Move forward and don't be frozen in time

What should I say about employment in science?

Two aspects: 1. Unacceptable circumstances of unstable employment need to be redressed, through a “fake grant” that is given to researchers for many years, sometimes more than a decade; 2. Scientific employment growth in Portugal should be considered a positive sign, because it means that the search for knowledge and technology by the economy, the society, companies and the Board is being addressed.

The third aspect should be as the saying goes, “don't throw the baby out with the bathwater”.

The scientific research grant is important in all developed countries as it is seen as a period of personal development and training or as a temporary status of financial support in transitional situations (such as visitors from third party institutions). It's a win-win situation: on the one hand, the grantee is trained and improves is CV; on the other, the institution wins because the grantee reimburses the cost of guidance and of reception with his/her results and by the scientific work participation.

It is not an employment, but rather a training transitional process.

As in all events of life, the threat is related to the extremism and the hasty judgement that grants shouldn’t exist. That it should be a labour contract and that every contract should be temporary. A dividing line must be drawn very clearly between security and “freezing”.

The research facilities and Higher educations and R&D institutions benefit from a financial support from the State in the paradigm shift, however the future needs to be ensured. For that reason, it must be understood that due to the nature of the research institution, there is a constant modification of the collaborators. This is a key driver for adapting to innovation and it is a very effective way to offer new professionals, which are more qualified and have new insights, to society.

The best technology transfer that universities can bring to companies is the transfer of persons.

The research facilities should be faced as a place where many people should spend some of their time and not a place to stay.