The province of Buenos Aires announced that it will fund a network of scientific research in 34 universities across the country.
This occurs in a context where the national funding for science has fallen to historic lows.
The Buenos Aires Government confirmed this investment in scientific research when announcing the results of the preparatory phase of the Buenos Aires Projects for the Federalization of Science and Technology.
The initiative was promoted by the Scientific Research Commission (CIC) and the provincial Government Ministry.
Of the 34 selected institutions, 20 universities are located in Buenos Aires territory and work in coordination with other 14 educational institutions from different provinces.
The objective is to strengthen a federal network that allows addressing common issues through interdisciplinary teams distributed in various regions of the country.
Seven strategic areas of scientific research
The selected proposals are structured in federal networks of scientific research between Buenos Aires and other provinces.
In particular, the thematic lines include:
- Access and management of water resources
- Climate change and environment
- Employment and youth
- Energy and energy transition
- Marine studies
- Federalism
- Health: cannabis and dengue-arbovirus
Each scientific research project was evaluated by a commission composed of specialists from different disciplines.
They analyzed the scientific quality, territorial relevance, expected impact, and coherence of the proposals.
A support amid the crisis of the scientific sector
The initiative gains relevance in the face of the strong national adjustment to the scientific-technological system.
Currently, the national Government’s investment represents only 0.153% of the GDP, the lowest level since the last dictatorship.
This percentage is even below the records of the 2002 crisis.
Additionally, there is a record budget under-execution in scientific research of 13% in 2024, which deepened the resource decline.
Among the participating universities are the University of Buenos Aires, the National University of La Plata, the National University of San Martín, and the National University of Tucumán.
The National University of Córdoba, the National University of the South, the National University of Jujuy, the National University of Tierra del Fuego, and the National University of Comahue, among many others, also participate.
The province of Buenos Aires seeks to sustain the capabilities of the Argentine scientific system through projects that integrate universities and generate contributions for the design of public policies.
Thus, the provincial institutions based in Buenos Aires territory will work collaboratively with educational institutions located in twelve other provinces of the country.
This network of scientific research promoted from Buenos Aires consolidates the construction of nationally-reaching academic links, aimed at the development and transfer of knowledge applied to productive, social, environmental, and health challenges.
