Between values and decisions: how sustainability beliefs influence scientific evaluation

Abstract

This article investigates how human values and sustainability beliefs influence scientific evaluation within the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The study is based on a bibliographic review and documentary analysis of 37 institutional documents selected from 248 identified between 2020 and 2025. The theoretical framework combines the multidimensional perspective of sustainability, Schwartz’s Refined Theory of Basic Human Values, and Dubois’s concept of sustainability beliefs. The findings indicate that scientific evaluation is not neutral, as it is shaped by values and worldviews that influence institutional criteria, priorities, and decisions. The results also show that CNPq operates not only as a funding agency but as a normative instance that shapes scientific agendas and legitimizes specific forms of knowledge over others.