The National History Olympiad in Brazil chooses women in science as its theme.

A competition made up of documents, images, maps, debates and questions about the country and its past mobilizes a record number of 64.187 teams spread across schools in all Brazilian states. The 18th National History Olympiad of Brazil (ONHB), promoted by Unicamp, began its new edition this Monday (5) with the theme “Women scientists, women in science”, chosen from the proposal of the Ministry of Science and Technology for 2026, which will run through the different phases of the competition.

“Every year we choose a theme for reflection,” says the coordinator of the ONHB, historian Cristina Meneguello, professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH). “This year we will discuss, at different points in the exam, the place of women in science. We embraced the proposal because we consider the theme fundamental. More than just revisiting past trajectories, the theme invites participants to reflect on the historical dimension of women in science and, at the same time, to look at the present, at scientists in training, those already working in the field, or those who dream of one day becoming scientists.”

Professor Luiz Estevam de Oliveira Fernandes, also from IFCH and coordinating the project, emphasizes that the choice of topic is more than timely: “It is a very important debate for our society, in which female scientists are still undervalued in access to the highest career positions or in the burden of the double shift they face, taking care of the home and family,” he says. 

Created in 2009 by professors from the History Department of IFCH, ONHB has become a national project. Of the total teams registered in 2026, 22.455 belong to elementary school and 41.732 to high school. This number represents a significant jump compared to the previous edition, which had 57.100 teams, a growth that impresses the coordination. "With each edition we are surprised," says the historian. "Last year there were about 225 participants and, this time, we reached 250. Our project is now the largest scientific dissemination project in the humanities in the country and, without a doubt, the largest extension activity of Unicamp in terms of reach in basic education."

Collective debate

The first phase of ONHB remains open until Saturday (9), at 23:59 pm. After that, participants will face four more online stages until the grand in-person final, scheduled for August 29 and 30, at Unicamp.

The tests combine multiple-choice questions and investigative tasks built from the analysis of historical documents, photographs, works of art, maps, news articles, reports, and different types of sources. Brazilian history, literature, geography, cultural heritage, archaeology, and current events intersect in an interdisciplinary approach that prioritizes interpretation and the construction of arguments.

“The format brings students closer to the practice of academic research,” says Meneguello. “The questions involve interpretation, historical context, and collaboration. We realize that the Olympiad awakens talent.”

Among the new features of the 2026 edition is the official inclusion of 7th-grade students. Previously, participation was restricted to students in the 8th and 9th grades of elementary school and all of high school. The change responds to a long-standing demand from schools and the students themselves. "In practice, seventh-grade students were already informally following the tests. Now, they will receive a certificate and come into contact with the Olympiad earlier."

Another important change is the creation of an online state-level stage, which will award students with gold and silver medals in each state. The idea broadens the recognition of participants and creates new forms of regional appreciation. “Our dream was to create an in-person state-level phase, but it would be impossible to correct this volume of exams,” says the coordinator. “Even online, it’s important because it broadens the recognition of students and values ​​regional performance.”

After the online stages, around 1.200 students will participate in the grand final. And it is during the closing ceremony that they discover, in front of their classmates and teachers, who will receive the national medals. “There are tears, celebration, hugs. After 18 years, I still get emotional,” emphasizes the coordinator.

Since 2024, students from public schools have been able to participate in the school edition of the Olympiad free of charge. In parallel, the ONHB maintains the "ONHB Open to All" modality, created in 2021 and aimed at those over 12 years of age. The competition is held with the support of the History Department of Unicamp, the Student Support Service (SAE), and the National Association of History (Anpuh). The organization brings together university professors, undergraduate students, master's and doctoral candidates.

The ONHB (Brazilian History Olympiad) is also part of Unicamp's Olympic Vacancies program. Depending on their performance in the competition, students can compete for places in undergraduate courses without needing to take the entrance exam. Currently, ONHB medals are accepted in 53 undergraduate courses in São Paulo.

Financing strategy

This year, the Olympiad faced a scenario of financial uncertainty. For the first time since its creation, the call for proposals from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for scientific olympiads was not opened. “The call for proposals has always been fundamental for us,” says Meneguello. “It wasn’t just our Olympiad that lacked resources. This affected all scientific olympiads in the country.”

According to her, the team had to resort to parliamentary amendments and expand funding strategies to ensure the project's continuity. "When you've maintained a project for 18 years, you can't let it die for lack of funding," she summarizes. "It's a beautiful project. In the History course at Unicamp, for example, when I ask on the first day of class who participated in the Olympiad, almost everyone raises their hand."

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