Programa de Desarrollo de las Ciencias Básicas (PEDECIBA)

Objectives

The Basic Sciences Development Program (PEDEClBA) was created in October 1986 by an agreement between the Uruguayan Government, represented by the Ministry of Education, and the University of the Republic with the active participation of the Program of the United Nations for Development (UNDP). In 1995, the national budget law established PEDECIBA as a permanent program.

In 2008, the intervenient parties renewed the original agreement. The new text provided PEDECIBA with an updated institutional framework adapted to the current stage of the program, providing new impetus to its activities.

The main objectives are:

To create and maintain a scientific platform capable of supporting the development of Basic Sciences and technological development.
To support the training of high-level professionals in various scientific-technical disciplines.
To actively participate in the consolidation of the Uruguayan scientific and cultural fabric.

The stated objectives endeavor in two directions:

To create a high-level, stable, and permanent interdisciplinary system that supports and fosters scientific research.
To train human resources in basic scientific disciplines, capable of inserting themselves in the academic community and the private and government sectors.

Strategies and Actions

Design and execute programs to support research projects in basic sciences.
Design and administer Master and Doctoral programs in Basic Sciences to encourage the local development of human resources at a high scientific level.
Coordinate and carry out programs with other institutions to improve the quality of science teaching at all educational levels.
Devise strategies and actions to stimulate technology transfer among academia, industry, and government. These actions involve joint projects and specific training of graduate students in topics like intellectual property, technological business, and communication.
Promote and maintain a platform of knowledge exchange with Uruguayan academics abroad.
Assist academia with small funds for the maintenance, updating, and acquisition of scientific equipment. support initiatives to facilitate the access to databases and academic journals.

Mission and Vision

Mission

To promote and support research and graduate education in the basic sciences to strengthen the national academic system supporting the scientific and cultural network among the Uruguayan community.

Vision
To build a platform within UdelaR and MEC that, self-governed by researchers and graduate students, crosses the national education system and promotes best quality practices in scientific research, supports students and researchers, innovates in academic administration, fosters the teaching of basic sciences at all levels, and contributes to the fusion of scientific knowledge with the Uruguayan culture.

Organization

PEDECIBA develops actions in the following Areas of Science:

Biology
Computing Science
Geosciences
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

The Board of Directors is in charge of determining the general policy of PEDECIBA and the administration of the Program in a state made up of:

The Academic Director and Assistant Director
Three representatives of the University of the Republic
Three representatives from the Ministry of Education (one of them a researcher of the Clemente Estable Biological Research Institute)
The six area Coordinators
A representative of the researchers
A representative of the graduate students

The coordination of the internal activity of the Areas is in charge of the Area Scientific Councils. Each of them is responsible for research activities and the training of human resources within their area. These Councils are constituted by:

Five scientists elected by the area researchers
A student representative elected by the graduate students

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is in charge of determining the general policy of PEDECIBA and the administration of the Program.

Academic Director and Assistant Director of PEDECIBA:

Dr. David Gonzalez

Dra. Silvia Llambí Dellacasa

Representatives of the University of the Republic:

Holders:

Dra. Erna Frins

Dr. Gustavo Seoane

Dra. Paola Bermolen

Alternate:

Dr. Carlos Negreira

Dr. Marcelo Barreiro

Dra. Gianella Bardazano

Representatives from the Ministry of Education

Dr. José Roberto Sotelo Silveira

Dra. Rosario Durán

Dra. Silvia Olivera (IIBCE)

Dra. Leticia Bidegaray (IIBCE)

Area Coordinators:

Biology: Dra. Ana Ramón / Dra. Mónica Sans

Physics: Dr. Daniel Ariosa / Dr. Javier Brum

Geosciences: Dra. Ofelia Gutiérrez / Dr. Pablo Muniz

Computing Science: Dr. Eduardo Fernández / Dr. Antonio Mauttone

Mathematics: Dra. Matilde Martínez / Dra. Viviana Gubitosi

Chemistry: Dra. Gabriela Irazoqui / Dra. Mariela Pistón

Representative of the researchers:

Dra. Gianella Facchín (Holder)

Dra. Anabel Fernández (Alternate)

Dra. Cecilia Saiz (Alternate)

Representative of the graduate students:

Holder: Ania Gómez

Alternate: Martín Luzardo

Interdisciplinary Masters:

Bioinformatics: Dr. Pablo Smircich / Dr. Ignacio Ramírez

Area Scientific Councils

Scientific Council of the Biology Area

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Scientific Council of the Geosciences Area

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Scientific Council of the Computing Science Area

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Scientific Council of the Mathematics Area

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Scientific Council of the Chemistry Area

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Scientific Council of the Physics Area

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Comisión Vínculo Laboral

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+ VER TODOS

Gender Committe

Gender Committee of PEDECIBA

more info >

Caldeyro Barcia Prize

The Basic Sciences Prizes “Roberto Caldeyro Barcia”, were created in memory of the Founding Director of the Program and were convened for the first time in 1999.

