The Department of Cultural Policies of the Ministry of Culture and the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) extended until February 10, 2016, the deadline for receipt of research projects for the Native Peoples of Brazil notice, which focuses on collections of memorial interest around the Brazilian indigenous culture.

With funds of approximately BRL 1.4 million from the National Culture Fund, the notice is aimed to encourage and support the gathering, recovery, conservation and provision of public access, via the Internet, of collections of scientific and cultural interest of the Brazilian indigenous heritage assets.

Researchers linked to cultural, scientific and technological institutions – such as universities, libraries, archives, museums etc. – may submit their projects. The approved projects will receive funding of up to BRL 80 K, intended exclusively for the payment of research grants as an aid to the researchers.

The number and categories of the grants will depend on the demand and on the assessment of the submitted projects. Those that are chosen to be supported shall be implemented in a period of up to 12 months.

Pilot projects

As part of the policies adopted by the Ministry of Culture, the SPC launched in 2013 a pilot project in order to articulate a national policy that addresses the digitization of collections from the Brazilian culture.

During this first stage, besides the UFPE, the Participatory Public Policy Laboratory of the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), through its Information Technology Laboratory, shall also take part, with the support of the Brazilian National Research and Educational Network (RNP).

The institutional arrangement contemplates the production of content, by means of the notices for digital collections launched by UFPE, and the development by UFG of a technological solution on open source software to make these collections available on the internet, which was named Tainacan and is in testing.

The first notice’s theme was "Preservation and Access to Afro-Brazilian Heritage Assets" and received 92 submissions. The 24 among those that were selected had their work concluded this November and the results of the researches can now be accessed.

Those interested in obtaining  more information about the Native Peoples of Brazil notice should send an e-mail to povosoriginariosdobrasil@ufpe.br.

Source: Ministry of Culture