Biophysical Society Bulletin | November 2020

Public Affairs

The STOP Act would create a task force within the Pandemic Response and Accountability Committee charged with conducting a thorough investigation into any political interference with decisions made by scientific agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services in connection with the pandemic response. Under this bill, the reports would be released to committees of jurisdiction and could be made public. Additionally, the task force would have full discretion to release any information that it deems is in the public interest and may be important to public safety. Around theWorld Europe Set Targets for Research Missions In September, the European Union (EU) revealed proposed ob- jectives for its much-hyped “missions,” which will concentrate research funding on tackling problems in five broad areas: cancer, adapting to climate change, carbon-neutral cities, healthy waters, and soil health. The missions could receive hundreds of millions of euros per year from Horizon Europe, the forthcoming seven-year, €81 billion research program, and additional funds from other EU programs. The five published reports contain the recommendations of the advisory boards charged with designing the missions, made up of scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, and other luminaries. Each proposes long-term goals and more detailed interim targets, which the European Commission will review before making its final decision. But it is still unclear how the missions will be organized and managed, and what their budgets will be, casting some doubt on whether they will be ready by the January 2021 start of Horizon Europe. Costa Rica NewGeneration of Scientists, but Lacks Job Opportunities Costa Rica’s renowned biodiversity has made it a go-to destination for biologists from around the world, but in recent decades, a concerted effort has been made to train and grow scientific research talent from within. The government has also been encouraging a trend in bringing foreign-trained Costa Rican scientists back home to work, train, teach, and conduct research in their native country. The blossoming has a downside, however; the country is struggling to absorb all of the researchers it is producing. Many nations face a scarcity of research faculty jobs, but it is

an especially painful paradox given the natural riches beck- oning scientists in Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s growing pool of PhD tropical biologists marks a departure from 30 years ago. Then, for example, just 13 of 32 faculty (41 percent) at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) School of Biology had a doc- torate degree. Now, 80 percent hold that degree, and a PhD is mandatory for new hires. One obstacle, several scientists say, is Costa Rica’s reserva  system. Its intent, to lure back and retain talent by assuring doctoral candidates a job, once made sense. But now, with an abundance of researchers trained overseas who are ready to compete for academic jobs, the reserva cannot keep pace. A shortage of funding has reduced the number of Costa Ricans receiving scholarships to pursue doctoral degrees; at UCR they dropped from nearly 50 a year as recently as 2016 to just 22 last year. That could reduce the competition for jobs. But the same funding shortage could limit jobs at home. Another impacting factor is a university pension system that appears to be discouraging older faculty from retiring and creating new openings. The country now spends about 0.4 percent of its gross domestic product on science, down slightly from previous years. What changes will be needed to preserve the robust growth in scientific research careers in Costa Rica remain unclear at this point.

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November 2020

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