Extended definition
The Sucupira Platform is the integrated CAPES system, in operation since 2014, for annual data collection from stricto sensu graduate programs (academic master’s, professional master’s, doctoral, professional doctoral) in Brazil. It replaced CAPES Coleta (legacy desktop system) with web architecture and integration with the Lattes Platform. Central regulatory function: to feed the Quadrennial Evaluation (previously triennial), a cycle in which area committees (one per area of knowledge) assign a grade from 3 to 7 to each program, based on criteria such as Program (proposal, planning), Training (graduates, student flow), Impact on Society, and Internationalization and Visibility. Hortale and Mora (2004, Higher Education) documented the Brazilian system of graduate evaluation as an international success case. Mugnaini et al. (2019, Avaliação) critically analyzed the use of Sucupira indicators. Operational implications: a program with grade 3 is under surveillance; grade 7 (international excellence) enables special programs (PROEX); de-accreditation occurs after successive inadequate grades. Collected data: faculty (permanent, collaborating, visiting — categorization affects evaluation), bibliographic production (articles, books — weighted via Qualis), technical and artistic production, defended theses and dissertations, internationalization actions, social impact actions. Integration with Lattes: faculty data is pulled automatically, but coordination declarations in Sucupira are final and count for evaluation.
When it applies
The Sucupira Platform applies mandatorily for stricto sensu graduate programs recognized by CAPES in Brazil: annual data collection is a continuity requirement; preparation for quadrennial evaluation is a permanent institutional priority. It applies in the elaboration of new course proposals (APCN — New Course Proposals Application). It applies in continuous institutional monitoring: rectorates, research dean’s offices, program coordinations track Sucupira indicators to identify bottlenecks before evaluation. It applies in scientometric research on the Brazilian graduate system — Sucupira data is a partial public source via GeoCapes and official reports.
When it does not apply
It does not apply to lato sensu programs (specializations, MBAs) — different regulation. It does not apply to international programs without CAPES recognition. It does not apply as a single measure of program quality: CAPES grade is institutional composite; student experience, supervision quality, and graduate placement are not integrally captured. It does not apply in individual faculty evaluation — institutional tool, not personal; individual production is evaluated via CNPq (PQ), CAPES (faculty grants), international agencies. It does not apply directly in international collaborations without a registered Brazilian participant.
Applications by field
— Program coordination: continuous data preparation; anticipation of quadrennial evaluation; faculty management. — Research dean’s offices: monitoring of institutional program portfolio; strengthening actions. — Science policy research: Sucupira data as source for analysis of Brazilian graduate education; disciplinary trends. — Calls and funding: institutional eligibility for PROEX, PROAP, CAPES-PrInt depends on Sucupira grade.
Common pitfalls
The first pitfall is leaving Sucupira collection for the last month: production and faculty data require careful review; filling in tight deadlines generates errors that impact evaluation. The second is inadequately classifying faculty (permanent vs. collaborator): CAPES rules on the quantitative of permanents are rigorous; wrong classification can lower the grade. The third is neglecting technical/artistic production in areas where this dimension is valued (engineering, arts): only bibliographic production is insufficient in many areas. The fourth is confusing old with new Qualis: during transitions (Qualis Único 2017-2020 → post-2024 restructurings), versions coexist; reporting the wrong version distorts evaluation. The fifth is treating Sucupira as a bureaucratic exercise: data feeds de-accreditation decisions — coordinations that understand the system as a strategic piece make better-informed decisions about faculty admission, research-line formation, internationalization.