Brazil’s government announced in September that the budget for its science ministry has been slashed 8% to BRL 5.7 billion ($3.0 billion) for 2011. The cut comes after last year’s record budget of $3.3 billion and reflects general spending cuts announced earlier this year. When Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff succeeded Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2010, it was assumed that the science budget would continue to escalate. However, the reduction is the first in the country’s science budget since the Workers’ Party of Mr. da Silva assumed control of the government in 2003. The ministry’s Executive Secretary Luiz Antonio Elias said that the science budget will reach a record $3.4 billion in 2012, but thus far, only $2.6 billion in funding has been confirmed. The additional $793 million is still being discussed with the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management and requires the approval of President Rousseff.

Source: SciDev.net