HUMAN RESOURCES QUALIFICATION FOR RESEARCH: EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE SCIENTIFIC INITIATION SCHOLARSHIP INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM ON THE UFRN POST-GRADUATION PROGRAM.
Scientific initiation. Post-graduation. PIBIC. Impact Evaluation.
Human Resources qualification for scientific research is fundamental so a country is able to reach appropriate levels of social development. As such, public programs to promote qualification of researchers ought to be continuously refined with the objective to true effectiveness. This paper aims at evaluating the impact of the Scholarship Institutional Program for Scientific Initiation from the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), on what it relates to the referral of graduates from scientific initiation to the post-graduation stricto sensu program and on the average time spent to acquire the title. Initially, it took place a historic analysis over the institutionalization of research in Brazil, with focus on the production of scientific knowledge produced in the Universities and on the role of CNPq in conducting the national policy for scientific initiation and the National Education Plan as a guide of the efforts to promote scientific education with the purpose to improve post-graduation courses. It also took place a description of the IC programs model of UFRN. The study adopted a demographic methodologic perspective by analyzing the profile of graduates from PIBIC at UFRN, and their participation in the post-graduation also by comparing the average time the graduates took to obtain the title against those students who were not graduates. The seized data were examined with aim at identifying similarities that demonstrated the impact of scientific initiation in the continuity of the graduates’ academic careers; also, it revealed aspects that may be improved to uncover potential spots within the program results. The study revealed a tendency of students that develop IC to get a post-graduation title at a younger age than other students.