by Elisabeth Gehrer
Austrian Federal Minister
for Education, Science and Culture

In Austria, expenditure for R&D has increased by 88.7% since 1993. The percentage of expenditure for R&D of the GDP has grown from 1,86 in 1999 to 1,96 in 2003. On the average, expenditure in the EU has decreased from 1,94% at the beginning of the nineties to 1.88% in the year 2000.

It takes more than money to do research. The „National Research and Innovation Plan“ of the Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development identifies a demand of up to 12.200 additional researchers for Austria (7.600 for the economic sector, 3.800 for the non-academic research sector and 800 for the academic sector).
Therefore, the necessary framework conditions have been created for the universities to provide new opportunities for young researchers. Besides, special programmes for the promotion of young researchers and women have been developed and funded. In order to provide the information for scientists and researchers potentially interested in working in Austria, a special tool, the „Researcher´s mobility portal Austria“ has been set up as part of a large pan-European initiative.


The implementation of the University Act 2002 is well under way and will - over the next few years - offer a wide range of options for young scientists and researchers. Universities will define their own priorities in teaching and research and will hire new staff accordingly.
In order to support universities in defining these priorities and in strengthening their international competitiveness in teaching and research a special programme (€ 21,8 Million) has been developed and supported by the Council for Research and Technology Development (Austrian Council) in which universities can apply for financial support for three years to employ additional professors. This program offers new opportunities for younger scientists at universities. The second call (€ 10,81 Million) has recently been published with the deadline of November 28.

Besides, special scholarship programs funded by my ministry promote young scientists. The best known programs are certainly the two programs administered by the Austrian Science Foundation: the Erwin Schrödinger scholarships (for young graduates of Austrian universities to do research abroad), the Charlotte-Bühler-Scholarship (to support female scientists to complete their habilitations) and the APART-Scholarships for post-doctoral research in Austria and/or abroad administered by the Austrian Academy of Sciences.


A major impetus for academic research is provided by the two major Austrian research prizes funded by my ministry. The WITTGENSTEIN Prize for excellent renowned researchers and the START Prize for excellent up-coming researchers. Since 1996 13 Wittgenstein and 36 START Prizes have been awarded (totaling up to € 60 Million).

The major part of the funding for these prizes has been used for personnel costs - on the average about four researchers are employed, which means that a total of 200 to 250 researchers are supported altogether. The research projects funded by these prizes offer once again new job opportunities for young researchers.

As women are still underrepresented in science and research special efforts and measures are necessary. The current programme fFORTE (Women in Research and Technology) comprises initiatives for women at all levels of education, research and in private companies. In 2002 the Austrian Council of Research and Technology Development has recommended several projects for the promotion of women in these fields up to a sum of € 3.63 mio. These initiatives range from PhD-Programmes - DOC-FFORTE, awarded by the Austrian Academy of Science, a special graduate programme on internet technologies at the Institute for Software Technologies and Interactive Systems at the Technical University of Vienna -, the Women´s IT Summer Studies, organised by the University of Salzburg and the Advanced College of Salzburg, and international fellowships, to research projects on the „Effects of the Promotion of Women in Science and Research“ and „Gender and IT“. fFORTE moreover comprises practical measures and innovative good-practice-models for the professional training of students and researchers such as the EU-coaching for female researchers as well as initiatives on the secondary school level to encourage girls´ interests in science and technology.

In order to create a more favourable environment for career development opportunities for researchers in the European Researcher Area a pan-European Researcher´s Mobility Portal has been created as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the 33 countries participating in the 6th Framework Programme for Research. The Portal provides general information about research fellowships and grants, research opportunities and job offers, practical information about administrative and legal issues when moving from one country to another as well as up-to-date information about cultural and family-related aspects (e.g. day-care, schooling, language courses). Besides, general information about research policies relevant to career development of researchers in Europe is provided and research organisations may advertise their research jobs and may search for suitable candidates free of charge. Researchers may add their CVs to the researchers mobility job database.


