portal, so a researcher whose home country has an active bilateral relationship with FAPESP should watch for calls under that specific partnership rather than assuming a program is permanently open.

Practical Notes for Foreign Applicants

A São Paulo host is central to almost every route in. With the partial exception of some joint international calls, FAPESP’s core instruments are built around a formal relationship with a São Paulo state institution — either as the fellow’s host (Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Young Investigator Grant) or as the applicant of record (Visiting Researcher Program). Identifying and agreeing terms with a São Paulo-based host is typically the first practical step, before a formal application.
Applications can generally proceed in English. FAPESP maintains a full English-language site and English guidelines for its major fellowship and grant lines, which lowers the language barrier relative to funders that require Portuguese-language submissions.
Visa and entry logistics are the researcher’s own responsibility. FAPESP is explicit, at least for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship, that arranging Brazilian entry and residence documentation sits with the foreign candidate and the relevant Brazilian consulate, not the foundation.
Program rules and terms change between calls. Durations, renewal terms and eligibility windows described here reflect FAPESP’s general, currently published guidelines; always confirm the live figures on FAPESP’s English-language site (fapesp.br/en) against the specific call or guideline document before budgeting a proposal or a relocation around them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FAPESP the same as CNPq?

No. CNPq is Brazil’s federal science funding agency, funding research nationwide under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. FAPESP is the state research foundation of São Paulo alone, funded through a constitutionally guaranteed share of São Paulo state tax revenue. They are separate, complementary funders rather than alternatives for the same opportunity — see CASRAI’s CNPq guide for the federal-level programs.

Can a researcher with no Brazilian institutional link apply to FAPESP directly?

Generally no. FAPESP’s core fellowship and grant instruments are built around a host relationship with a São Paulo state institution: the Post-Doctoral Fellowship and Young Investigator Grant are held at a São Paulo host institution, and the Visiting Researcher Program is applied for by the São Paulo-based host, not the visiting researcher. Identifying a São Paulo host is typically a precondition, not an afterthought, for any of these routes.

Do FAPESP applications need to be in Portuguese?

Not necessarily. FAPESP maintains English-language guidelines and application materials for its major fellowship and grant lines, which is one of the reasons it is a common entry point for foreign researchers into Brazil’s research system relative to funders that operate only in Portuguese.

How long can a FAPESP Post-Doctoral Fellowship last?

Up to 24 months initially, with the possibility of a further renewal of up to 12 months, subject to the maximum term applicable to the specific fellowship line or the project it is attached to.

What’s the difference between the Young Investigator Grant and the Post-Doctoral Fellowship?

The Post-Doctoral Fellowship supports an individual researcher working within an existing research group under a supervisor’s mentorship. The Young Investigator Grant is intended to help a more experienced early-career researcher establish their own new, independent research group and line of research at a São Paulo institution.

Related CASRAI Resources

For Brazil’s federal funding body, see CASRAI’s CNPq: A Funding Overview for International Researchers. For other national and regional funders relevant to international collaboration, see the guides to the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF Korea), and the SERB (India)’s VAJRA and OVDF programs, as well as the broader Grants Management & Research Funding pillar.