Announcement from 4 million euros for brains returning to the south
A ban of 4 million euros for brains that return to the south, to carry out scientific research in Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Sardinia or Sicily. The initiative, at the fifth edition, entitled Brains to South, is of the ' Foundation with the South ' and is aimed at foreign or Italian researchers, who carry out their activities for at least 3 years abroad or in the center-north. The Foundation provides a total of 4 million euros of resources: it is possible to ask 400,000 Euro per project, lasting between 24 and 36 months. The announcement is published on Www.fondazioneconilsud.it and expires on November 28. "The aim of the announcement is twofold-notes Carlo Borgomeo, President of the foundation with the south-on the one hand we promote the ability to ' attract ' brains to the south and on the other we support the construction of independent careers of young researchers, foreigners or Italians, who decide to bring innovation and expertise in the Southern research centers, as ' scientific managers ' of their research. This approach, concludes "allows our territories to experience processes of social innovation and affects the processes of development also thanks to the results of applied research". In 10 years, from 2001 to 2011, underlines the foundation, about 700,000 graduates have left Italy and, at the same time, over 170,000 graduates have moved from the south to northern Italy, with a growing trend: from 10.7% of 2001 has been passed to 25% of 2011. One of the main criticalities for the South, however, is not only or so much the "brain drain", but the negative balance between those who go and who comes, or the little ability to attract the southern territories for researchers from other countries.
