The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, reacted at the moment to the disaster that the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) goes by way of. Morant has defended that the CNIO is “the second best cancer research center in Europe and one of the best in the world.” The minister added to questions from journalists: “The Government of Spain is going to continue working so that they have all the necessary instruments to continue doing the best science.”
The CNIO is the biggest most cancers analysis heart in Spain. It has been working poorly for 3 years as a result of a few of its infrastructure is out of date. Specifically, it solely has one operational confocal microscope, when it ought to have had 4 at full capability, as EL PAÍS publishes at the moment.
The scientific heads of the group had been warning the director of the middle, María Blasco, and likewise the Ministry of the issue for years, with out having the ability to remedy the issue till now. The situation of the microscopes has worsened, as they’re so outdated that there are now not spare components to restore them. The solely means out is to amass new ones, one thing that for now could be paralyzed as a consequence of lack of finances. The momentary answer that Blasco’s staff has proposed is to lease a confocal microscope in 2025. Even so, the CNIO could be very removed from different related analysis facilities, such because the National Center for Biotechnology or the National Center for Cardiovascular Research.
After years of silence, a number of CNIO scientists yesterday publicly denounced their rejection of Blasco’s administration and requested that she be relieved of management of the group. “The CNIO has been headless for 10 years,” denounced Marcos Malumbres, who has been group chief on the CNIO, and added: “The lack of connection with the reality of the director is absolute.” Researchers attribute the group’s issues to not a scarcity of funds, however to poor selections made by its director and her “lack of strategy.”
In a digital press convention held this Friday, the director of the CNIO has defended her administration and has positioned her place within the arms of the middle’s board of trustees, chaired by Eva Ortega-Paíno, General Secretary of Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
Blasco, a biochemist born in Alicante 59 years in the past, has been on the head of the CNIO since 2011. Her place is renewed by the board each 5 years. Blasco highlighted that he has handed “two very good evaluations.” The director has additionally defined that the middle is evaluated by an exterior advisory committee, which additionally analyzes her administration on the head of the establishment. The final evaluation, from 2023, was constructive, the scientist defined.
The director of the CNIO has acknowledged the lack of having just one working confocal microscope, and has assured that buying a brand new one “was a priority for this year”, nevertheless it was not potential as a result of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities directed by Diana Morant didn’t granted him the required assist to amass it.
The group’s administration staff has reported that every 12 months they’ve a million euros for the acquisition of latest technological gear, which isn’t sufficient to cowl all wants. Regarding the criticism of his administration and the request for resignation by a number of heads of the CNIO, Blasco mentioned: “Coincidentally, some of the researchers who complain are among those doing best at the CNIO. I believe that there are opinions for everything, and I accept them, but they really contrast a bit with the opinions of those who evaluate us.”
The CNIO has a deficit of 4.5 million euros. The vice director, Óscar Fernández-Capetillo, has additionally blamed the Ministry of Science for this downside, as a result of the nominative subsidy it receives annually from this division, of about 22 million euros, is “frozen since the founding of the center [en 1998]”, which has brought about it to lose worth as a consequence of inflation. In 2023 the middle already had losses of 1.9 million euros. Part of the additional prices are as a consequence of the truth that the establishment has been pressured by regulation to stabilize greater than 100 individuals with indefinite contracts, Blasco mentioned. The key to this downside is whether or not the General State Budgets might be authorized, and when.
The scenario of abandonment of the CNIO has exploded as a result of controversial CNIO Arte program created and promoted by Blasco. It is a challenge to attach the world of artwork and science that features exhibitions on the ARCO honest, manufacturing of artworks impressed by scientific themes and journeys to the Arctic or Mozambique for Blasco and different companions. According to a Transparency report back to which this newspaper has had entry, this system has had a complete value of 877,787.99 euros; 291,979.35 euros for program actions, and 585,106 euros for personnel. The journeys value 6,503 euros to go to Oslo, 4,523 to Chicago or 5,542 to Mozambique. Management ensures that this system is financed by donations made particularly for these functions.
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https://elpais.com/ciencia/2024-12-13/maria-blasco-culpa-al-gobierno-de-la-falta-de-fondos-del-cnio-y-pone-su-cargo-a-disposicion-de-diana-morant.html