Argentina's CONICET protests over 400 postdoctoral researchers' funding
On Wednesday, researchers and staff of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) gathered at the Polo Científico Tecnológico in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. They warned that around 400 post‑doctoral fellows face loss of their scholarships and income unless their contracts are extended until the results of the CICYT 2025 call are published.
The collective is demanding an immediate budgetary allocation of between 2 000 million and 3 000 million Argentine pesos to fund the extensions. The request must be approved by Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli, but the administration of President Javier Milei has said no additional funds are available. Five of the eight CONICET board members have signed a statement backing the scholars, and more than 100 research institutes, universities and opposition legislators have publicly supported the protest.
Previous actions by the scientists included a temporary occupation of the CONICET headquarters and traffic blockades at nearby intersections. The dispute unfolds amid broader budget cuts, low salaries and reduced purchasing power for Argentine scientists, who say the situation threatens the country's research capacity.
Entities: Argentina · Buenos Aires · CICYT 2025 · Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) · Diego Santilli · Javier Milei · National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) · Palermo district · Polo Científico Tecnológico
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] Previous protest actions included a temporary occupation of CONICET headquarters and traffic blockades at nearby intersections. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Five of eight CONICET board members have signed a statement supporting the researchers. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The researchers request an additional budget of between 2 000 million and 3 000 million Argentine pesos. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Decision on the additional funding rests with Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The government, led by President Javier Milei, says there are no funds available for the request. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Researchers are demanding immediate extension of their scholarships until the CICYT 2025 results are published. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] More than 100 research institutes, universities and opposition legislators have publicly supported the protest. (multiple sources)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Around 400 post‑doctoral researchers at CONICET risk losing their scholarships. (multiple sources)