Since 1976, the Foundation for Agrarian Studies Luiz de Queiroz (FEALQ) enables professors and research groups of University of São Paulo (USP), mainly active on agribusiness, to sign contracts with any other sectors of Brazilian and/or foreign society. From the companies’ point of view, government entities and other institutions, FEALQ is a gateway to the formal relationship with professors and researchers USP. Nowadays, FEALQ manages projects from Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP) and Center for Nuclear Energy at Agriculture (CENA/USP) – both in Piracicaba, São Paulo state – and Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA/USP) in Pirassununga, São Paulo state.
FEALQ is a private non-profit foundation, signatory of the Cooperation Agreement with University of São Paulo, which regulates the administrative and financial management of projects developed between USP members and public and private institutions, national or foreign. Its structure also allows acting as project manager exclusively from private companies.
FEALQ partners receive legal, administrative, financial and occupational support for the conduction of their works – researches, events or courses (classroom ones or distance learning).
Continuous investments have enabled the Foundation to act closer and closer to its partners. The support can be initiated at the elaboration of draft contracts. Administrative and legal teams are available to participate from the terms agreement with the external partner (public or private) to the full officialization of the contract with the competent bodies of the University of São Paulo, or with private institutions.
In the following stages, FEALQ team provides financial management and gives support to the personnel hiring and material purchasing necessary for the development of works, besides conducting payments and issuing invoices.
The financial information is managed via SAP software, and soon it will be available to the coordinators via “Portal do Coordenador”, which will allow them to keep track of the resources regarding their projects.
FEALQ also takes care of the resources transfer from projects to Departments and to USP instances (Rectory, Unit Executive and/or Department Board).
In parallel to the management of several projects, FEALQ takes action in book publishing authored by researchers. It also edits the Brazilian Journal of Agriculture (Revista de Agricultura), one of the first scientific journals in Brazil.
Taking in account the demand of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the necessity of resources for the conduction of cultural and sport activities that benefit the community, FEALQ supports five categories at the Incentive Programs. It is also a supporter of start-ups focused on the innovation in the agribusiness.