Project offers scholarships for black and indigenous researchers to boost energy transition in the Northeast
Registration is now open for the third edition of the Projeto Mukengi, which will offer a monthly grant of R$700.00 and release of R$10,000 to be applied to research proposals in the area of energy transition, to be developed as a team
The Edital Energia Nordestina: Empoderamento e Sustentabilidade (Nordestina Energy Notice: Empowerment and Sustainability) through the Capacitação de Pesquisadores Negros e Indígenas (Training of Black and Indigenous Researchers) will help prepare a new generation of black and indigenous researchers to develop solutions based on science and technology that meet the needs of their communities.
The Projeto Mukengi (read: muquêngui), an initiative by the Instituto Mancala with support from Serrapilheira, is open for registration for its third edition, this time focusing on the theme of the green economy. 20 people with a master’s or doctorate in progress or already completed in the areas of exact, biological or health sciences will be selected.
The Edital seeks to promote training that combines scientific rigor with social and environmental responsibility. In addition to the academic criteria, vacancies are exclusive to self-declared black or indigenous candidates.
The institution considers the theme of this edition to be especially urgent. The transition to a low-carbon economy in the Northeast of Brazil, a region rich in natural resources and with potential for renewable energy, faces challenges due to the lack of opportunities to train specialized professionals who can lead this transformation.
According to the organizers, the challenge is even more evident among black, quilombola, indigenous and peripheral communities, who face difficulties both in accessing the benefits of clean energy and in actively participating in discussions about sustainable development.
The name of the initiative, Mukengi, is a reference to the word ‘researcher’ in Kimbundu, an African language from Angola.
Project phases
The project will take place in two phases, in the first, from October 1st to November 12th, researchers will participate in online meetings with sustainability experts, addressing topics such as renewable energy and the relationship between socio-environmental and racial issues. In total, there will be 12 meetings, lasting 1h30 each.
The second phase will be hybrid, with research activities that will be developed directly in black, quilombola, indigenous and peripheral communities. At this point, the researchers will develop a team project based on the knowledge acquired in the first stage.
Distribution of money
Selected participants will receive a monthly stipend of R$700.00 over a period of two months. The notice will also make R$10,000 available to be applied to a research proposal in the area of energy transition, to be developed as a team. The project will be chosen by the training program curators after the initial phase meetings.
Registration is free and runs until September 20, 2024.
Click here to register.
