U.S. - Brazil Science and Technology Cooperation

A senior U.S.-Brazil Consultative Panel on Science and Technology Cooperation met in Brasilia on June 18-19, 2002 to further promote and coordinate collaboration between the two countries. Approximately 60 participating scientists and policy makers from the two countries, representing ten U.S. agencies and 12 Brazilian institutions, confirmed the desire of both countries to strengthen their cooperative Science and Technology relationship.

A few examples of ongoing collaborative research include:

• Brazilian and U.S. agencies have cooperated on space-based technologies to monitor and protect natural resources. One example is NASA and Brazilian Space Agency collaboration on the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia for more than five years, incorporating a broad range of research activities.
• USDA is working with Brazil in a range of areas including biosafety and risk assessment, genomics, and water resource management.
• The National Science Foundation has been engaged in student, postdoctoral, and staff scientist exchanges to improve the linkage between research and education, and to generate future collaboration.
• The Brazilian Space Agency is participating with NASA in the development of equipment for the International Space Station. The only astronaut hailing from South America, Brazilian Air Force Major Marcos Pontes, has been training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas since 1998.

At the June 20 Presidential Summit in Washington, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Minister of Science and Technology Roberto Amaral signed the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. That Initiative enables the United States and Brazil to enter into projects to develop safer and more economic nuclear energy technologies for the future. It also will enable new cooperation between U.S. and Brazilian national nuclear laboratories, including student exchanges and research assignments. Specifically, under the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative the U.S. and Brazil will:

• Accelerate development of next-generation (e.g., Gen IV) nuclear energy systems with improved efficiency, economics, safety and security;
• Extend the safe operating life of nuclear power plants; and
• Develop advanced nuclear fuels and materials, and advance fundamental nuclear science.

The United States values Brazil as an important partner in advancing our scientific and technological knowledge. We have worked closely with Brazil for many years and hope to enhance and encourage that relationship in the future. We look forward to working closely with the new administration to identify areas of mutual priority and interest.