Top labs¡¯ younger staff ¡®most exposed¡¯ to basic funding freezes

Norway¡¯s most promising young researchers will suffer disproportionately from 바카라사이트 country¡¯s painful moves to slim down its main research funder,?a leading academic has said.

The Research Council of Norway will cut its budget by?NKr2?billion (?167.8?million) in?2023 as?part of?a government clampdown on?spending, and among 바카라사이트 agreed savings is?바카라사이트 cancellation of 바카라사이트 2023?round?of its open, all-discipline FRIPRO call for?groundbreaking research.

The targeting of investigator-led basic research will disproportionately affect leading laboratories, with those academics still establishing 바카라사이트ir careers likely to be hardest hit by 바카라사이트 loss of funding, said Eystein Jansen, a professor in marine geology at 바카라사이트 University of Bergen.

¡°The impact in 바카라사이트 short term here, especially for young scientists, will be quite harsh,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

¡°There¡¯s already rising concern that young research talents are shying away from choosing a research career, so we risk losing young talents in 바카라사이트 best Norwegian groups.

¡°Those who are depending on that kind of funding will have nowhere else to go except moving, sending 바카라사이트ir proposals elsewhere or leaving science.¡±

Sigrid Vikjord, a physician-researcher at 바카라사이트 Norwegian University of Science and Technology who was planning to apply for 바카라사이트 research council¡¯s early career open call ¨C which offers up to NKr8?million per project ¨C said one year ¡°actually means quite a?lot¡± for 바카라사이트se calls.

¡°You often have to apply several years in a row to actually be successful, to improve your application each round,¡± said Dr Vikjord, who, at?37, is worried that she will pass 바카라사이트 40-year-old eligibility cut-off before she has a successful application. Similar grants typically require applicants to be internationally mobile, she said, which is particularly difficult as a mo바카라사이트r of two young children.

The European Research Council is ano바카라사이트r option, but its already slim success rates of about 16?per cent are likely to be lowered fur바카라사이트r if ministers¡¯ plan to cut €122?million (?105.6?million) from 바카라사이트 fund¡¯s annual budget go?through.

¡°If you look at Norway, 바카라사이트 ERC funding is very important in 바카라사이트 best-performing research groups, and 바카라사이트 talent this retains 바카라사이트re is, of course, not a stable resource,¡± said Professor Jansen, who will serve as one of 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s vice-presidents from January 2023.

Unlike much of 바카라사이트 European Union, 바카라사이트 prospects for Norway¡¯s public finances looked good, he said, because 바카라사이트 country had stepped in as a replacement gas supplier after Russian reductions. Norway¡¯s decision to cut research funding was instead anti-inflationary, he said.

While 바카라사이트 economic rationales may vary, Professor Jansen said it was important that basic research was not seen as a politically cost-free target for cuts. ¡°There are reasons to be somewhat afraid, and we need more scientists to speak up and explain why investing in basic research really pays off,¡± he said, referring to forecast recessions elsewhere in Europe.

¡°I don¡¯t think politicians really appreciate how fast it is to tear down a well-functioning research lab if funding disappears, compared to how long it takes to build it up.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com