IMPA Tech students receive CAPES University Talent Award
Initiative recognizes the performance of 1000 Brazilian undergraduates
IMPA Tech students Marcella Decembrino and Mateus Mundstock have been awarded the CAPES University Talent Award 2025. The initiative recognizes 1,000 undergraduates from all over the country who excel in general knowledge with a prize of R$5,000. In addition to the scholarship, the award encourages dedication to studies and higher education.
For Marcella, the result was a surprise, as more than 5,000 students took part in the assessment. “I was very excited and thrilled with this achievement, since it’s an honor to be among the highest scores in the country,” she said. Born in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), the student is a medalist in the ONC (National Science Olympiad) and the Kangaroo Math test. In 2024, she achieved the highest score in Mathematics at ENEM, which enabled her to enter IMPA Tech.
Held annually, the CAPES Award is aimed at undergraduate students enrolled in public, private or military higher education institutions. To take part, you must have taken the National High School Exam (ENEM) in the year prior to entering university. The exam assesses the student’s general knowledge with 80 multiple-choice questions and lasts four hours.
“The process was very smooth. The test is in the style of the ENEM, but it’s done on a computer. The questions were a bit tricky, but I’m very happy to receive the award now,” said Mundstock. Born in Viçosa (MG), the student is a multi-medalist in the OBMEP (Brazilian Math Olympics for Public Schools) and has won 8 medals in the competition: 7 gold and 1 silver.
A total of 1,000 individual prizes of R$5,000 were awarded, of which 950 went to the participants who obtained the highest marks in the broad competition and 50 were reserved for people with disabilities.
O CAPES University Talent Award is run by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), a body linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC). Check out the full list of winnerswho are due to receive the prize money by January 30, 2026.
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See also: ‘Mathematics has transformed my life’, says IMPA Tech student