Austria actively takes part in this European initiative. In co-operation with all relevant partners (e.g. ministries, regional authorities, social partners, universities, research organisations, Bureau for International Research and Technology Co-operation (BIT), Austrian Exchange Service (ÖAD) the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has set up the „Researcher´s mobility portal Austria“ - one of the first national researcher´s mobility portals in Europe.

The Austrian Government will provide € 600 Million of additional funds for research and technology in order to strengthen priority areas from 2004 to 2006. Scholarship programs and specific measures to promote women in science will certainly be an important part of the program to be carried out.

I hope that the Austrian universities and research organisations will continue to be interesting partners for Austrian researchers in the United States and in Canada for joint research and teaching projects, but that they will also offer attractive opportunities for some to return to Austria.

At the end, I would like to point out two initiatives I have supported which are of special interest for Austrian researchers in the United States and Canada: the activities of the OST and the ASCINA network, which will be continued to be supported and the issue of wishing to keep the Austrian citizenship when taking on the US or Canadian citizenship. On this matter, I have addressed all „Landeshauptleute“ (Heads of the provincial governments) as this issue falls under their responsibility and pointed out the crucial importance of this issue. My director general for scientific research and international relations, Barbara Weitgruber, and the contact persons nominated by the „Landeshauptleute“ will co-operate with the OST in this project.

Austrian Ingenuity without Borders – Beginning of a Dialog

by Peter Oefner
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Oefner@genome.stanford.edu

The Alpbach Technology Symposium 2003 held from August 21-23 in the Tyrolean village Alpbach was the stage of a surprisingly vivid and constructive exchange of thoughts and ideas regarding actions to be taken against the increasing tendency of emigration of renowned and young Austrian brains predominantly to North America. Participants included, aside from a who-is-who list of federal, academic, and industrial representatives from Austrian science and technology development, six Austrian scientists, who work in or have returned recently from the USA. Representing the biomedical, chemical, and social sciences, Ingrid Kohl (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Eva Schernhammer (Harvard School of Public Health), Robert Gassner (University of Pittsburgh/ University of Innsbruck), Reinhard Heinisch (University of Pittsburgh), Günter Lepperdinger (formerly at the National Institute of Health), and Peter Oefner (Stanford University) had been asked by the organizer of the discussion group, namely Ingolf Schädler, a principal at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Innovation and Technology in Vienna, to elaborate on the reasons that make North America such an attractive place to conduct research. Interest in brain drain has gained momentum in Austria in recent months due to the predicted shortage of 500 to 900 graduates in natural sciences and engineering per year. Undoubtedly, this shortage will exert a significant negative impact on Austria’s ability to compete in high-tech industry and a global economy. An aggravating factor is the increasing tendency of graduates from Austrian universities to seek employment in North America. Both the USA and Canada know less bureaucratic hurdles in hiring highly qualified scientists, engineers, and professionals than most European countries and have cultivated for more than two centuries tolerance and integration of short and long term immigrants.


