Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (Spanish for National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies; abbreviated CONAHCYT) 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 the US's National Science Foundation and Argentina's CONICET. It is officially designated as a decentralized public agency of Mexico's federal government. CONAHCYT was founded in 1970.
CONAHCYT grants scholarships for graduate studies (masters and doctoral) in Mexico for programs that have been recognized by CONAHCYT in the Registry of Quality Graduate Programs (abbreviated PNPC[1] in Spanish). CONAHCYT also grants scholarships for Mexican nationals to pursue graduate studies in foreign countries. CONAHCYT also provides funding for postdoctoral positions and sabbatical leaves.
CONAHCYT also administers the National System of Researchers (abbreviated as SNI, in Spanish), a national network promoting high quality scientific research. Membership to the system and the level assigned (candidate, I, II, III, emeritus) dependents on scientific productivity and is evaluated by peer committees. Members of SNI, both Mexican and foreign, receive a monthly stipend directly from CONAHCYT only if they work in institutions or universities located in Mexico. The specific amount of the monetary stipend increases depending on the membership level. Mexican nationals working full time on research-related activities but ascribed to institutions located outside Mexico are eligible for membership but not for the stipend. In these cases, the appointment is considered a distinction.
CONAHCYT 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)[2] to offer financing to technical and technological development projects.
CONAHCYT also manages 26 public research centers (CPI[3]) located in several parts of Mexico and dedicated usually to a narrow field of science. Some of the best known are:
CIDE (Center for Research and Teaching in Economics)
In 2006 the director of CONAHCYT named new general directors of two Public Research Centers (IPICYT and CIMAT). This was criticized, because it was seen as the director overstepping his authority and even violating the Constitution as it denied the autonomous nature granted to Mexican CPIs.[4]
