According to The Office of the Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies and Innovation, UFPel has increased significantly both its number and level of Research Productivity Grants in 2018. The grants are given by CNPq (the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development), an agency of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication whose major purpose is to foster scientific and technological research, as well as encourage the development of Brazilian researchers.

This achievement means that the excellence in research work carried out at UFPel becomes even more recognized in the Brazilian system of research and graduate studies, placing UFPel on equal footing with other consolidated institutions in the country. UFPel has now 11.3% grants, a 2% increase over the previous year.