FAPESP (the São Paulo Research Foundation) is the wealthiest and most prestigious state-level research funding agency in Brazil. Unlike federal programs (CAPES/CNPq), FAPESP funding is strictly localized: you must conduct your research at a university or research institute located in the State of São Paulo (e.g., USP, Unicamp, Unesp).
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- No Minimum Requirement
- Offer Degrees
- Masters, PhD
- Subjects
- Agriculture, Arts, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, History, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Psychology
- Seats Available
- Hundreds of active fellowships
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- Optional
- Work Experience
- No
- Age Range
- No Age Limit
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- Optional
- TOEFL
- Optional
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- Portuguese
- Local Lang Test
- No
- Study Languages
- Portuguese, English
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- Highly competitive living stipend (often higher than federal CAPES) + research reserve
- Monthly Stipend
- BRL 2500/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- Optional / None
- Application Fee
- Free (No Application Fee)
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
The State of São Paulo is the economic and scientific engine of Latin America, producing a massive percentage of the continent's high-impact research. FAPESP scholarships are highly coveted because they pay significantly more than the federal CAPES stipends. For example, a FAPESP Master's stipend is typically higher than the national 2,100 BRL standard, and FAPESP Post-doctoral fellowships are among the most lucrative in the Global South.
Beyond the monthly stipend, FAPESP provides a 'Technical Reserve' (Reserva Técnica)—a separate budget that you can use to buy laptops, reagents, or pay for international conference travel. If you want to do hard science, engineering, or high-level social science in Latin America without living on a shoestring budget, FAPESP is the gold standard.
Application Process
You cannot apply to FAPESP as a solo student. FAPESP funds *projects*, not just people. You must find a supervisor (Orientador) at a São Paulo institution who is eligible to request FAPESP funding.
Your supervisor submits the scholarship request on your behalf through the SAGe platform. The application is a massive, highly technical research proposal. FAPESP relies on rigorous peer review by external specialists to evaluate the scientific merit of the project, the academic history of the student, and the track record of the supervisor.
How to Win This Scholarship
FAPESP evaluates three things: the student, the supervisor, and the project. Your academic transcript must be immaculate (they despise failed classes or low GPAs). Your supervisor must have a strong publication record and ideally ongoing FAPESP grants.
The research proposal must be cutting-edge, feasible, and impeccably written. For international students, this means you must network aggressively to find a willing, high-status supervisor at USP or Unicamp who believes your research will yield high-impact publications. English is widely accepted for the proposal submission, removing the immediate Portuguese language barrier for the application phase.
Benefits After Completing Study
Having FAPESP on your CV is a massive prestige marker. It proves your research passed one of the strictest peer-review processes in the developing world. The technical reserve allows you to attend global conferences, building an international network that easily translates to post-docs in Europe or the US.
FAPESP requires absolute exclusivity. You must dedicate 100% of your time to the research project. You cannot hold outside employment.
The review process is slow—it can take 3 to 6 months to get an answer after your supervisor submits the proposal, so you must plan your timeline carefully. FAPESP does not pay for your initial travel to Brazil or your visa costs; the stipend only begins after you have formally enrolled in the university and opened a local bank account.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source