Maria Manuel Mota considers more ambition is needed
One of the country’s most lauded scientists, Maria Manuel Mota, has spoken out against the “chronic underfunding” of her sector, as parliament continues to discuss the non-consensual state budget proposal.
She considers the 3% increase in the science budget to be “short” (Lusa’s words) and calls for more ambition in investment to end the sector’s precariousness “once and for all”.
Giving the example of countries with a similar size to Portugal, the biologist/ scientist, known for her work in the field of malaria, points to Austria and Belgium and states: “We should have more than €800 million in science every year”.
“Obviously, it is not just about pouring money in. It’s about putting this money at the service of a structure that is clear.”
She recalls what was achieved in this area and how much Portugal grew “in the transition from the 90s to the 2000s and afterwards, until the financial crisis” suggesting: “It often seems that we are satisfied with what we have and that is the worst, especially because others never stop growing”.
In her opinion, the target of having more than €800 million for science “doesn’t seem that much” and stresses the need to choose where this funding is applied: “On the one hand, strengthen institutions that are strong, bear fruit and have potential, on the other, (ensure that these institutions have) scientific research careers to end precariousness, once and for all”.
When asked about the State Budget proposal for 2025, she considers that the proposal she has had access to points to a 3% increase in funding, which ”does not even cover inflation in recent years.
“It seems quite insufficient to me. More ambition is needed,” she said.
According to the OE2025 proposal, the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the main entity, dependent on the Government, that finances scientific research in Portugal, has an initial allocation of €607 million, €68 million euros less than in 2024.
The budget forecast for the FCT has not been this low since 2018.
According to the explanatory note of the OE2025 proposal for the higher education, science and innovation sector, the reduction in the total budget foreseen for the FCT is partly justified by the decrease in the share of European funds (which totals €114 million euros, €29 million less than in 2024).
On the other hand, the FCT’s accounts for next year do not include extra-budgetary operations, which in the initial allocations for 2024 amounted to €65 million.
Source: LUSA
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