SCIENTIFIC BRAIN DRAIN

BRAIN DRAIN

Politicians are not interested in research.  Italy is complaining it has only 3 scientists per 1000 workers compared to 5 in other countries.  The U.S. has 9 per 1000 workers.  Prominent scientists go abroad to get another point of view or research and they don’t come back.

Many countries limit researchers to one grant at a time and also limit its size.  If one is working on two different projects it one fund one.  Private funding is scarce and not part of the Mediterranean culture unlike the United States. 

SPAIN

 Spain is on a big push to welcome returning Spanish researchers with more grants and scientific centers.  Spain is hiring more foreign scientists from abroad by paying higher salaries and giving more grants.

Language was a barrier until 5 years ago when the official language was switched to English to teach graduate programs.  Seventy percent of all PHD students are now foreigners. The current language in restaurants, elevators, and seminars is now English.

GERMANY

Germany has high funding for science but has old-fashioned policies with state funding schemes and intellectual property law.

Universities have barriers to increase foreigners.  Professors in Germany have heavy teaching loads compared to other EU countries with 9 hours per week.  Research in Germany comes from private research institutions like Max Planck Society and from the universities themselves, and regional funding varies widely.

ENGLAND

England public funding has increased for the last 10 years.  Budgets are up 30%, primarily for biomedical research.  England is only second to the U.S. in worldwide publications and citations.  They encourage academic industrial partnerships.  Revenues from licensing added 46 million pounds to Medial Research Counsel and this money is funded back to support more research.  They have postdoctoral fellowships and let young researchers go anywhere in the world.  They can choose where to do their research with U.K. funding.  They link geneticists and epidemiologists, and are developing new medications.

CONCLUSION

Language, pay and research opportunities in a specific lab are all important, Other factors equally important to a young researcher is the growth in funding, intellectual property rights and openness to collaborate with different fields of endeavor.  In this regard, the United States is still the leader.  Scientists who come to America generally stay.

Source: Science July 11, 2008

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