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CNPq Will Offer More Than 4,800 Master’s and Doctoral Scholarships Nationwide in 2026, Targeting 187 Institutions.
The CNPq will offer more than 4,800 master’s and doctoral scholarships nationwide in 2026, benefiting 187 selected institutions in the Institutional Program of Graduate Scholarships (PIBPG) Cycle 2026.
The final result, released this week, reveals that the distribution will occur in two periods, between March and October 2026, and that the initiative will mobilize over R$ 430 million.
The goal is to strengthen national scientific training, broaden access to qualified research, and reduce inequalities among states and institutions.
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PIBPG 2026 Guarantees 4,858 Scholarships With an Approval Rate of 92%
Then the announcement highlights that CNPq will offer more than 4,800 master’s and doctoral scholarships nationwide in 2026, totaling 4,858 benefits.
Of this number, 3,329 are master’s scholarships and 1,529 are doctoral scholarships, distributed among the institutions that participated in the call.
The service rate reached 92% of institutional proposals, one of the best approval indicators in recent years. The planned investment exceeds R$ 430 million, sourced from the CNPq’s own budget.
According to the agency, the final result details the annual quantity of scholarships assigned to each institution and is already available for public consultation.
Scholarship Distribution Will Be Divided into Two Periods in 2026
Therefore, to organize the implementation flow, CNPq determined that the filling of scholarships will occur in two phases, each with 50% of the total approved for each institution.
1st period: March to May 2026.
Dates: March 1st to May 15th;
Quantity: 50% of the approved scholarships;
2nd period: August to October 2026.
Dates: August 1st to October 15th;
Quantity: 50% of the remaining scholarships.
Institutional representatives are already starting to receive notifications via the Carlos Chagas Integrated Platform (PICC), authorizing the filling of the first half of the master’s and doctoral vacancies.
New Model Makes Distribution Fairer Among Institutions
During the announcement, the Director of Institutional, International and Innovation Cooperation at CNPq
Dalila Andrade Oliveira emphasized that the change in the way scholarships are granted has increased the autonomy of institutions:
“Since 2019, a new system for granting scholarships has been implemented, replacing the previous model based on fixed quotas by Graduate Program (PPG).
Thus, with the new format, scholarships began to be awarded directly to Higher Education Institutions (IES) or to Science and Technology Institutions (ICT).”
She also highlighted the challenges:
“Unfortunately, due to budgetary restrictions, the granting of scholarships by CNPq is far below the demand presented by the ICTs.”
Equity and Inclusion Criteria Gain Weight in Evaluation
CNPq will offer more than 4,800 scholarships for master’s and doctoral studies nationwide in 2026, also focusing on reducing regional inequalities.
The PIBPG maintained the 2024 submission model, which allows institutions to choose indicative ranges based on their structure and scientific capacity.
Then the major differentiator of the call was the adoption of a specific bonus for proposals with structured equity and inclusion actions.
The goal is to recognize institutions that develop policies to broaden access to high-level scientific training, encouraging diversity and democratization.
Strengthening Graduate Studies and Impact on Scientific Production
The PIBPG continues to be one of the main instruments for encouraging research in Brazil.
Thus, it supports stricto sensu programs by granting scholarships that meet the demands for training new researchers.
Then the announcement that CNPq will offer more than 4,800 scholarships nationwide in 2026 reinforces the reconstruction of the S&T system
Especially after years of budget restrictions that impacted universities and research institutes.
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