The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, said Wednesday that the decisions taken by the Board of Trustees of the National Center for Oncological Research (CNIO) on the Cesses of the former scientific director María Blasco and former manager Juan Arroyo They do not want to say “that irregularities have been committed by any of the parties.”
This has been transferred during his appearance in the commission of his department in the Congress of Deputies. In it, it has also stressed that these decisions were made because The work climate in the CNIO was “incompatible” with the excellence in the investigation that is carried out in the center.
Thus, he has defended that his ministry acted “with transparency” and respected “the times”, the regulations and the governance structures of the CNIO for decision making in order to “support” his excellence. He also argued that “Not a euro “of the ‘Cnio Art’ program has been detached from cancer researchsince “it is a complementary program.”
The minister added that this program was submitted at the time to the Board of Trustees to be approved and “is clear” that It is a “management decision and validated by the Board of Trustees.” The center’s management, which is headed by Fernando Peláez as an interim scientific director and by the CNIO delegated commission (chaired by Carlos III Health Institute) as an interim administrative direction, will decide the future of the ‘Cnio Arte’ program.
At the same time, Morant has pointed out that, since she is the minister of this portfolio, the decisions taken in the Board of Trustees “have been backed by reports from the State Advocacy and Finance“Instead, Morant has avoided answering concrete questions about the alleged irregularities in the CNIO made by deputies of the PP and Vox.
PP and VOX load against Morant
The deputy of the Popular Party Pablo Pérez Coronado has recriminated to Morant to give “coverage to the irregularities that were carried out in the CNIO” and has affirmed that “The most serious is his passivity and his silence before the center scandal has exploded in his face. “ “Instead of ensuring that each euro will be dedicated to investigation, has allowed lack of control and abuse,” he told the minister. Meanwhile, Morant responded to the popular stating that “they only know how to do mud policy.”
For his part, Vox deputy Jacobo Gonzalez Robatto has reproached Morant that “he has confused appearance” because he has not clarified the situation of the CNIO. Similarly, he said that this research center has become “another place to put a hand and get Criminal corruption cases when your function is to save lives “. Also, she has criticized the minister for “not answering” the questions that have been raised about the center.
In his case, the deputy of Almar Francisco Sierra has loaded against Morant for not referring in his speech to the alleged complaints of workplace harassment that were filed against María Blasco. Therefore, she has blamed the minister that her intervention should serve to “make a reflection” about these situations because workplace harassment is “cancer that attacks the scientific world.”
Financing of AI research plans
On the other hand, the deputy of Bildu Marije Fullaondo has asked about the cancellation of the call for aid for the financing of artificial intelligence research plans (AI). Morant has responded that in the coming months a new call that will resume those suspended aids, whose endowment will be the same as in the previous one (31 million euros) and will last the investment distribution among the research groups.
This new call will be published through the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) and will have a greater term for its execution, Between three and four years in front of the two of the previous term, because it will be financed with national funds.
Likewise, conditions will be maintained for researchers to opt for aid and This call will be resolved in this same 2025. Morant asked scientists for “apologies” for the discomfort caused by the cancellation of the call.
#Morant #cessations #CNIO #irregularities #committed #center
