This research aims the characterization of the university-research institutes cooperation process in the agriculture. The theoretical referential approaches themes such as technology and technological innovation, national innovation system, cooperation between organizations for technological innovation, technology transfer, and the universities and research institutes roles in the Brazilian national innovation system. It also addresses the types of research and the Brazilian agricultural research context. The theoretical review was based in the universit-industry cooperation, since there is too little literature regarding the research institute-university cooperation. The methodology of case study was used, and the research nature was classified as exploratory and qualitative, and used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, as well as documental analysis. The case studied was of Embrapa, were the data was collected in three research units, three universities that cooperate with these units, and three administrative units of Embrapa that have contact with universities, in a total of nine interviews and questionnaires. It was possible this way identify motivators, types of links, barriers, facilitators and perceived results in these kind of cooperation's.
National Innovation System; Brazilian agricultural research; research institutes-university cooperation
