Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas FÃsicas
The Brazilian Center for Physical Research (Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas físicas, CBPF ) is a physical research center (da Ciência e Tecnologia Ministério ) is maintained by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology.
The CBPF is located in the district of Urca in Rio de Janeiro, near the Sugar Loaf. It was founded on January 15, 1949 by César Lattes, José Leite Lopes and Jayme Tiomno. Since then it has developed into an internationally renowned research institution that organizes numerous conferences and was able to win renowned physicists such as Richard Feynman, Hans Bethe and Robert Oppenheimer as a visiting scientist. The CBPF belonged from the beginning to the main physical institutes in South America and the graduate courses are among the most respected in Brazil.
History
During the initial period, the CBPF was located at Rua Alvaro Alvim in the center of Rio de Janeiro; two years later the buildings were purchased in Urca, where the institute is located today. It was as a non- commercial, private organization founded with the goal to be financed by private donations and from grants from the Brazilian Congress. In 1958, the CBPF was generously supported by the Ford Foundation to rebuild the destroyed by a fire library can. In 1976 the Institute became part of the National Council for Scientific and Technological development ( CNPq ), which financed it until today.