INSTITUTO DE QUÍMICA
UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO.

The Instituto de Química, with over 120 faculty members and a support staff of over 230, is the focus of teaching and research in Chemistry and Biochemistry on the main Cidade Universitária Campus of the Universidade de São Paulo.
The 35,000 m2 physical space of the Institute is dedicated to undergraduate and graduate teaching facilities, research laboratories, faculty and administrative office space, a stockroom with well-equipped glassblowing, machine shop and animal breeding facilities, and a central Chemistry-Biochemistry-Pharmacy library.

The library, which has been designated as the Primary National Chemistry Library, houses an outstanding collection of books and periodicals in an area of 1,700 m2 and is open to both the academic and industrial communities. In addition to offering undergraduate courses in Chemistry and Biochemistry for twelve schools of the São Paulo campus (enrollment of over 2,500 per semester), the Institute awards both undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Masters’ and Doctoral degrees in the fields of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The active involvement of the faculty in teaching and research is also evidenced by a vigorous scientific production.

There are no tuition fees for undergraduate or graduate students and most graduate students receive fellowship stipends from federal or state granting agencies. The medical, sports and restaurant facilities of the Universidade de São Paulo are open to all regularly enrolled graduate students and on-campus housing is available on the basis of need.A number of post-doctoral research positions, supported by either research grants of fellowship stipends, are generally available in the different areas of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Prior to 1970, Chemistry were scattered among the different professional schools located in the city of São Paulo. The university reform of 1969 brought together all chemists in one Department of Fundamental Chemistry, which contributed, together with the Department of Biochemistry, to build the Institute of Chemistry, officially inaugurated on January 1st, 1970. This association of   biochemists and chemists has proved to be a correct decision since the unraveling of chemical   structures is increasingly playing a role in our understanding of the mechanisms of life. Young professors received direct financial support without the independent of more senior professors, while decisions were made collectively. Immediately, priority was given to scientific production and student training, stimulating the scientific independence of the newly established groups. From the beginning the Department hired people working in full time dedicated positions. After 1977   further policies clear rules were established to hire staff members, requiring that all new members had a Ph.D., and setting standards by initiating a "privat-dozent" exam as part of the career at the University of São Paulo for those who aim at a   future appointment as Full Professor. In the 80's the Department with strong support from FINEP (a federal funding agency) established itself as the most important center of scientific production and training of scientists.
The brutal decrease in federal government funds in the beginning of the 90's was partially healed by the implementation of the Projects by FAPESP (a state-funding agency). This policy catalyzed associations among groups and forced the Department to   re-evaluate priorities and to establish suitable infrastructure to its needs. The Department settled on an academic policy, which reflected these priorities and   accommodated funding allocations and hiring of personnel.
The Department is presently a prominent department of the University of São Paulo and, in Brazil, one of the most balanced centers for production of knowledge and training of specialized personnel. A comparison of quality and quantity of production with institutions of with developed countries places the Department among the majority of the departments with similar goals. The Department of   Chemistry aims to reach the performance of the best of those departments as well as to straighten the ties with similar departments from Brazilian universities.

PRINCIPAL RESEARCH AREAS IN CHEMISTRY
 

Ion-molecule Reactions and Gas Phase Collision Phenomena
Electrochemistry and Electroanalytical Chemistry
Surface and Interfacial Chemistry and Catalysis
Rheology of Organized Systems and Liquid Crystals
Spectroscopy
Analytical and Environmental Chemistry
Phytochemistry and Natural Products
Inorganic Synthesis and Reactivity
Organic Synthesis and Reactivity
Coordination Chemistry
Quantum Mechanics
Photochemistry
 
 
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