Acronym CONACYT Director Enrique Cabrero | Foundation 1970 | |
Head office Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor Del. Benito Juárez C.P. 03940, México, D.F. Tel +52 (55) 5322-7700. | ||
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (the National Council of Science and Technology) (abbreviated CONACYT) is Mexico's entity in charge of the promotion of scientific and technological activities, setting government policies for these matters, and granting scholarships for postgraduate studies. It is the equivalent of US's National Science Foundation or Argentina's CONICET. It is officially designated as a decentralized public agency of Mexico's federal government.
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Programs
CONACYT grants scholarships for graduate studies (masters and doctoral) in Mexico for programs that have been recognized by CONACYT in the Registry of Quality Graduate Programs (abbreviated PNPC in Spanish). CONACYT also grants scholarships for Mexican nationals to pursue graduate studies in foreign countries. CONACYT also provides funding for postdoctoral positions and sabbatical leaves.
CONACYT also administers the National System of Researchers (abbreviated as SNI, in Spanish). Members of SNI receive an economic stimulus, additional to their salary, depending on their level. Membership and levels (candidate, I, II, III, emeritus) are dependent on productivity and evalauated by peer committees. Researchers, both Mexican and foreign, receive the monthly stimulus directly from CONACYT only if they work in the public sector in institutions or universities located in Mexico. Researchers working in the private sector (including private universities) and Mexican nationals working outside Mexico only receive an honorary appointment.
Research Centers
CONACYT also manages programs to encourage industry and private sector involvement in science and technology R&D, through the RENIECYT (National Registry of Institutions and Businesses in Science and Technology) to offer financing to technical and technological development projects.
CONACYT also manages 27 public research centers, CPI located in several parts of Mexico and dedicated usually to a narrow field of science.
CONACYT's general directors
The head of CONACYT is appointed directly by the President of Mexico. Since CONACYT was founded it has been led by:
Controversies
In 2006 the director of CONACYT named new general directors of two Public Research Centers (IPICYT and CIMAT). This was criticized, because as the director overstepping his authority and even violating the Constitution as it denied the autonomous nature granted to Mexican CPIs.