Chile faces declining science funding as percentage of GDP

Academics from the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC) are highlighting significant challenges facing the scientific community in Chile. While absolute public spending on science, technology, and innovation has increased in recent years, its relative weight within the national economy has declined, dropping from a peak of 0.53% of GDP in 2011 to a projected 0.35% in 2026.

In addition to funding gaps, researchers face issues regarding job precariousness. Dr. Francisca Espinoza, a biochemist at UCSC, emphasized the need for policies that provide early-career researchers with more secure and stable employment contracts to help sustain long-term scientific trajectories.