INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia)
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

 &

 Cook College - Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

The National Institute of Amazonian Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia – INPA), organ under the direct administration of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia – CNPq), was created in 1952, to generate, promote and divulge scientific and technological knowledge about the Brazilian Amazon. To carry out this mission, INPA undertakes the scientific study of the environment and life conditions in the Amazon region for the conservation and sustainable development of the natural resources in benefit, principally, of the regional population.
        During the course of five decades, INPA has been taking on the growing task of producing knowledge by pledging itself to sustainable development, defense of the environment and its ecosystems, expanding studies of forest and hydric resources, bio-diversity, and socio-diversity.

Physical Structure

Seated in urban Manaus, INPA is composed of three separate Urban Campuses totaling 385,186 m²: Aleixo I Campus, 256,495 m² (25,57ha), Aleixo II Campus, 46,000 m² (4,91ha), V-8 Campus: aproximadamente 75,000 m² (7,5ha)
        Three forest and two biological reserves, four experimental stations, two floating research bases, one floating laboratory and one research boat also make up INPA’s structure: 

Reserves: Adolpho Duke Forest Reservation, Walter Egler Forest Reservation, Black Gold of the West (Ouro preto d’Oeste) Biological Reservation (RO), Campina Biological Reservation, Cuieiras Biological Reservation

Experimental Stations: Tropical Forestry Station, Fruticulture Station, Vegetableculture (Oleiculture) Station

Floating Research Bases: Catalan Research Base, at the Meeting of the Waters (Encontro das Águas), Tarumã Research Base, on the Negro River (Rio Negro)

Herald Sioli Floating Laboratory – on the Marchantaria Island: Amanais Research Boat II

Personnel

INPA has a total of 775 personnel, of which the research staff of 213 is made up of 140 doctors, 61 masters, and 12 undergraduates.

Structural and Research Structural

 INPA’s administrative and functional structure is composed of a Directory, Technical-Scientific Counsel; Administrative Counsel; Cabinet; Twelve Research Coordinations; Four Technical Coordinations; Administrative Coordination; Eleven Technical and Administrative Divisions; Six Administrative Services; and Four Advisories.

Research Programs

 INPA research is based on two large programs:

Program 1 – Amazonian Ecosystems

The object of this program is to generate knowledge that looks to the characterization of the organisms of flora and fauna in the Amazon region, identification of species by interpreting their origins and standards of distribution, and by evaluating their interaction with the environment and man.
To this program are attached the Research Coordinations of Aquatic Biology, Botany, Health Science, Ecology, Entomology, Climate and Hydric Resources.

Program 2 – Natural Resources

The object of this program is to generate knowledge of natural resources by means of technologies that make possible an adequate management of these resources. It also seeks the generation of knowledge and products for the development of rural production systems, sustainable and compatible with the ecological, economical and social characteristics of the region.

The research coordinations linked to this program are Aquaculture, Agronomic Sciences, Forest Products, Natural Products, Tropical Forestry, and Food technology.

Graduate Program

From August of 1975 to December of 2002, 683 graduate students – 564 masters and 129 doctorate – have received their respective titles. Most are Biology of Freshwater and Fishery (master and doctorate), followed by Botany (master and doctorate), and Tropical Forest Sciences (master).
      As the volume of knowledge of the tropics is limited, these areas continue to be in development. Therefore there is a pressing need to form and place qualified researchers to work in these fields to take part in flora and fauna surveys, management of land and water systems, environmental control, and rational planning of the exploration of renewable natural resources.

 Web page: http://www.inpa.gov.br/

Contact persons for INPA - Rutgers initiative: