Spanish researchers demand funding boost

Rally planned ahead of November general election

The Spanish Federation of Early-Career Researchers is organising a rally in favour of research on 19 October, calling for the next government to increase Spain’s R&D investment to at least 2 per cent of its GDP during the next term. Spaniards are due to vote in a general election on 10 November.

The group has set up a petition and launched videos on social media as part of its campaign. Members want spending to be raised from its current level of 1.2 per cent of GDP to counter issues such as brain drain and instability for researchers in the country, according to Eurodoc, the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers.