Lack of ongoing funding jeopardizes the careers of physician-scientists in Brazil

Reliance on short-term and uncertain grants undermines the ability of professionals with dual roles to maintain stability and sustain scientific output

Editorial staff

The image shows a woman in a white lab coat and tie using a microscope in a laboratory. She holds a pen while leaning over the equipment in a working position. In the blurred background are stacked culture flasks and the bluish lighting typical of a scientific research environment.

When deciding to undertake a research project, many physician-scientists in Brazil face an obstacle that arises even before methodological considerations: where the funding will come from and, perhaps more importantly, how long it will last.

Physician and researcher Beatriz Barreto-Duarte, from the Clinical and Translational Research Laboratory at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Bahia, describes this scenario not only as an interviewee, but also as an author. In an article published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, coauthored with other researchers, Barreto-Duarte outlined the challenges faced by physician-scientists in low- and middle-income countries—a category that includes Brazil.

Among the obstacles identified are lengthy and demanding training pathways, systems that prioritize prestige-based medicine over evidence-based medicine, and financial disincentives for those pursuing dual careers. In an interview with Science Arena, she further discussed these issues.

Short-term grants, unstable careers

In Brazil, many physician-scientists still rely on grants with limited durations and uncertain prospects for renewal. This instability undermines the continuity needed to carry out research with the depth it demands.

For Barreto-Duarte, the equation is simple: without protected time—dedicated periods reserved for research and free from clinical obligations—it is impossible to produce quality science in a sustainable manner.

“We must recognize the physician-scientist as a strategic figure, with transition grants and genuine integration between universities, hospitals, and the National Health System (SUS),” she says.

“Quality science requires consistency,” says Beatriz Barreto-Duarte.

How other countries have addressed the issue

In contrast to the situation in Brazil, Barreto-Duarte points to countries where physician-scientists receive strong institutional support. In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds professionals at different stages of their careers within the healthcare system itself, helping ensure that scientific production remains closely connected to patients’ real needs.

Examples can also be found in low- and middle-income countries. The Latin American Network for Health Research Education (LANEHR) focuses on training regional leaders in research and medicine, while the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) provides African scientists with mentorship, training, and institutional support.

International initiatives supporting physician-scientists

1. NIHR (United Kingdom): The National Institute for Health Research funds physicians at different stages of their careers within the public healthcare system itself, helping ensure that scientific output remains aligned with patient needs.
2. LANEHR: The Latin American Network for Education in Health Research is dedicated to training regional leaders at the intersection of research and medicine, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.
3. CARTA: The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa provides African scientists with mentorship, training, and institutional support, creating the structural conditions necessary for sustainable scientific production across the continent.

“When a country creates the infrastructure, stability, and incentives for physicians to continue conducting research within the public healthcare system, the investment becomes cost-effective in the medium and long term,” argues Barreto-Duarte.

“The physician-scientist transforms data into real-world impact, improves diagnoses, reduces costs, and helps guide public policy. We need to demonstrate these results in a clear and measurable way,” the researcher says.

To read the full article on the challenges facing physician-scientists in Brazil, see the interview with Beatriz Barreto-Duarte in Science Arena.

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