Bridging the Gap instead of "Brain Drain"
In many ways it would have seemed more appropriate to hold the discussion group under the motto “Bridging the Gap” rather than “Brain Gain, Brain Drain”. In their opening statements, Eva Schernhammer, Robert Gassner, and Reinhard Heinisch criticized primarily the Austrian praxis of putting seniority and political connections over accomplishment in promoting scientists in academia. These remarks were met with emphatic statements by leading advocates of the reform movement in Austrian science, that the recently granted autonomy of Austria’s universities from the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, the abolishment of tenure, and the mandatory evaluations of performance have leveled the playing field. It was acknowledged, however, that these reforms will take time to be fully implemented before their true impact on the quality of teaching and research at Austrian universities can be evaluated. Some participants wished even more radical reforms. One was the suggestion that universities should increasingly secure funding through indirect costs from competitive grants awarded by the Austrian Science Fund. It was recommended that university professors should cover 10-20% of their annual salary out of grants, which would serve as an additional incentive to improve mentoring of those students that actually perform the bulk of research work. Alternatively, Professor Georg Wick, the President of the Austrian Science Fund, suggested that principal investigators should be allowed to augment their meager base salaries through competitive grants, which would award directly excellence in research. It appears likely that competitive grants in Austria will contain in the near future indirect costs to be paid directly to departments and universities as an incentive to recruit scientists most likely to secure such funds. But the other two suggestions were rejected with the argument that Austrian universities due to their tremendous teaching load resemble rather state colleges than top private universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The latter institutions also enjoy the advantage that most of their students are enrolled in graduate or post-graduate programs and that they can choose among the brightest and most talented not only in the US but from around the world. Adoption of the excellent mentoring programs at American universities should meet less resistance. For instance, it is typical that several rather than a single professor supervise a graduate student throughout his or her studies. This would also enable inclusion of an Austrian scientist from abroad in the mentoring of students, which would open additional opportunities for research stays at foreign research institutions either during or after graduate study. Universities should also consider to strengthen ties to top scientists outside Austria by appointing them as adjunct professors, a formal requirement for teaching Austrian students.


Funding, Programs and Industry's financial support
There was a general consensus among participants about the necessity of spending one to two years at a foreign research institution following graduation. There are several funding opportunities. However, it was emphasized that Austria should expand its program of scholarships, such as the Erwin Schrödinger stipends, to those returning to Austria to cover salaries and to a certain degree research expenses during the first two to three years following repatriation. This would also help to counter the perception or fact, that a stay abroad damages career opportunities due to a lack of informal and personal contacts.
Industry was asked to donate more funds to Austrian science for basic research. This is already happening as demonstrated by the recent pledge by Frank Stronach to donate several millions of Euro toward the foundation of a new department at the Technical University of Graz, Styria, that will educate a new generation of managers for high-tech industry. The willingness of industry and private persons to sponsor research could be fostered by changes in Austrian tax law and a more careful protection of intellectual property by Austria’s universities, which in turn should grant the right of first refusal to Austrian companies. The new autonomy of Austria’s universities has created the prerequisites for the installation of offices of science and technology that support scientists both logistically and financially in filing patents and negotiating licensing agreements.


Excellence already starts in school
A major recommendation of the discussion group was to proceed carefully with the reform of the Austrian school system, the quality of which is a major incentive for Austrians living abroad with family to return to Austria. It was also emphasized that Austrian schools should begin even earlier with the theoretical, but also practical teaching of natural sciences. Pupils in secondary schools should also be given the opportunity to come to know leading Austrian scientists in person, which is still one of the most successful ways of motivating young minds to pursue a certain career. For the same reason, it is important to keep cutting edge research at the universities, which are primarily responsible for the education and training of new generations of scientists. New research institutions outside universities may facilitate recruitment of top scientists, who shy away from the burdensome tasks of teaching and administration, but this will only accelerate the already significant separation of teaching and research. Consequently, formal training will become even heavier on the teaching of factual knowledge rather than methodological skills that enable the critical reading and innovative application of emerging scientific insights.
One of the most characteristic traits of successful scientists is their childlike curiosity that knows no taboos and limits. Typically, this curiosity is lost in the process of a traditional college or university education, particularly, when reproduction of factual knowledge is emphasized over the demonstration of generally applicable skills of analysis and synthesis of theoretical and practical concepts. It is also desirable to involve young and bright talents as early as possible in research aside from formal course work. This early engagement allows top American universities to outperform even mere research institutions. Cutting edge research and teaching are not irreconcilable elements, provided that universities have access to sufficient competitive funding. In addition, despite the economic importance of natural sciences and engineering, one should not forget that they should be conducted in an appropriate social, ethical, legal, and political framework. If we want to curb the increasing alienation of society from advances in natural sciences and technology, we have to ensure the training and employment of students of the social and philosophical sciences. They play an important role in communicating and laying the groundwork for ultimate acceptance of technological advances that impact our daily life.
Ingrid Kohl, the mother of a two-year old, criticized the shortage of day-care centers and all-day schools in Austria compared to the US. This constitutes a significant disadvantage for working mothers. She also reported, based on her personal experience with job interviews, about continued discrimination against women whose potential reproductive wishes are considered a threat against continuity in research and technology development. Such behavior can only be overcome by a change of attitude of society as a whole, and politicians and other leaders of society are reminded of their obligation to lead the public in the fight against discrimination of women and minorities.


