Madrid does not find researchers under 40 years old to reward with 21,000 euros

Madrid does not find researchers under 40 years of age specialized in Biosciences who can be rewarded for their work with 21,000 euros. It happened at the end of 2023. The Margarita Salas award, which had five candidates, was void. And since there has been no official explanation, an outraged citizen demanded a justification in the Assembly. “It is necessary to know the reasons that have led to such a drastic decision to confirm, if applicable, whether the scientific level of researchers under 40 years of age in Madrid is so dismal and mediocre as to declare the award void,” he states in a statement. writing addressed to Parliament, and received by the opposition as confirmation of a problem. Because yes, Madrid already dedicates 2% of its GDP to R&D research ―which makes it the region that invests the most after the Basque Country―…but it turns out that the majority of that effort has private origins. In fact, in In 2018, Madrid only spent 0.63% of its budgets on R&D&I (fifth region from bottom), as stated in the Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, published by the central Government. And little has improved since then, according to the Madrid left.

“There was no candidate that was of sufficient level,” explains Ángel Carracedo, professor of legal medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, and president of the court that made the decision not to award the award. “In awards like this, a lot depends on the dissemination they give, perhaps not many people found out about it, it may have to do with this,” he argues, implicitly pointing out the responsibility of the Community. “In Madrid there are great researchers, many of whom would be worthy of the award, but who would have to apply. Let's hope that for the next [edición]…”.

Madrid will reach 5,130 million euros of spending on internal R&D in 2022, 26.5% of the national total and 1.96% of the regional GDP, according to data provided this Thursday by Díaz Ayuso's team after an intervention by the president in the forum Spain Investors Day. With 64,470 people dedicated to R&D activities, including 40,576 researchers, the region, celebrated by the regional Executive, is also a leader in dedicated personnel and scientific production. In addition, the Community has six Science and Technology parks, and the seven research centers of the IMDEA institutes to carry out and promote excellent R&D&i activities in the region.

And yet, the Margarita Salas has been left deserted, to the indignation of the opposition.

“It is inconceivable and bad news,” says Héctor Tejero, a member of Más Madrid in the regional Parliament, who affirms that the Community is the region that invests the least amount of its own money per inhabitant in R&D (about 22 euros compared to 55 euros on the national average). ). “In the Community of Madrid there are many brilliant and excellent young researchers, despite the fact that Mrs. Ayuso's Government is the one that invests the least amount of its own money per inhabitant in R&D,” he complains, since the Executive is committed to public collaboration -private and by the formula that a third of the investment comes from its funds and the rest from those of the companies. “If the proposed researchers do not meet the requirements, it can only be because the Department of Education, Science and Universities has not done enough to publicize and make it known,” the deputy complains. “One more example of the counselor's incompetence.” [Emilio Viciana] and the little affection that the Government of the Community has for science and research.”

Regional investment in R&D in Madrid barely represents 0.58% of the 2024 budgets, Tejero denounces. The regional government, consulted by this newspaper, did not specify this information before the publication of this article, arguing that the total figure is distributed in multiple items, so detailing it required more time. But the complaint of the Más Madrid representative is also shared by Juan Lobato's PSOE.

“It is a way of implicitly recognizing that, according to this jury, and according to the ministry, there is not a sufficient level of research and science in Madrid in people under 40 years of age,” laments Esteban Álvarez, socialist deputy in the Assembly of Madrid. “It seems a little strong to me,” he emphasizes. “This is an award that should have a lot of relevance in Madrid, and the fact that it remains deserted is one more symptom of the importance that the CAM gives to R&D&I, to science,” he adds. And he denounces: “The budget for research has been reduced by 7% in 2024. The Government of Spain invests more than twice as much in R&D&I in Madrid than the Ayuso Government.”

The awards They were designed in 2021 by the Díaz Ayuso Executive to “distinguish the excellence and quality of scientific and research work developed by researchers under forty years of age.” They are part of a commitment made by the leader: “We are going to maintain and increase the commitment to knowledge and research on which the future of the region depends,” Díaz Ayuso herself promised. In addition to meeting the age criteria, applicants must be doctors and work for universities or research centers in Madrid. Although they cannot present themselves, the citizen who has asked for explanations in the Assembly describes an endogamous system: “In all the proposals, in addition to their localist character and isolation from the international scientific community, a co-opted or endogamous extraction is visible, in which that co-workers propose to each other as a tribal group.”

This is how they explain what happened in the Ministry of Education: “The jury of the research awards considered that the candidatures, voluntary and presented by third parties, did not meet the quality requirements required for the granting of these prestigious awards, so they decided to leave them empty. unanimously. This same year, the Miguel Catalán award in the under 40 category has been awarded ex aequo to the researchers Alejandro Manjavacas and Marina García for the quality and excellence of the work developed by both.”

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