The PPGBot of the National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, is active in the major area of Plant Biology, with seven lines of research: 1) Reproductive Biology of Angiosperms; 2) Biological Collections; 3) Plant Communities, Floristics, Ecology, Phytossociology and Conservation; 4) Diversity and Evolution of Angiosperms; 5) Ethnobotany; 6) ,Morphology of Embryophytes; and 7) Taxonomy and Ecology of Cryptogams. These lines are the focus of nineteen non-overlapping academic and research projects, all run by the 19 permanent staff and eight collaborators which are the academic advisors of all postgraduate alumni.
Currently there are 45 subjects taught at the PPGBot, comprising all aforementioned lines of research, 73% of which are offered regularly. These subjects are distributed in categories of general academic interest comprising all seven lines of research (30), and of specific interest (15). The numbers of subjects per line of research are exemplified as follows: Taxonomy and Ecology of Cryptogams (6); Taxonomy and Floristics of Angiosperms (9, including morphology, taxonomy and ecology). Obligate subjects are: i) Dissertation Project (for recently admitted MSc students); ii) Dissertation Seminars (for MSc students in their third course semester; iii) Thesis seminars I and II (respectively for Doctoral students of the fourth and sixth course semesters; iv) Academic Teaching Internship for holders of grants by CAPES (Agency for Support and Assessment of Post-graduate Education). Subjects i-iii are designed to accompany the development of the PPGBot students’ individual research projects, aiming to grant the quality and timely conclusion of dissertations and theses. Each student is granted an evaluation by an academic reviewer, usually not a member of the Museum staff, specialized or active in the line of research pertinent to the dissertation or thesis, who provides constructive corrections and/or suggestions to the work. This reviewer follows the student throughout the entire postgraduate experience and usually is appointed as substitute member of the examination commitee. These classes are open to the public and count on the obligate presence of the remaining students of the PPGBot who actively partake in the evaluations of the presented projects, thus promoting a fruitful academic debate. Hence, apart from monitoring the progress of the projects, these subjects not only enhance the general knowledge of methodology and the general learning of the participants, but they also promote the academic experience of all present parties in an expressively productive synergy. Another subject, “Writing Scientific Works” is offered in order to stimulate publication in journals with higher impact. Furthermore the PPGBot offers nine Special Topic subjects with non-regular curricular content, taught mainly by invited Professors. These offer broader curricular flexibility, allowing students to acquire knowledge of their specific interests, adding value to their academic experience. The current broad span of subjects within several sub-areas of Botany provides the PPGBot with alumni from other UFRJ Programs, other institutions from Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian States as well as from other American countries.
