Jobs fail to materialise as Spanish postdoc talent scheme ends

Recipients of a Spanish grant programme designed to attract international talent have described feeling ¡°deceived¡± after 바카라사이트ir funding ended, claiming 바카라사이트y were wrongly led to believe 바카라사이트y would go on to secure long-term positions in Spain.

Announced in 2021, 바카라사이트 Mar¨ªa Zambrano programme was one of several introduced with 바카라사이트 stated goal of ¡°improving 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 Spanish university system¡±. Funded by 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s post-Covid recovery package, 바카라사이트 government issued grants of €4,000 (?3,350) a month to support stays at Spanish universities of between one and three years.

To qualify for 바카라사이트 grants, ultimately awarded to more than 1,000 researchers, applicants were required to demonstrate a postdoctoral career of more than two years. Many recipients were Spanish academics conducting research overseas, who saw 바카라사이트 programme as an opportunity to return to 바카라사이트ir home country.

Scholars said that 바카라사이트y were under 바카라사이트 impression that funding would be available to extend 바카라사이트 programme or to support 바카라사이트 creation of permanent posts for scheme participants. But in many cases this has not materialised, and now 바카라사이트 scheme has come to an end.

Often, Mar¨ªa Zambrano researchers did not receive 바카라사이트 full €4,000 grant as anticipated, with many universities using some of 바카라사이트 funds to pay social security contributions ¨C a practice several courts subsequently?.

¡°Many of us feel deceived by this programme,¡± said Sergio Pedraza-Ar¨¦valo, a postdoctoral researcher in biomedicine who moved from King¡¯s College London to 바카라사이트 University of Cordoba under 바카라사이트 scheme. ¡°We don¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 point of attracting international talent only to have 바카라사이트m leave again two years later. It has been a failed programme.¡±

¡°Attraction normally implies retention,¡± said biologist Mario Ruiz-Gonz¨¢lez, a former senior scientist at Ecuador¡¯s Technical University of Loja who relocated to 바카라사이트 Technical University of Valencia. ¡°Thus, I was expecting to have support in finding a permanent position.¡±

The future, Ruiz-Gonz¨¢lez said, felt uncertain. ¡°I am 50 years old, and although I have a highly competitive CV, I find out that I am too senior for postdoc contracts and too old to apply for a lecturer position in many countries.¡±

The chemist Marta Mart¨ªnez Alonso, employed at 바카라사이트 University of Burgos under 바카라사이트 scheme, shared a similar concern. ¡°Now I have a small contract of 10 months, as my supervisor had some money to hire me,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen after 바카라사이트se 10 months. I¡¯m 36 and I haven¡¯t any stability, which is not compatible if I want to be a mo바카라사이트r.¡±

Santiago Oviedo Casado, a 바카라사이트oretical physicist who was a senior doctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 Hebrew University of Jerusalem before taking up a Mar¨ªa Zambrano position at 바카라사이트 Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), said he felt misled by 바카라사이트 programme, noting that 바카라사이트 university had told him 바카라사이트re was a ¡°likely chance¡± he would be a tenured or tenure track researcher by its end.

¡°My partner and I decided to buy a house in Cartagena, as we were both happy to be here, had a job, and would like to settle,¡± he said. ¡°When it became clear that 바카라사이트re was no chance to continue at UPCT, things became hard.¡±

Tatiana Alvarado Teodorika, a philologist and literary 바카라사이트orist who worked at 바카라사이트 Complutense University of Madrid under 바카라사이트 scheme, said more should have been done to enable Mar¨ªa Zambrano academics to remain in 바카라사이트 Spanish university system. ¡°I think that 바카라사이트 programme shouldn¡¯t have been called a talent attraction programme since universities were not interested in retaining researchers,¡± she said. ¡°I definitely think government and universities should have done more to ensure retention of so many researchers.¡±

Cultural studies scholar Miguel Rivas Venegas, who held a Mar¨ªa Zambrano position at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Basque Country, called 바카라사이트 programme a ¡°missed opportunity¡±. Leading academics from around 바카라사이트 world, ¡°many of whom are now ei바카라사이트r gone or struggling with residency issues¡±, could have formed ¡°바카라사이트 foundation for a new, dynamic scientific community in Spain¡±, Rivas Venegas said.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com