Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cultural Visual Accessibility

Call for applications for a postdoctoral fellowship position within CPODV – Center for Research and Guidance on Visual Impairment - CPODV (Project No. 2025/07173-5)

Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
FAPESP Process Number: 2025/07173-5
Funding Line: Research Grants / Science Centers for Development (CCD-SP)Project Title: Center for Research and Guidance on Visual Impairment - CPODV
Area of Activity: Cultural Visual Accessibility
Number of positions: 1
Principal Investigator: Maria Célia Lima Leite Hernandes
Institution: FFLCH/USP
Publication date: March 24, 2026
Application deadline: April 30, 2026
Location: Rua do Lago, 717, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-080, Office 49
Application email: cpodv.fflch@usp.br (cc: megiani@usp.br)

Applications are open from March 25 to April 30, 2026, for one (1) postdoctoral fellowship position in Cultural Visual Accessibility, associated with the FAPESP CCD Project “Center for Research and Guidance on Visual Impairment – CPODV.”

The fellowship, supervised by Prof. Dr. Ana Paula Torres Megiani, will be based at the Department of History of FFLCH – USP.

 

1. CPODV Project Summary

The “CPODV Research Project” consists of a Research and Guidance Center on Visual Impairment (CPODV). Funded by FAPESP and supported by the State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the center aims to bring together ongoing projects and foster new initiatives focused on visual impairment.

The CPODV is structured around four interconnected axes:

Mapping and Observatory of Visual Impairment (MOb): it is responsible for collecting data, connecting sources of information, researching the needs of visually impaired people and mapping existing solutions to feed the other axes and society in general through a central repository.

Didactic-Pedagogical Approaches and Development of Strategic Solutions (ADPD): it is focused on the development of accessible teaching-learning resources and methodologies for visually impaired people, covering various areas of knowledge and using principles of Universal Design for Learning.

Resources for Autonomous Living Activities (RAVA): it is dedicated to the creation and testing of prototypes of devices and materials that assist people with daily activities such as eating, hygiene, clothing and mobility, aiming to promote autonomy.

Cultural Accessibility (AC): it seeks solutions to mediate cultural access for people with disabilities, proposing adaptations in cultural spaces and productions and developing tactile and auditory resources for the interpretation of artistic works and historical artifacts.

The main objective of CPODV is to promote the social, educational, professional and cultural inclusion of people with visual impairments, expanding opportunities and improving their quality of life through scientific research, technological development and dissemination of knowledge. The Center is expected to work to reduce barriers, strengthen the connection between universities and public policies and promote the production and distribution of assistive technologies.

Project Axis – Cultural Accessibility for the visually impaired

The experience of visual art should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of visual acuity. People with low or no vision can fully experience art, including information about size, type, and texture of works, through exhibitions with sensory resources. Audio description—describing images, scenes, and actions—makes films, theater plays, art and history exhibitions, and tourist tours accessible to this audience. It provides detailed descriptions of characters, settings, and actions, enabling people with visual impairment to interpret and understand works as fully as possible. Audiobooks are also important tools, providing access to literature and other content.

The concept of Cultural Accessibility assumes that public and private spaces hosting cultural production—such as exhibitions, performances, audiovisual works, courses, workshops, and events—must offer adaptations, measures, and attitudes that ensure the well-being, inclusion, and access to cultural enjoyment for people with disabilities, benefiting diverse audiences. To ensure full accessibility, it is necessary to create and adapt spaces, services, and products that promote equal opportunities regardless of individuals’ physical, communicational, or intellectual conditions (SARRAF, 2018).

This axis aims to integrate researchers from different fields with cultural managers to propose new ways of designing spaces, communication strategies, mediation practices, and tactile and/or auditory resources that make cultural offerings more equitable. Activities include meetings with cultural producers, visits to cultural institutions, and accessibility workshops involving researchers and collaborators with visual impairment.

Research outcomes will generate accessibility guidelines, which will be developed into accessible guides after validation in adapted exhibitions and performances, and collaborative work with researchers from the “Mapping and Observatory of Visual Impairment” axis. The developed guides will be made available online or used to support public policy development by the State Secretariat.

