Federal university practices to combat COVID-19: the relationship between public investment and implementation capacity

Abstract This article aims to analyze the relationship between public resources invested in federal universities and their capability to respond to COVID-19. The article presents a categorization method to evaluate the practices of combating COVID-19 organized by federal universities. Data analysis indicates a positive relationship between the level of expenditures and the ability to implement research and extension projects, mainly for the development of technologies. The discussion presents consequences for the public policies of Science, Technology, and Innovation to strengthen the Federal System of Higher Education, to guarantee the necessary infrastructure to solve complex problems such as those generated by COVID-19.