Il Buco Nero

Nearly 2,000 Italian researchers will lose promised permanent positions under a law that is expected to come into force by the end of the year. They may have to leave public research altogether.

Last week, the chamber of deputies in Silvio Berlusconi’s new centre-right government considered the bill, which is intended to reduce public spending by streamlining the civil service. Several researchers have put themselves up for sale on eBay, as part of a campaign that has also involved tens of thousands of protesters marching through the streets of Rome and other cities.

The proposed law explicitly reverses another law passed by the previous, centre-left government, whereby long-term temporary research employees could be taken on permanently if they were suitably qualified. As it also prevents scientists from being employed on sequential short-term contracts, those already selected for permanency who have had more than three years of contract in the past five years will now be let go. continue

Fonte: Nature 455, 840-841 (2008) | doi:10.1038/455840b PDF