Additionally, researchers will collaborate with other axes (“Didactic-Pedagogical Approaches and Development of Strategic Solutions” and “Resources for Autonomous Living Activities”) to develop tactile and auditory resources as well as replicas of artworks, historical artifacts, architectural models, and musical instruments for teaching History and Arts.

Methods include digital fabrication techniques, such as 3D scanning and modeling of artworks and artifacts to produce tactile replicas. For paintings and engravings, software will be used to convert images into STL files for 3D-printed high-relief copies. Braille will be consistently used in all physical and instructional materials.

All tactile resources will be validated with people with visual impairment from partner institutions and public schools before being made available to cultural institutions or published online at the Secretariat website.

2. Research Project

The need for actions promoting accessibility for individuals with visual impairments within cultural spaces and productions is urgent and fundamental to their social inclusion. This project aims to develop a series of strategies to be proposed and piloted in cultural institutions committed to enhancing their visual accessibility resources.

By conducting an initial survey of existing practices and identifying the specific demands of the visually impaired community frequenting these spaces, various access modalities will be developed to meet diverse needs. The research requires a candidate with expertise in cultural institution studies, universal design, and accessibility, as well as a commitment to transforming existing frameworks. Project developments and final results will be shared with the CCD (Center for Cultural Development) team and made available to the public.

Project Objectives:

  • Data Collection: Gather and analyze data regarding the needs of visually impaired individuals in cultural environments, including museums, cinemas, theaters, cultural centers, and libraries.
  • Comparative Analysis: Investigate and evaluate existing visual accessibility initiatives within cultural production, dissemination, and circulation both in Brazil and internationally.
  • Strategy Development: Formulate strategies to improve accessibility conditions for the visually impaired—specifically those with low vision—within art and cultural exhibitions in São Paulo.
  • Visibility Enhancement: Construct proposals to increase visibility for the visually impaired, focusing on digital promotional materials as well as physical environments (museums, cinemas, etc.).
  • Practical Application: Refine and optimize existing accessibility practices to ensure their functional applicability.
  • Mentorship: Support and supervise undergraduate research fellows Scientific Initiation) in collaboration with the Principal Investigator.
  • Dissemination: Ensure research findings and implementation models are accessible to both the general public and relevant institutions.

3. Activity Plan

  • Institutional Mapping: Identification of cultural institutions interested and willing to participate in the project.
  • Benchmarking: Survey of successful cultural accessibility practices developed by national and international institutions.
  • Data Collection Framework: Development of a system to collect data regarding demands and needs for cultural accessibility among target audiences and stakeholders.
  • Data Analysis & Proposal Design: Analysis of collected data and the formulation of accessibility proposals tailored to specific institutions and identified needs.
  • Pilot Implementation: Execution of a pilot project to evaluate experiences over a defined period.
  • Performance Evaluation: Verification of pilot project performance and refinement of strategies for potential scaling.
  • Analysis & Conclusion: Synthesis and final evaluation of project results.
  • Dissemination: Continuous presentation of project progress and developments at specialized academic and professional events.
  • Capacity Building: Organization of workshops for the training of researchers in the field of cultural accessibility.
  • Public Disclosure: Provision of data, achieved results, and user feedback to participating institutions and civil society.

Based on this plan, the candidate must submit a detailed proposal regarding the activities they intend to develop within the scope of the CPODV, including their expected deliverables, such as:

  1. Scholarly Publications (journal articles, edited collections, or thematic dossiers).
  2. Organization of and participation in working groups, roundtables, and/or panels at national and international scientific conferences.
  3. Contribution to the training of undergraduate and graduate students (through supervision of scientific initiation projects, lectures, and providing feedback on works-in-progress).
  4. Active participation and collaboration in the regular meetings and activities of the Center’s team.

Teaching: Offering at least one course every twelve months within the Graduate Program in Social History at USP (University of São Paulo).

4. Candidate Requirements

  1. The candidate must have completed their doctoral degree (PhD) within the last 7 (seven) years.
  2. The fellowship requires full-time dedication to the research project (for details on the full-time dedication regime under FAPESP regulations, see https://fapesp.br/7090).

5. Fellowship Obligations (Should the fellowship be awarded)

Commitments will be established through a Grant Term (Termo de Outorga) issued by FAPESP. The complete list of "Conditions and Obligations for Fellows" required by FAPESP is described at https://fapesp.br/bolsas/pd.

