The Spanish government is postponing the awarding of some scientific program grants, including for the Ramon y Cajal program that is designed to encourage Spanish and foreign researchers to work in Spain, reports the Nature News Blog. In addition, travel grants have been reduced. The blog adds that "940 positions for scientists and lab technicians with a total spending of €104 million" are at stake.
"The move has raised fears among junior and senior scientists that this could be an additional cut to the already battered science budget, which has gone through four years of continued reductions," the Nature News Blog writes.
The budget, according to the Confederation of Spanish Scientific Societies, has been cut by 7.2 percent for this year, and was slashed by 25.5 percent in 2012. According to the Nature News Blog, the Ramon y Cajal program has already been delayed and gone through a hiring freeze.
"We only expect to issue a provisional Ramón y Cajal grantee list after the summer," a spokesperson for the research secretary tells the Nature News Blog.