[Financing research in Chile in biotechnology and other areas related to the productive sector]

This study describes the financial support for research in Chile in different areas related to the productive sector including biotechnology. Four different sources which help research in the country through competitive research grants were analysed. These include: FONDECYT (National Fund for Research and Technology), Fondo de Desarrollo Productivo de CORFO (Fund for Productive Development), Fondo de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (Fund for Research in Agriculture and Livestock) and the IV Program for Technical Cooperation between the Chilean Government and UNDP. Biotechnology appears as one of the areas related to the productive sector having an important number of projects approved with a substantial financial support. Based in a survey, recommendations are made to improve the relationship between the productive and academic sector in biotechnology and other areas.