The Piracicaba School of Dentistry (FOP) at Unicamp has been awarded R$ 1,056 million in funding through the São Paulo Research Foundation's (FAPESP) call for proposals for Museum Collections. The investment was obtained through the "Memory of Dentistry in Action" project, which will last 48 months, with a planned start in August 2026. The funds will be entirely allocated to the physical restructuring of the FOP Historical Museum, encompassing actions related to security, preservation, digitization, and computerization of the collection. More than a one-off investment, the project will promote significant advancements in the museum's activities, with positive impacts in the short, medium, and long term.
Located in a building in the center of Piracicaba, the Historical Museum houses an invaluable historical heritage, estimated at around 20 items. This collection brings together material, documentary, and iconographic records essential for the study of material culture, especially for understanding the advancement of health sciences, applied technologies, and the consolidation of the dental surgeon in Brazil since the mid-19th century, possessing unique relevance to the Brazilian context. Currently, its collection is one of the largest in Brazil in this area and continues to expand. With the funding approved by FAPESP, the central objective is to transform the museum into a multi-purpose facility for advanced research, democratizing physical and digital access under the concept of Open Science and expanding its potential for academic and pedagogical purposes.
The physical modernization will include the creation of new technical reserves planned to optimize space through an extensive system of sliding cabinets and vertical shelving. The entire collection will receive high-quality archival storage and 24-hour surveillance via a security camera system. In the digital realm, the museum will implement its own Digitization Laboratory equipped with desktop scanners and a photographic studio, designed to digitize its collection, which consists of different types of items. This infrastructure will allow for the cataloging, high-resolution digitization, and initial publication of 3 rare and priority works on the open-source online platform Tainacan, which will use the international metadata standard to ensure integrated global search.
According to the director of FOP and researcher responsible for the project, Karina Silvério, the approval of the funding celebrates a new phase of importance for the unit. “This achievement represents a definitive scientific and patrimonial leap for the Historical Museum. We will be able to combine the technical rigor of the physical conservation of our collections with universal reach through the internet, connecting researchers from all over the world to the memory of our faculty and the know-how involved in the field of dentistry. The Museum wins, society wins,” emphasizes the director.
The importance of heritage for understanding the evolution of health sciences is also emphasized by the faculty member in charge of the space, Francisco Haiter. “Each century-old instrument, photograph, and periodical in our collection testifies to the origins and evolution of methods that shaped dentistry in Brazil. Preserving and sharing this history strengthens our identity and inspires innovation in teaching, research, and clinical practice,” points out the professor.
According to Ana Cláudia Cermaria, the museum's technical director, the new structure represents a decisive step forward in the professionalization of the institution's activities. “The implementation of a modern infrastructure for managing and digitizing the collection will allow us to carry out, safely and with technical rigor, everything from the cleaning and storage of the collections to the cataloging and digitization of the collection. In addition to fully preserving the physical heritage, we will build its high-quality digital representation, ensuring its preservation, full access, and use by future generations of researchers and by society, always free of charge.”
The project also includes initiatives with strong social engagement, such as the publication of a bilingual (Portuguese/English) e-book catalog, the curation of two virtual exhibitions, and the organization of quarterly guided tours aimed at school groups and historical institutions in the region. Strategically, the museum's platform will be integrated with globally recognized channels, solidifying the memory of dentistry as a cultural heritage accessible to all of society.
The FOP Historical Museum is located at Rua Dom Pedro II, 627, Centro, in Piracicaba (SP). Admission is free and it is open Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 17 pm. To follow the activities, exhibitions, educational programs and project updates, follow the Museum on Instagram (@museu_fop).) And also follow the Faculty's institutional news on Instagram @fopunicamp. More information is also available at portal from FOP.
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