Brazil's recent initiative to attract overseas talent back to the country has faced criticism from scientists.
According to Science magazine, the new plan aims to bring back 1,000 Brazilian researchers currently working abroad. However, many scientists believe that this funding would be better spent supporting researchers in Brazil who are facing challenges.
Thaís Barreto Guedes, a biologist at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, stated, "When there are thousands of unemployed PhDs in the country, and many low-income individuals struggling in run-down labs, it makes no sense for the government to try to attract renowned Brazilian researchers from abroad."
The program, called "Knowledge Brazil," was launched by the Brazilian government in April this year, with a budget of 1 billion reais (200 million dollars) over five years. It offers an annual salary of 120,000 to 156,000 reais for Brazilian researchers with master's or doctoral degrees working in academia or industry abroad, along with 400,000 reais to establish their own labs. The government argues that measures must be taken to reverse the brain drain in Brazil.
Critics point out that it is not even clear how many Brazilian researchers have moved abroad in recent years, estimated to be between 3,000 and 35,000 individuals. Many scientists doubt the impact this program can have, as the Brazilian scientific community has been struggling with funding issues. Just days after the government launched the program, thousands of professors from 52 federal universities in Brazil went on strike last month demanding better wages and research conditions.
Guedes mentioned that in the past few decades, Brazil has been producing over 20,000 PhDs annually. However, she noted that since 2015, research budgets have either remained stagnant or decreased, leading to around 100,000 early-career scientists being unemployed.
Hernani Oliveira, a biologist at the University of Brasília in Brazil, said, "Unless funding shortages are alleviated, researchers participating in this program may find themselves in the same predicament when the funding runs out in five years."
Some argue that while the support levels promised by this project are high by Brazilian standards, it remains doubtful whether it is enough to convince researchers to give up higher-paying positions at foreign universities and companies.
Alicia Kowaltowski, a biochemist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, stated, "Experienced researchers are not willing to return because their income would be lower or the same as abroad, coupled with concerns about not finding a job once the funding ends."
She also questioned the decision to include researchers with master's degrees in the program. "I wonder if individuals at this educational level have the experience needed to develop a robust research project and establish a lab," she said.
Thiago Gonçalves Souza, an ecologist at the University of Michigan in the United States, who spent nearly 10 years at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil before leaving in 2022, cited the lack of investment in infrastructure and research at the university as reasons for his departure. He stated that until Brazil addresses these issues, "scientists, including myself, are unlikely to consider returning." He added that the initiative "fails to address the root causes of the problem."
Ana Maria Carneiro, a sociologist at the Center for Public Policy Research at the State University of Campinas, surveyed 1,200 Brazilian researchers working abroad, with preliminary results indicating that many share this viewpoint. Data shows that most individuals left Brazil after 2015, with up to 90% having no intention of returning when they left.
Renato Janine Ribeiro, president of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science, mentioned that while the program may bring some benefits to Brazil, the best way to prevent brain drain is "by addressing the root causes of the problem through improving working conditions and career prospects for domestic researchers, preventing them from moving abroad."
