Argentina's science funding cuts spark protest from 25 Nobel laureates and 2,600 researchers
More than 2,600 scientists and about 25 Nobel Prize winners have signed an open letter addressed to President Javier Milei, demanding an immediate halt to what they describe as the dismantling of Argentina’s national system of science, technology and innovation. The letter, drafted by molecular biologist Alberto Kornblihtt and physicist‑law‑maker Adriana Serquis, warns that public investment in research has fallen to just 0.14 % of GDP and that the sector is losing roughly eight jobs per day since December 2023. Signatories cite the closure or downsizing of key public bodies such as CONICET, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), as well as salary freezes and the suspension of strategic projects. They also invoke a prior March 2024 alert from 68 Nobel laureates that warned the Argentine science system was already on the brink of collapse. The new petition calls for protection of institutions, researchers and the decades‑long knowledge base they have built, and urges the government to reverse budget cuts, restore funding guarantees, and end recent militarised interventions in research facilities.
Entities: Adriana Serquis · Alberto Kornblihtt · CONICET · Javier Milei · Paul Nurse
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Public investment in Argentine science fell to 0.14 % of GDP. (Article 1cf4e57f-bfc0-4fe6-8a1f-ddacdcb8b04a)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 25 Nobel laureates signed an open letter to President Javier Milei urging him to halt cuts to Argentina's science system. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The petition calls for protection of institutions such as CONICET, INTI and CNEA. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The letter was drafted by molecular biologist Alberto Kornblihtt and physicist‑law‑maker Adriana Serquis. (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Argentine science system has been losing about eight jobs per day since December 2023. (Articles 1cf4e57f-bfc0-4fe6-8a1f-ddacdcb8b04a and f732a0ad-c00e-47c9-a548-e371006b0202)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In March 2024, 68 Nobel laureates warned that Argentine science was on the brink of collapse. (Article 1cf4e57f-bfc0-4fe6-8a1f-ddacdcb8b04a)
- [● 2 SOURCES] More than 2,600 scientists signed the same letter. (All articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Decree 655/2026, published on 24 July, imposes further budget cuts on the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA). (Article 1cf4e57f-bfc0-4fe6-8a1f-ddacdcb8b04a)