CAPES Call for Proposals No. 24/2026 accepts institutional proposals for Projects for Cooperation Between Institutions for the Qualification of Higher Education Professionals (PCI). Submissions take place through the Sucupira Platform from September 14 until 18:00 on December 17, 2026. A graduate program submits the project in partnership with a receiving institution: this stage is not an individual application for a master's or doctoral place.
What is a PCI and where do the cohorts operate?
A PCI enables temporary interinstitutional master's (Minter) and/or doctoral (Dinter) cohorts, in academic or professional programs. An existing stricto sensu graduate program at a Brazilian promoting institution delivers the course at a receiving institution's facilities. CAPES states that the initiative aims to expand advanced training in places with a smaller supply of graduate education and research.
The receiving institution may be public or private, in Brazil or abroad, and must work in education, research or activities related to the promoting program's field. It must also provide the necessary infrastructure and administrative support. The reference to underserved regions therefore describes the initiative's purpose, but does not justify assuming that only an informal list of states or municipalities is eligible: each proposal must comply with the call and its field-specific evaluation criteria.
A PCI establishes a cohort linked to an existing program; it should not be confused with the Assessment of New Course Proposals (APCN) call, which follows a separate process and timetable.
Who may propose a project, and what is each institution's role?
- Promoting program: it must be a recognized and officially approved stricto sensu graduate program, with a minimum rating of 4 for a master's cohort or 5 for a doctoral cohort in at least one continuing assessment. One promoting program submits and operates each proposal.
- Receiving institution: it hosts the cohort, demonstrates relevant activities and provides facilities and administrative support; it may be Brazilian or foreign.
- Coordinators: the proposal names a permanent faculty member of the promoting program and a coordinator at the receiving institution, who may be a faculty member, researcher or affiliated postdoctoral researcher. Information about the cohort must be entered into Sucupira annually.
According to CAPES guidance, a promoting program may run only one PCI master's cohort and one PCI doctoral cohort concurrently. A new project at the same level depends on completion of the previous cohort. The promoting program's coordinator enters the request, and the promoting institution's office of research and graduate studies, or its equivalent, endorses it.
How to prepare and submit the institutional proposal
- Confirm the partnership: identify the promoting program, receiving institution, cohort level and both coordinators, checking the required rating and any ongoing PCI cohorts.
- Develop the project: provide details of the institutions and coordinators, description and rationale, academic plan, subjects, teaching staff, concentration area, research lines, receiving institution's infrastructure, planned activities and timetable.
- Check the documentation: consult Call No. 24/2026 and its annexes on the official page. Annex I contains the timetable; Annexes II and III address the promoting and receiving institutions' declarations acknowledging tuition-free provisions; Annex IV sets out field-specific assessment criteria and parameters.
- Arrange institutional registration: if an institution is not yet registered in Sucupira, request guidance at cadastroies@capes.gov.br. For a foreign institution, CAPES provides cadiesestrangerias@capes.gov.br. Follow the information requirements in the call.
- Submit and secure institutional endorsement: the promoting program's coordinator enters the request in the Sucupira Platform and arranges endorsement by the office of research and graduate studies or its equivalent within the applicable deadline.
Before completing the submission, the team should reconcile the form with the academic plan and supporting documents and check compliance with its field-specific criteria. Submission does not mean automatic approval.
Timetable for the 2026 call
| Stage | Announced date or deadline |
|---|---|
| Institutional proposal submissions | September 14 to December 17, 2026, ending at 18:00 on the last day |
| Expected start of assessments | From January 11, 2027 |
| Publication of results | From May 3, 2027 |
| Appeals | 20 days following publication of the result |
| Start of activities for an approved cohort | Within 24 months after publication of the final result |
There is an important difference between documents: CAPES's general assessment calendar lists a PCI window beginning on August 31, 2026, whereas the announcement for Call No. 24/2026 gives the specific submission period of September 14 to December 17, ending at 18:00. For this call, consult the call text and Annex I rather than relying solely on the general calendar. Confirm the system's instructions and the time zone applicable to the deadline.
The assessment and results dates indicate expected starting points, not a guarantee of publication on a single day. The 24-month period concerns the start of the cohort after the final result, not the project's submission in December.
What does this mean for students, and what about fees?
The December deadline is an opportunity for institutions and programs to submit projects. It is not the opening of student places or a student selection process. Prospective students must follow the responsible institution's procedures once a project is approved and separate admissions information is available. The PCI call alone does not guarantee a place, a scholarship or an immediate cohort launch.
CAPES states that PCI cohorts offered by public-law institutions subject to the requirement of free public education may not charge students administrative fees such as enrollment fees and tuition. Institutions should check the declarations acknowledging tuition-free provisions in the annexes and the rules applicable to their specific arrangements.
Where can institutions verify the call before submitting?
CAPES's official calls page provides Call No. 24/2026 and its four annexes. The institutional PCI page explains the model, the promoting program's responsibilities and the limits on simultaneous cohorts. The official news release summarizes the submission window, institution profiles, proposal contents and the expected milestones for 2027. Consult these documents together and check the call page for any subsequent notices before submitting.
