The U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Brazil, the Fulbright Commission, and the Smithsonian Institution announced an emergency exchange program for 14 researchers whose studies were interrupted by the fire at the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro last September. In 2019, they will travel to the United States to complete their experiments in museums of the Smithsonian Institution – the largest museum, educational, and research complex in the world – for periods of approximately 30 days.
The 14 selected researchers had documents, specimens, and other essential items for their research destroyed by the fire, making it impossible to complete their experiments and research projects. Their research areas are diverse and include, among others, indigenous languages, 
ethnology, carcinology, arachnology, and vertebrate paleontology.
The agreement was celebrated in a ceremony at the Macaco Tião Auditorium at the Rio Zoo, attended by the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Rio, Viraj Lebailly, the Director of the National Museum, Alexander Kellner, the Research Superintendent of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Byrro, the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, Luiz Valcov Loureiro, and the Smithsonian Institution Researcher, C. David de Santana.
A devastating fire destroyed the National Museum of Brazil, with 200 years of history, in Rio de Janeiro on September 3, 2018. The fire, which spread rapidly throughout the building, started after the site closed for the day. There were no casualties.
More than 20 million archaeological and historical finds were destroyed in the flames. Here are some of the precious and irreplaceable pieces that were lost:
Maxakalisaurus Topai
One of the most precious dinosaur pieces was the Maxakalisaurus Topai, which was one of the main attractions of the museum, with its own dedicated exhibition room.
Found in the region of Minas Gerais in 1998, it was the largest skeleton of a dinosaur of that size in the country.
The herbivore, which lived about 80 million years ago, weighed 9 tons and measured 13 meters in length.
Mummified Remains
The museum’s collection included a rare example of mummified remains found in the Brazilian province of Goianá, dating back 600 years before the arrival of Europeans. The mummies of a woman and two children were donated to Emperor Dom Pedro II, the second and last monarch of the 
Empire of Brazil.
Classical Archaeology
The museum had a collection of 750 Greek, Etruscan, and Roman items. It was considered the largest collection of classical archaeology in Latin America.
Ethnic Artifacts from the Amazon
The museum also housed an important collection of ethnic art from the Amazon region and central Brazil.
Pre-Columbian Artworks
The collection included pieces from Andean civilizations, including the Incas, Chancay, and Nazca. The collection featured illustrative textiles and ceramics, providing insights into manufacturing and trade behaviors.
The Scientific Library
In addition to the numerous precious artifacts, the museum also housed a substantial scientific library that contained nearly 500,000 books, documents, and articles.