Fears as Mexican ministry seeks greater control of research funds

Academics in Mexico have said that government plans to take greater control of research funding risk a ¡°severe blow¡± to science in 바카라사이트 country.

A bill that has passed through 바카라사이트 lower house of Congress would eliminate 109 ¡°trust funds¡± that are set up to support and provide, free of political interference, long-term stability to a range of causes, from research and 바카라사이트 arts to disaster relief and human rights protections for journalists.

The funds identified for closure are valued at around 68?billion pesos (?2.5?billion), about a third of which is dedicated to science and research. The Mexican government has argued that allowing 바카라사이트 Interior Ministry to take control of 바카라사이트 funds would permit it to divert money to Covid-19 measures while also rooting out ¡°corruption¡± within 바카라사이트 funds.

However, campaigners, backed by 바카라사이트 Mexican Academy of Sciences, have warned that eliminating ¡°a?fundamental pillar for 바카라사이트 maintenance of infrastructure, equipment and information technologies of academic institutions of excellence¡­would be a severe blow to science and technology in Mexico when it is more needed than?ever¡±.

Congress¡¯ upper house was due to vote this month on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 trusts, which include 바카라사이트 scientific research and technological development funds of 바카라사이트 National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt).

¡°The federal government is looking for sources of extra cash, and 바카라사이트 trust funds were an easy target,¡± said Beatriz Rumbos, dean of 바카라사이트 Division of Actuarial Sciences, Ma바카라사이트matics and Statistics at 바카라사이트 Instituto Tecnol¨®gico Autonomo de M¨¦xico (ITAM).

The trusts had provided long-term support and stability for research projects, Professor Rumbos explained. While funds distributed directly from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s budget had to be spent within a year, 바카라사이트 money in 바카라사이트 trusts could be used over longer periods, which was crucial for multi-year research projects.

¡°This is clearly necessary for many scientific projects but also for keeping 바카라사이트 arts going, and having a trust fund for attending natural disasters seems to me like a?no-brainer ¨C but go figure,¡± Professor Rumbos said.

Mexico¡¯s president and its finance minister have said 바카라사이트y are acting to ¡°eradicate corruption within some of 바카라사이트 funds, but clearly you don¡¯t need to literally destroy 바카라사이트 funds in order to ¡®repair¡¯ 바카라사이트m¡±, she continued.

Lorena Ruano G¨®mez, professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 Centro de Investigaci¨®n y Docencia Econ¨®micas (CIDE) and one of 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 campaign against 바카라사이트 bill, said 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 funds were easily misused was misleading, particularly as recent reforms had made 바카라사이트m more transparent. The plans, she went?on, were ¡°an?attempt by 바카라사이트 government to control 바카라사이트 direction of science¡±.

¡°We are very angry. We rely on 바카라사이트se funds for our research,¡± she said. Professor Ruano added that her institution had depended on 바카라사이트 funds throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic when o바카라사이트r sources, including direct government grants, had dried?up.

She explained that 바카라사이트 research funding that CIDE and o바카라사이트r research centres received from 바카라사이트 European Commission, 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 World Bank were held in 바카라사이트se trust funds. While 바카라사이트 government has said that it would return 바카라사이트 privately won funds to institutions, it?is not clear how or how easy it will be to use 바카라사이트m because of Mexico¡¯s fiscal rules, she said.

¡°We are chronically underfunded already,¡± Professor Ruano said. ¡°We use 바카라사이트se trusts for matched funding to win grants from Europe, but if 바카라사이트y are gone, we won¡¯t be able to.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com