The Council of Ministers has already given its approval to the science law reform, technology and innovation in Spain; a regulation that aims give stability to Spanish researchers, reduce bureaucracy and improve knowledge transfer. “This reform comes to repair the failures of a system aggravated by a decade of cuts that caused the destruction of thousands of public places, precariousness in careers and the flight of scientific talent from our country”, argued the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, after the approval of the new regulations.
Unions, scientific societies and professional platforms value the change in regulations as “a positive advance & rdquor; in certain respects and “a missed opportunity” in others. That is, with one of lime and another of sand. The new law of science incorporates a series of measures to improve working conditions of Spanish researchers (for example, creating new models of indefinite contracts and shielding compensation for dismissal or termination of the contract). It also makes changes to reduce bureaucracy in laboratoriesimprove the transfer of knowledge between research centers and companies and, as EL PERIÓDICO announced, will take action against harassment of women and LGBTI+ people in academia.
a bittersweet balance
“These advances are positive, but they only represent a small change. And the Spanish scientific system requires a profound transformation“, argues Perla Wahnon, president of the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain (COSCE). One of the key examples, Wahnon wields, is the “absurd and suffocating loop“of bureaucracy that scientists have to go through to carry out their research in Spain. “It is not enough to take measures to reduce these obstacles, they should be completely eliminated and create other accountability mechanisms“, comments Wahnon. Until now, in fact, one of the most recurrent complaints among Spanish scientists is the tsunami of ‘paperwork’ they face every time they need something for their research (be it laboratory material or a simple chair ).
“It is a good sign to see that the new law of science proposes improvements, but the ideal would be propose a comprehensive reform“, comments Santiago Rello Varona, from the Science with a Future platform. The researcher, for his part, recognizes the effort of negotiation that has been done from the Ministry of Science (especially after the incorporation of Raquel Yotti, General Secretary for Research and Morant’s right-hand man) and appreciates that the wording of the law explicitly recognizes problems such as “inbreeding”. Even so, explains Rello, he worries about the “lack of coordination” between the law of science and that of universities (a place where up to 75% of the research carried out in Spain is concentrated). Wave lack of specification of some measures.
“It is good news that a indefinite contract model for researchers. But what about temporary projects, such as those granted from European funds? How will stability be given to these contracts?” Rello comments. Another of the thorny issues that is still not clear how they will be resolved are the compensation (which are shielded to 12 days per year worked for both future incorporations and active scientists). “It is positive to know that compensation has been agreed for scientists who end their contract. But who will pay these compensations? Will money have to be set aside from the projects to do it or will the research center take over?” Wahnon asks in relation to the change in regulations.
The great pending task
According to different unions and scientific societies, another of the great pending tasks left by this law is to create mechanisms to favor the return of Spanish scientists who had to emigrate abroad. “The approval of this new science law leaves us with a bittersweet aftertaste,” he argues Francisco Vilaplana, president of the Network of Associations of Spanish Researchers and Scientists Abroad (RAICEX). “Yes, we see some improvements, and we appreciate the effort that has been made to improve our situation, but we also see that it has been a missed opportunity to achieve a bigger change, with more courageous measures,” he adds.
Vilaplana, as a researcher based in Sweden for more than a decade, speaks of the need to create specific policies to attract talent (something that, according to ministry sources, is on the table but has not yet materialized). “It is not enough to ask the scientists to come back, you have to recognize the merits achieved abroad, provide laboratories with funds and eliminate administrative obstacles”, comments the RAICEX spokesman.
Commitment to equality
On the other side of the scale, one of the most applauded aspects of this law is the commitment to equality policies. As this newspaper advanced, in fact, the new science law will take measures against the harassment of women and LGBTI+ people in the academy. New regulations will also be deployed to integrate expert gender personnel in evaluation bodies, integrate the gender perspective in research and stimulate the presence of women in the field of science and innovation.
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“It is very positive that all these social demands, which we claim from different entities, have been written up in the law. It represents a very important qualitative leap in terms of equality“, comments Tiago Botelho, president of Prisma, the association for affective-sexual and gender diversity in science “Now we will have to see how it is applied,” he clarifies. That is, how to go from theory to practice. Something that, as usually happens in these cases, is applicable to the entire wording of the law.