The Program

The Research Program for Biodiversity (herein referred to as PPBio) is a program created within SEPED – The Secretariat for Research and Development Policies and Programs, of the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation (MCTI), through concrete demands originating from the scientific community and Brazilian society as a whole. The PPBio was designed in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity, utilizing the guidelines set out in the National Biodiversity Policy (Decree 4.339, of May 22, 2002), in addition to priorities identified by the National Conference of Science and Technology, 2002. Created in 2004, its objective is to develop an investment strategy in Science & Technology that prioritizes and integrates research and knowledge transfer skills in biodiversity, as well as creating, integrating and disseminating information that may be used at a later date for various purposes.

The PPBio is widespread across Brazil and is now being implemented throughout the Amazonian and Semi-arid regions, its long-term aim to be fully deployed across all Brazilian biomes and regions.The Amazonian Biome was established in 2004, focused on the creation of an integrated information system on biodiversity for facilitating the management of natural heritage, as well as strengthening research activities for the sustainable development of the Amazon. Implementation of this program is a significant landmark within the process of deepening scientific knowledge about the Amazonian region, the proposed actions contemplating, for the first time, an integrated approach towards the assumptions surrounding biological descriptions and analysis.

Program activities include:

        1. Scientific research in taxonomy, ecology and conservation of species and ecosystems;
        2. Human resources training through various forms of fellowship, support and training programs and course offerings;
        3. The systemizing, management and disclosure of information.

The Program is structured in three parts:

• BIOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS;

• BIOLOGICAL INVENTORIES and

• THEMATIC PROJECTS.

Program management is conducted through the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation, adopting a decentralized model which consists of Executive Centers (EC’s) and Regional research Departments (RD’s). It is the responsibility of the Executive Centers to coordinate the research, training and information management activities of each network, and the responsibility of the regional departments (RD’s) to coordinate research development and collection maintenance.

The Executive Centers of the program are:

        1. Eastern Amazonia – Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará
        2. Western Amazonia – The National Institute of Amazonian Research
        3. Semi-arid – State University of Feira de Santana
        4. Atlantic Forest – Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro

Eastern Amazon PPBio Network

The organization responsible for coordinating PPBio activities in the Eastern Amazonian region is the Emilio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG), based in the city of Belém. The program was reconfigured in 2009; the program delivery and regional departments being grouped into a network. The Eastern Amazonian network comprises of six regional research departments, two of these being in the State of Pará and the other departments in the four other Eastern Amazonian States: Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão e Amapá.

Executive Center: Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará
        • Network coordination: Dr. Marlúcia Bonifácio Martins - marlucia@museu-goeldi.br

Biogeoinformatics Department (NBGI)
        • Coordinator: Dr. Marcos Paulo de Sousa - msousa@museu-goeldi.br