UFJF Scholarly Publishing Projects receive resources from Fapemig

Four proposals from the university receive a total of about R$470,000 (Photos: Bruno Barbosa, Joao Lobo, Petra Malfitano and Maria Ottavia Resende)

The Research Support Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig) announced, at the end of November, the approval of more 14 projects By the Science and Technology Public Communication Program. Resolution follows Enterprise mode, which agrees to additional contracting if there is budget and financial availability. The program includes actions that promote the democratization of information about scientific and technological knowledge produced in institutions in Minas Gerais, and encourage the use of new languages ​​and technologies to disseminate science and its implications in everyday life.

Among the recent Approved, two Federal Universidad Juiz de Fora (UFJF): “Meliponary and Honey Trail as Actions for the Scientific Publication and Conservation of Stingless Bees and Associated Plants in the UFJF Botanical Garden”, awarded R$143,017.11; and “The Science We Do: Scholarly Publication of Basic Education and Training of University Preachers,” contracted for R$61,748.28. Taking into account all approved projects, Fapemig has thought of 43 proposals with the aim of bringing science and society closer together. UFJF Four – Two have already been approved – Collecting an investment of 471,789.41 Brazilian reals.

The project covers everything from the biology of stingless bees to aspects such as the relationship between indigenous peoples and native bees (Photo: Bruno Barbosa, João Lupo and Petra Malfitano)

A live group of bees from the Melliponine tribe
Researcher Ana Paula Geli de Faria, project coordinator, noted that once implemented, the Meliponary of the Botanical Garden (JB) of the UFJF will be the first in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais dedicated exclusively to scientific publishing and environmental education. The proposal would inaugurate a live population of bee species from the Meliponini tribe – known as stingless bees – in JB. Together with it, the Honey Path will be carried out.

Faria notes that bees, especially the native non-stingless species, “play a crucial role in pollination processes, and thus in maintaining plant diversity and ensuring food security for all.” The researcher adds that the ecological interactions between plants and bees offer much to explore in the dialogues between science and society. “More than the beautiful and magical aspect associated with the relationship between flowers and their visitors, the theme also brings the severity of many ecological and social problems, such as the consequences of the decline in the numbers of many species of bees as a result of environmentally harmful actions by man.”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an initiative of the United Nations (UN), are also of interest to the project team. Faria concludes, “Promoting dialogue between science and society regarding the importance of relationships between plants and pollinators becomes essential to awakening that preserving the environment and its associated biodiversity is a guarantee of its well-being.”

The project takes researchers to public schools in Juiz de Fora and the region (Photo: Carolina de Paula/UFJF)

The Science We Do: Scientific Publication in Basic Education
Another project that Fapemig is considering is “The Science We Do”, coordinated by researcher José Guilherme da Silva Lopes and implemented in partnership with the UFJF Institutional Image Board. Previously deferred by Fapemig, the project will be improved in its new version, with a focus on promoting researchers, scientific initiative, and graduate students as scholarly publishers.

“It is an initiative that stands out precisely for the form of scientific dissemination it proposes: the producers of knowledge themselves go into the classrooms of basic education, mostly in the public schools of Juiz de Fora and the region, to talk about how science is done, and even more so, because it is closer to the students than they can imagine.” Defines the coordinator.

Lopez also notes that endorsement of the “science we do” is important in the face of the institutional scenario. The project contributes to the UFJF’s current challenge, the mentorship curriculum. The involvement and inclusion of researchers in the community, as well as the promotion of a culture of scholarly publishing, are also highly regarded in respected graduate programs across the country. With all of this, we have very high expectations. Let’s get our hands dirty,” Lopez promises.

The projects are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The Institutional Image Council’s scholarly publication coordination, in partnership with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research (Propp), promotes Strategy promotion of the university’s research actions, demonstrating that they are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere enjoy peace and prosperity. The initiatives in this article are aligned with Goal 4 (Quality education), Goal 10 (Reducing inequalities), Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production), Goal 13 (Action against global climate change) and Goal 15 (Terrestrial life). See the full list on the United Nations website.🇧🇷