The prizes are given every two years and are aimed at young researchers residing in Uruguay. Academic excellence in basic sciences is rewarded, as evidenced in the scientific performance and trajectory of researchers at the national level.

At present they are financed entirely by PEDECIBA, while in the beginning it had the financial support of UNDP and Conicyt.

Call for Basic Sciences Prizes “Roberto Caldeyro Barcia”

Winners list:

Year	Area	Prized	Mentions
2021	Physics	Julia Alonso*
	Physics	Lucía Duarte*
	Physics	Marcela Peláez*
	Physics	Javier Brum
	Mathematical	Juliana Xavier
	Mathematical	Alfonso Artigue
	Chemical	Victoria Calzada
	Chemical	Guzmán Álvarez*
	Chemical	Nicolás Veiga*
2019	Biology	Iván González
	Biology	Uriel Koziol
	Geosciences	S/postulantes
	Computer Science	Daniel Calegari
2017	Physics	Miguel Campiglia
	Mathematical	Pablo Lessa
	Chemical	Ignacio Carrera
2015	Biology	Ma. José Albo
	Biology	Andrés Trostchanksy
	Geosciences	Mariana Meehroff*
	Geosciences	Claudio Gaucher*
	Computer Science	Sergio Nesmachnow
2013	Mathematical	Rafael Potrie*
	Mathematical	Diego Armentano*
	Chemical	Ricardo Faccio	Gastón Ares
	Physics	Declared void
2011	Computer Science	Álvaro Martín
	Geosciences	Declared void	Gabriel Usera
	Biology	Cecilia Casaravilla
	Biology	Alejo Menchaca
2009	Mathematical	Gonzalo Tornaría
	Chemical	Pablo Denis
	PNUD	Daniel Bia	Andrés Trostchansky
	CONICYT	Declared void
	Physics	Declared void
2007	Biology	Ana Celia Silva
	Biology	Ernesto Blanco
	Computer Science	Regina Motz
	CONICYT	Daniel Bia Santana*
	CONICYT	César Perciante*
	PNUD	César Perciante
2005	Physics	Nicolás Wschebor
	Mathematical	Federico Rodríguez Hertz
	Chemical	Eduardo Méndez
	CONICYT	Rodolfo Ungerfeld	Ana Meikle
	PNUD	Ernesto Blanco	Ana Meikle
2003	Biology	Beatriz Alvarez	Eliana Rodríguez
	Biology	Alvaro Díaz
	Computer Science	Alberto Pardo
	CONICYT	Otto Pritsch	Rodolfo Ungerfeld
	PNUD	Carmen Rossini*
	PNUD	Andrés González*
2000	Physics	Hugo Fort
	Mathematical	Gabriel Paternain
	Chemical	Oscar Ventura y Alvaro Mombrú	Carlos Kremer
	CONICYT	Alfonso Cayota
	PNUD	Gonzalo Perera	Alvaro Mombrú
	PNUD		Hugo Cerecetto
1999	Biology	Fernando Álvarez	Angel Caputi
	Biology	Marisa Pedemonte	Francisco Panzera
	Biology	Rafael Radi	Raúl E. Russo
	Computer Science	Héctor Cancela	Alvaro Tasistro
	Computer Science		Alfredo Viola
	CONICYT	Edgardo Rubianes	Erna Frins
	PNUD	Richard Fariña	Eleonora Catsígeras y Pietro Fagiolino

*Shared prize

¿qué es? project

The popular science video series ¿Qué es? attempts to answer questions posed by researchers from the Basic Sciences Development Program (PEDECIBA), discussing with the protagonists about their lines of research on topics of general and particular interest, some of great actuality and their impact on a local and international level and showing the human face of the academy.

Investigadoras e investigadores uruguayos que trabajan en las áreas de Biología, Física, Geociencias, Informática, Matemáticas y Química de PEDECIBA muestran cómo desarrollan sus tareas de investigación en videos de 12 minutos rodados en sus propios lugares de trabajo (oficinas, laboratorios, campo, etc.) en colaboración con colegas o estudiantes.

Uruguayan researchers working in the Areas of Biology, Physics, Geosciences, Computers Sciences, Mathematics and Chemistry at PEDECIBA, show how they carry out their

research tasks in 12-minute videos recorded in their own workplaces (offices, laboratories, field, etc.) in collaboration with colleagues or students

Series 1 was premiered in 2010 on the PEDECIBA YouTube channel and in November of that year, it was screened on “Televisión Nacional del Uruguay” (Channel 5).

Series 2 was premiered in December 2011 on the PEDECIBA YouTube channel and was also screened on “Televisión Nacional de Uruguay” (Channel 5).

Series 3 was premiered in October 2014 on the PEDECIBA YouTube channel.

Since 2012 the Series ¿Qué es? became a fundamental input for the joint project between Plan CEIBAL and PEDECIBA called “Científicos en el Aula”.

This video series was created in association with TarkioFilm and was funded by ANII (series 1 and 2), ANCAP (series 3) and PEDECIBA (series 1,2 and 3).

See more about the ¿Qué es? Project