Three students from Ilum School of Science, the higher education institution of CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials), took part, during their academic break, in immersive internships at research institutions in different regions of the country. Selected by the Aristides Pacheco Leão Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations (PAPL), of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), they experienced the routine of large laboratories, with full dedication to research and robust financial support.
Ana Luz Pereira Mendes, Ana Luiza Loss Poleto, and Gabriel Viegas Ribeiro, who began their final year of undergraduate studies at Ilum in 2026, worked, respectively, at the University of Brasília UnB), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), in Minas Gerais. The program aims to encourage young scientific talents, promoting exchange between institutions and strengthening scientific training in the country.
Lasting up to 50 days, the internships provided students with an intense experience working on real scientific projects, with autonomy and integration into established research groups.
At Fiocruz, Ana Luiza Loss developed a project in the field of virology, investigating the infection mechanisms of an emerging virus. “It was like living a postgraduate program for 50 days. I had my own project, managed resources, and needed to justify every step of the work. It was the first time I truly felt like a researcher”, she says.
At the University of Brasília, Ana Luz Pereira Mendes worked with computational simulations in physics, focusing on molecular dynamics. “It was an opportunity to delve deeper into an area I hadn’t yet explored. I came into contact with a highly qualified group and was able to develop a comprehensive research project during that period”, she says.
Gabriel Viegas Ribeiro completed the internship at the Federal University of Viçosa, where he worked with the ecology and evolution of plant viruses, in molecular biology and genetic sequencing activities. “It was an experience of continuing my training, but in a new context. I was able to connect what I learned at Ilum with real-world applications, understanding not only the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ of each step in the process”, he says.
Scholarship guarantees full-time dedication
One of the main distinguishing features of PAPL is the financial investment in students and projects. Participants receive R$ 300 per day of internship, in addition to extra resources to cover material costs, which can reach up to R$ 20,000 per project.
According to the students, the scholarship was essential to making the experience possible, allowing them to dedicate themselves exclusively to scientific activities and cover expenses in other cities. “The scholarship provides peace of mind, allowing you to fully focus on your internship, and also allows you to enjoy the experience in the city and at the lab”, highlights Gabriel.
Science and world formation
Beyond the research, the experience of living in different regions of Brazil also shaped the students’ lives, contributing to their personal development and broadening their worldview. In Brasília, Ana Luz highlights the impact of contact with a new academic and cultural reality. “Getting to know other places and other people is an education that goes beyond science. It transforms you as a person”, she says.
In Rio de Janeiro, Ana Luiza highlights the historical and cultural learning provided by Fiocruz. “Understanding the institution’s role in Brazilian history and experiencing the city was just as important as the laboratory”, she says.
In Viçosa, Gabriel also highlights the experience outside the academic environment. “It was an opportunity to experience a different city, meet people, and understand how science happens in other contexts”, he explains.
Ilum as a base for conquests
The three students point to Ilum as a key factor in their acceptance into the program and their performance during internships. Interdisciplinary training, combined with a strong focus on research from the first semesters, stands out as a differentiating factor both in the selection process and in laboratory work.
The experience also reinforced one of the pillars of Ilum’s training: interdisciplinarity. According to the students, the ability to connect different areas — such as physics, biology, chemistry, and computer science — was crucial for making the most of their internships.
This foundation broadens future career possibilities, allowing students to move between different fields of science and adapt to new challenges.
About the Ilum School of Science
Ilum offers a free undergraduate degree program that utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to train scientists and professionals in science and technology. With an innovative educational model, the three-year full-time bachelor program offers courses that connect life sciences, materials science, data science, artificial intelligence, and the humanities in order to prepare researchers to work in an ethical and collaborative manner in the search for solutions to the global challenges of the twenty-first century. The Ilum School of Science is funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) and is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, a social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI). Ilum’s educational mission offers early contact with experimental activities, in teaching labs at the school as well as at CNPEM, in projects carried out together with researchers.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
