The INCTs and the INCT-MQA

The National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCT) program was established in 2008 as a continuation and expansion of the earlier Millennium Institutes initiatives (CNPq Calls of 2001 and 2005), with the objective of creating large-scale, multi-institutional research networks dedicated to addressing strategic scientific and technological challenges in Brazil. The program is coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) through the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), in partnership with CAPES and state research foundations (FAPs).

Since its inception, several public calls have been launched. The 2008 call approved 122 institutes, followed in 2010 by a targeted call that created three INCTs focused on marine sciences. The 2014 call approved an additional 121 institutes. After an eight-year hiatus, the program resumed in 2022 with the creation of 100 new institutes. The most recent call, announced in 2024, approved 143 additional INCTs, bringing the total number of active institutes in Brazil to approximately 243. For this new cycle, MCTI allocated approximately R$ 1.63 billion in funding.

The INCT networks encompass a broad spectrum of research areas, including physics, materials science, nanotechnology, and quantum technologies, fostering national integration and international collaboration. The program has significantly strengthened research infrastructure, advanced human resource training, enhanced scientific output, and promoted interdisciplinary cooperation and innovation. Funding is primarily supported by federal resources (FNDCT), complemented by state research foundations, CAPES, and institutional co-funding. Further information is available at the official INCT portal: inct.cnpq.br.

The origins of our current INCT trace back to 2008, when Prof. Elisa Saitovitch led an initial proposal aimed at consolidating the Brazilian community working on strongly correlated systems under the project Complex Advanced Materials. A second proposal was submitted in 2014 under the leadership of Prof. Múcio Continentino. In 2022, Prof. Pascoal Pagliuso and Prof. Sergio G. Magalhães proposed the project Advances in Quantum Materials, which ultimately culminated in the approval of the INCT in 2024, coordinated by Prof. Eduardo Granado and Prof. Sergio Garcia Magalhães. The project secured funding from both CNPq and FAPESP, totaling approximately R$ 10 million. These resources are being directed toward laboratory maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, and, most importantly, the training and development of young scientists to further advance research in quantum materials.