The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) together with the Dutch Research Council (NWO) warmly welcome you to join the 28th FAPESP Week, hosted by Leiden University in the Netherlands between October 27th and 29th, 2026. This symposium is designed to deepen connections between Dutch and São Paulo-based researchers while encouraging scientific collaboration across key areas of shared interest.
Since launching in 2011, the FAPESP Week series has actively created channels for cooperation, strengthening and expanding joint efforts between scientists from the State of São Paulo and international peers.
During FAPESP Week Netherlands, experts from both regions will gather for academic sessions centered on presentations and discussions of cutting-edge scientific outcomes. These insights address mutual priorities and aim to inspire upcoming cooperative projects. Additionally, the meeting will showcase prospective joint funding initiatives available to support collaborative research between the Netherlands and São Paulo.
Themes of FAPESP Week Netherlands
• Health: Aging, Mental Health and Sports; Climate and Livable Cities
• Sustainable Agriculture: Primary Production; Social and Economic Impacts and Precision Agriculture
• Energy: Transition and Net Zero
São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP
FAPESP is one of the leading research funding agencies in Latin America. Its mission is to support scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships, and research grants to investigators affiliated with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
The State of São Paulo has a population of 45 million and accounts for 32% of Brazil’s GDP. According to the State Constitution, 1% of all state taxes are allocated to FAPESP, which began operations in 1962.
The stability of funding and the Foundation’s autonomy allow for efficient resource management with significant impact: while São Paulo has 16% of Brazil’s population and more than 30% of its PhD researchers, the state accounts for nearly half of all Brazilian scientific articles published in international journals.
The effectiveness of research in São Paulo stems from the quality of its universities and institutes, the remarkable productivity of its researchers, the strong participation of private companies in R&D investments, the state’s outstanding infrastructure, and the role of FAPESP.
FAPESP believes that the best science can only be conducted in collaboration with the best researchers worldwide. To this end, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, private companies, and higher education and research organizations in many countries. These agreements are listed here.
More information: fapesp.br/week/symposia
About NWO
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) is one of the primary science funding bodies in the Netherlands, dedicated to advancing world-class scientific research that yields both academic and societal impact. Fostering curiosity-driven, fundamental, and interdisciplinary research across all disciplines, NWO invests nearly €1.5 billion annually into research projects, societal challenge programs, and research infrastructure. It distributes competitive public funding based on expert peer evaluations, supporting more than 7,500 research projects across Dutch universities and public research institutions while directly operating ten of its own research institutes.
Beyond funding individual projects, NWO connects researchers across the knowledge chain with government, industry, and societal partners to co-fund thematic programs and drive knowledge utilization. International engagement is central to its mission: NWO actively encourages global scientific collaboration, incorporates international experts into its proposal review processes, and maintains world-leading research institutes designed to advance pioneering, boundary-pushing science on a global scale.
