The decree granting the title to researchers was signed on June 28th by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The awarding of badges and diplomas to the laureates will be made in a solemn event presided over by the President of the Republic himself or by the Minister of Science and Technology, on a date yet to be confirmed. In 2002, the MCT awarded six other Unicamp professors with the Order: Carlos Alfredo Joly, Marco Aurélio De Paoli, Oswaldo Luiz Alves and Tomasz Kowaltowski (commendator class), Cylon Gonçalves da Silva and Luciano Coutinho (Grand Cross class) .
The choice of honorees is made by a council chaired by the minister of S&T and made up of three other ministers: those of Foreign Affairs, Education and Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. The administrative activities of the Order are the responsibility of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, in accordance with an agreement signed with the MCT for this purpose. Like similar decorations existing in other countries, the Brazilian distinction is made up of two classes, Grand Cross and Commander. The recipients stand out in the areas 
of Technological Sciences, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Sciences and Engineering, as well as politicians and businesspeople involved in projects aimed at technological development.
When commenting on the importance of granting the National Order of Scientific Merit, geneticist Bernardo Beiguelman preferred to share the award with the University. “I wish to share the pride of receiving such an honorable distinction with the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, where, in 1963, I was able to create the first Department of Medical Genetics in the country and, for 35 years, carry out most of my scientific work” . For engineer Leonardo Goldstein Júnior, his award was “a big surprise”. “At the same time, it is also a great honor and encouragement for continued service to the community.”
Former dean of Unicamp and current president of Fapesp, Carlos Vogt said that the award is a way of recognizing and giving visibility to the intellectual and academic production of researchers. “In this sense, it constitutes an instrument of encouragement not only for those who receive it, but for the scientific community in general. At the same time, the award is important for institutions, as the production of knowledge requires institutional support. When a researcher receives an award, the institution is also being honored.”
Profiles – Geneticist Bernardo Beiguelman was the founder of the Department of Medical Genetics at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp, the first of its kind in the country. He obtained his doctorate from the University of São Paulo (USP). Retired from Unicamp since 1997, he maintains an unpaid relationship with the postgraduate course in Genetics at the University's Institute of Biology (IB). He published 428 scientific works including books, theses, book chapters, publications in magazines with editorial selection and scientific communications at national and international congresses.
Linguist and poet Carlos Vogt, current president of the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), has a degree in Literature from the University of São Paulo (USP). He has been a full professor in Linguistic Semantics at Unicamp since 1969, where he was dean between 1990 and 1994. He took postgraduate courses in Linguistic Semantics in France and the United States and has a postgraduate degree in Comparative Literary Theory at USP. Until July 2001, he was executive director of the Uniemp Institute, Permanent Forum for University-Company Relations, in São Paulo. He is vice-president of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC), coordinates the Laboratory for Advanced Studies in Journalism (Labjor) at Unicamp and is editorial director of the electronic scientific journalism magazine ComCiência.
Leonardo Goldstein Júnior graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP) and received his doctorate from the University of Minnesota, in the United States. Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FEM) at Unicamp since 1971, he carries out research in the areas of thermal radiation, two-phase flows and combustion and pollution control. In 1998, he received the Zeferino Vaz Academic Recognition Award, conferred by Unicamp. He is the author of three books or book chapters, has around 80 works published in event annals, developed two technological products, one with a patent registration, and supervised around 20 master's dissertations and doctoral theses.
TThree Unicamp professors were awarded the National Order of Scientific Merit by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), in the class of commander. The distinction has been conferred by the MCT since 1993 on national and foreign personalities who stood out for their contributions to Science and Technology. This year's honorees are linguist Carlos Vogt, former dean of Unicamp and current president of the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp); geneticist Bernardo Beiguelman, founder of the Department of Medical Genetics at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM); and engineer Leonardo Goldstein Júnior, professor and researcher at the Department of Thermal and Fluid Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FEM).
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