A group of 22 leading Spanish scientists published a manifesto late last week (October 14) expressing concern that the new Spanish government was not living up to promises that it would increase the national research and development (R&D) budget 25% by 2005.

Current levels of research investment in Spain are among the lowest in Europe, so scientists were pleased that the Socialist Party's election campaign included a promise to double the country's €2 billion R&D budget by 2008.

Shortly after wining the general election in late March, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez-Zapatero reiterated the promise of increasing the budget by 25% next year. But when Science Minister María Jesús San Segundo announced the detailed budget on September 30, the sentiment within the science community turned to annoyance. Although overall R&D spending would grow by 35%, most of the increase in available funds would come via 8-year interest-free loans.

The bulk of the budget will go to scientific and technological parks and military research, the minister said. Up to 27% of the overall research budget will in fact go to military programs, more than three times higher than that for basic research.

These disappointments have overshadowed some good news for researchers, including an announcement that funds for postgraduate grants will increase by 15% in 2005, and promises from the government that it will reform the university system to ensure that professors are appointed after undergoing an initial accreditation procedure and a selection process.

In their manifesto, the scientists say that the prime minister's promises had generated "enormous hope" but that researchers are now "enormously worried" after knowing the figures. They propose that in the parliamentary discussion of the budgets, modifications are made so that a significant part of the promised 25% arrives at "researchers and centers committed with quality research."

"I am very upset," said Joan Guinovart, director of the Biomedical Research Institute at the Barcelona Scientific Park, who earlier this year led scientists in proposing a State Pact for Science. "They have not yet realized that research is the true engine for the advancement of knowledge and economy."

Jordi Petriz, a stem cell researcher at the Barcelona-based Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, told The Scientist that the idea of scientists from nonprofit public centers being forced to ask for research loans makes no sense.

Manifesto signer Enric Banda, general director of the Catalan Research Foundation in Barcelona, said that although a huge amount of the budget was devoted to military research, the level of funding actually represents a decrease. "Being realistic, the decrease in the military R&D budget is a good indicator of the new government's science policy," he told The Scientist. On the other hand, "it's clear that the increase in the civil R&D budget is insufficient for public institutions, which otherwise cannot or should not owe money."