Brazilian scientists lament ‘freeze’ on research budget

Block on 42% of the science ministry's funds, coming on top of other cuts, puts flagship synchrotron at risk. Faced with a stagnant economy and falling tax revenues, the Brazilian government has announced it is "freezing" nearly 30 billion reais ($7.5 billion) of the country's public funds for the year, including a 2.2 billion real slice of the science ministry's budget. If the freeze isn't lifted, funds for scholarships and research will be cut by 42%—a blow that would come on top of a series of other cuts in recent years. Scientists say that would push many labs and institutes into stagnation. Even a flagship science project, the synchrotron light source Sirius, is at risk; 80% of the funds it depends on to complete construction and start to commission the facility by the end of this year have been frozen.