Between September 11 and 12, the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) received a visit from the Management Contract Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CAACG), linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC), to analyze the activities developed by the institution during the first half of 2024. Among the results, one of the highlights was the use of ISD's open laboratories by external researchers, which exceeded the target set by the committee.
ISD's actions are analyzed based on 13 performance indicators, with previously established annual goals. During the presentation of the results, one of the points highlighted in the evaluation was access to ISD's open national laboratories. Between January and June, the Institute recorded the use of 25% of the hours available to external researchers, exceeding the agreed target of 20%.
“Making ISD laboratories accessible to external researchers is a proposal we have discussed since the beginning of CAACG’s activities. In recent years, we have improved this initiative with new criteria for the use of these facilities. Today, we see the success of this proposal, with the publication of a notice for the use of the laboratories and the high occupancy of these spaces. This expands the limits of ISD and makes it possible to conduct impactful research with the excellent infrastructure offered by the institution”, said Fábio de Abreu e Lima, president of CAACG.
Currently, four laboratories at the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), one of the ISD units, are open to the general public: Human Electrophysiology and Human-Machine Interface; Microscopy; Neuroengineering; and Neurorehabilitation. Interested researchers can submit their proposals according to the rules set forth in the call for proposals, available on the ISD website. Proposals are evaluated by an internal committee, advised by the laboratories' technical staff. Once approved, researchers can use the facilities to develop their projects.
The CAACG, composed of six specialists appointed by the Ministry of Education with work related to the ISD's activities, conducts biannual assessments focusing on three main programs: Research and Postgraduate Studies in Neuroengineering, Interprofessional Education in Health, and Organizational Development, Management and Operations. In total, 13 indicators are analyzed, which reflect the institution's commitment to its goals and the quality of the services offered.
In the first half of the year, the ISD showed a trend of achieving its annual targets in 12 of the 13 indicators assessed. One of the indicators is still in the data collection phase and will only be assessed in the annual report, which will be presented to the CAACG in early 2025. “We thank the Commission for its contributions, which have been essential for the institutional growth of the ISD. This partnership is essential for improving the quality of the services we offer, especially in research, teaching and extension,” said Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, ISD’s general director.
ABOUT ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
