UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO

Their core work

UFRJ is Brazil's largest federal university and a major research institution with broad scientific capacity spanning materials science, biomedical research, climate modeling, and ethics of emerging technologies. In H2020, they primarily contributed as a non-European partner bringing expertise in nanomaterials for cultural heritage conservation, climate-development policy analysis, and responsible innovation frameworks. Their role has been to extend European consortia's reach into Latin American research networks, offering complementary perspectives on global challenges like climate change mitigation and technology ethics. They bridge European and Brazilian research ecosystems, particularly in areas where Southern Hemisphere data and perspectives are essential.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

UFRJ's early H2020 involvement (2015-2018) centered on hard sciences — nanomaterials, biomedical research, and wireless technologies — reflecting a traditional research university profile. From 2017 onward, a clear shift emerged toward societal and policy-oriented work: climate-development linkages, ethics of new technologies, open education, and environmental management. Their most recent project (SILVANUS, 2021) signals a move into applied environmental informatics, combining big data with forest management and citizen engagement.

UFRJ is moving from laboratory-based materials and biomedical research toward interdisciplinary work on environmental management, technology ethics, and societal impact — making them increasingly relevant for mission-oriented EU programs.

How they like to work

UFRJ has never coordinated an H2020 project, consistently participating as a partner or third party — typical for non-EU institutions that join European consortia to provide complementary expertise. With 201 unique consortium partners across 40 countries, they operate within very large, internationally diverse consortia rather than small focused teams. Their spread across many unrelated topics and their third-party status in some projects suggest they are accessed through individual research groups rather than through a centralized university strategy.

UFRJ has collaborated with 201 unique partners across 40 countries, giving them one of the broadest geographic footprints among Brazilian institutions in H2020. Their network spans the EU extensively but also connects to Latin American and global South research communities.

What sets them apart

As Brazil's flagship federal university, UFRJ offers European consortia access to Latin American research infrastructure, data, and perspectives that few other partners can provide — particularly valuable for climate modeling and development policy where Southern Hemisphere input is critical. Their unusually broad disciplinary range (from nanomaterials to ethics to wildfire management) means multiple research groups can be engaged depending on the consortium's needs. For projects requiring global validation or non-European case studies, UFRJ brings both scientific credibility and geographic reach.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SIENNA
  The only project where UFRJ received direct EC funding (EUR 38,498), focused on the ethics of genomics and human-machine interactions — showing trusted partner status for sensitive governance topics.
• SILVANUS
  Their most recent and longest-running project (2021-2025) on wildfire management with big-data and citizen engagement, signaling a strategic shift toward applied environmental informatics.
• NANORESTART
  A technically rich project combining graphene, nanocellulose, and nanoparticles for art restoration — an unusual intersection of advanced materials science and cultural heritage.