IMPORTANT: Failure to comply with these regulations will result in the cancellation of the fellowship and the mandatory reimbursement of all payments already made by FAPESP, adjusted for inflation

6. Fellowship Duration

The fellowship will have an initial term of 24 months and may be renewed twice for 12 months each, totaling a maximum duration of 48 months.

7. Fellowship Components

  1. The FAPESP Post-Doctoral fellowship stipend is R$ 12,570.00 (please refer to the FAPESP’s Table of Fellowship Values in Brazil at https://fapesp.br/valores/bolsasnopais).

ii) The Research Overhead (Reserva Técnica) is intended for use in activities developed by the fellow that are strictly related to the research project during the support period. The value is equivalent to 10% of the annual fellowship amount, as stipulated at https://fapesp.br/13861/reserva-tecnica-de-bolsas.

8. Application Documents

Candidates must submit the documentation listed below to the email address cpodv.fflch@usp.br, with a copy (CC) to megiani@usp.br. The subject line must state "Processo seletivo PD" and include a request for a read receipt. Each document must be attached individually in PDF format and titled with the candidate’s name followed by the document type (e.g., "Jane Doe - Doctoral Degree Certificate"). The body of the email must include: full name, address, and contact telephone number.

  1. Proof of Doctoral Degree: Diploma, certificate of completion, or minutes of the thesis defense. Note: Applications may be submitted prior to the completion of the PhD, but proof of degree is mandatory upon acceptance of the fellowship.
  2. Updated Lattes Curriculum: (lattes.cnpq.br). The link to the Lattes CV must be included in the Activity Plan (see item vii). International candidates may submit an updated CV highlighting academic background, scientific publications, teaching experience, and supervision of undergraduate/graduate students.
  3. FAPESP Curricular Summary, prepared according to the specifications at https://fapesp.br/sumula.
  4. Graduate Academic Transcript, Issued by the Higher Education Institution.
  5. International Candidates: It is the candidate's responsibility to verify the documentation required for entry and residency in Brazil to carry out the activities.
  6. Research Project, following the "Suggested Outline for Research Projects" on the FAPESP website: https://fapesp.br/14197. Note: Adaptations to this model are acceptable if they allow for a better presentation of the project.
  7. Activity Plan (up to 4 pages), containing:
    1. Candidate’s name;
    2. Activities intended for development within the Center and expected results (see Item 3).
  8. Copy of a publication (published or accepted) that demonstrates research interest related to the Center’s theme (e.g., book, article in an international or Qualis A/B journal, or book chapter).
  9. Cover Letter stating the reasons for interest in the fellowship and outlining the candidate’s intentions regarding the opportunity.

Note: We strongly recommend a careful reading of the post-doctoral fellowship regulations available at https://fapesp.br/bolsas/pd. The implementation and continuation of these fellowships are strictly contingent upon compliance with FAPESP norms.

9. Proposal evaluation

Candidates will be selected in two phases:

i) Document Review: Evaluation of the submitted application package in accordance with the Center's objectives (see Items 2 and 3).

ii) Interview: Shortlisted candidates from the first phase will be interviewed via videoconference by the Selection Committee.

Note: For remote interviews, candidates are responsible for ensuring a stable connection and appropriate equipment. The CCD assumes no responsibility for technical issues or candidate delays during the interview process.

10. Timeline

The selection process will adhere to the following timeline:

  • i) Application Deadline: April 30, 2026.
  • ii) Announcement of Validated Applications: By May 5, 2026.
  • iii) Shortlist Announcement and Interview Schedule: May 11, 2026 (Candidates approved in the first phase).
  • iv) Interviews: May 18, 2026.
  • v) Final Results Announcement: May 20, 2026.
  • vi) Expected Start Date: Within 75 days following the announcement of results, contingent upon the completion of all procedures and conditions required by FAPESP (https://fapesp.br/bolsas/pd).

Additional Information

Additional inquiries regarding the selection process may be sent to cpodv.fflch@usp.br with a copy (CC) to megiani@usp.br. Questions specifically regarding the regulations governing FAPESP Post-Doctoral fellowships should be directed to the FAPESP contact channel at https://fapesp.br/converse.