On Tuesday, August 20, the plenary session of the Science, Technology and Art Commission of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) was held, where several representatives of the scientific and technological fields of the national universities met. On this occasion, the president of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation (R&D+i Agency), Dr. Alicia Caballero, participated, confirming that she does not have the necessary budget to comply with the agreements and commitments acquired.
The main function of this organization is to support research projects, technological development and innovation through the allocation of funds, program management and promotion of collaborations between the academic, government and private sectors. In our University, the main source of funding in Science and Technology are the Scientific and Technological Research Projects (PICT), which come from one of the funds managed by the Agency (FONCYT). Therefore, the defunding of this organization leaves us in a critical situation, as explained by the Secretary of Science and Technology of the UNSL, Dr. Fabricio Cid, one of the representatives who participated in the plenary meeting.
The fact that the Agency does not have the funds means that: “Only what is already signed will be paid, which does not include the PICT 2022; The current best budget clause (MPV) in the ETIOs is still in force, but it will not be respected due to lack of funds; No call will be opened this year and the 2023 call will only be finalized when the last one is normalized. “They have also not been able to give us clarity on what will happen in 2025.”said the secretary. And he adds that it is also not known how the PICTO Region of Cuyo, a financing tool managed last year, very important for the institutions of the region, and the PICT-E-New Laboratories 2022 will continue.
In this sense, the federal programs of building science and equipment, already entrusted to our university, are also paralyzed and are at risk of being executed. It is recalled that these programs are framed in the Financing Law of the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation, which aimed to strengthen scientific research capacities. Cid says that they had a meeting with Paula Nahirñak, Undersecretary of Science and Technology of the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology, to be able to talk about the programs, but again, they did not give certainty that what had already been assigned and programmed could not be executed, nor the agreed budgetary reinforcements.
The policies of non-execution of funds have a great impact on universities and CONICET, and therefore on the development of our country. Research processes and the operation of laboratories are stopped due to lack of supplies, equipment or repairs. The daily work of generating knowledge stops, the training of young researchers stops, the development of the country and sovereign science stops, and the exodus of scientists abroad and to the private sector begins to be observed. “The national scientific system is in crisis and all the universities in the country are fighting to reverse this situation, we have periodic meetings with the authorities who, as we have seen, do not respond to complaints”expressed Fabricio Cid.
SCyT Press