OST and ASCINA
All participants praised the efforts of Dr. Philipp Steger in building a network of Austrian scientists and professionals in North America. They supported Dr. Steger in his request for federal funds to secure long-term the activities of the Office of Science and Technology (OST) in Washington DC. He also asked for about 20 travel stipends per year to enable young Austrian talents working in North America to present their research in Austria. It was also understood that the OST can only be successful if it is assured the active collaboration of Austrian scientists in North America. Austrian scientists, artists, and professionals in high-tech industry will have to answer the pressing question whether they want their needs to be presented by individuals with no mandate other than watching out for their own interest or by an organization such as ASCINA with periodically elected representatives. For ASCINA to be an effective and successful organization, funds will have to be raised from public and private sources. Fund raising requires registration as a non-profit society or association in the US, which will complement ASCINA’s registration in Austria last year. It will also constitute an important step in the education of both the Austrian and American public with regard to the numerous contributions of researchers, engineers, and artists with Austrian roots to the advancement of science, technology, and art. It is important that ASCINA is not only perceived as an organization that fosters repatriation to Austria, but which also represents the needs of Austrian professionals in North America. Nobody can do that better than the actual brains behind Austrian ingenuity.


Conclusions of the Discussion and Start-up of a Dialog
The discussion concluded with an honest declaration of intent by all participants to continue the dialog and to integrate the experience and expertise of Austrian emigrants in the ongoing reform of Austrian research and entrepreneurial spirit. There was a general consensus that Austrian science and technology development should not be understood any longer as being conducted exclusively by Austrians in Austria. In several instances, it may be better in the short term to support financially Austrian researchers in their current environment in North America, instead of repatriating them immediately. Even if Austria were to double its research expenditures in the coming two years, there would be realistically insufficient resources to create critical mass in all areas of research and technology development. Creation of such critical mass, however, is a prerequisite for repatriated Austrian scientists to ensure a seamless continuation of their excellence shown at top American research institutions. We also have to realize that financial resources will never suffice to support each and every scientific venture. Even the National Institutes of Health, despite their budget of billions of dollars, has to focus on certain areas considered the most pressing and promising, within which scientists can compete freely for funds to realize the proposed goals.
Once again, repatriation of young talent and top Austrian scientists will only succeed, if federal and state governments as well as Austrian industry provide sufficient funds for the sciences and technology development. The cultural and intellectual heritage of Austria and its high standard of living constitute emotional incentives for repatriation. But without sufficient funding, an accomplished scientist, who seeks competition with the best and intends to win the race for new insights into nature and technology, will have no alternative but emigration.
Finally, an exponent of Austrian ingenuity who opts to stay abroad and confesses publicly to his or her roots will nevertheless be living testimony to the accomplishments of a modern nation and bring down barriers in the exchange of ideas and capital between Austria and North America. In a world of global economy, science should not know any longer any borders and the brightest and best should be able to meet and conduct their research wherever the conditions are most conducive to realization of certain aims of importance to humankind. In this sense, all Austrian scientists, both at home and abroad, should join forces in their compassionate demand for better infrastructure, more resources and a research space free of discrimination and driven by ability and performance.

The discussion group and the technology symposium in its entirety came up with hands full of constructive ideas for restoring Austria once more as the intellectual center of Europe. One can only hope that the dialog will continue in the same spirit in the coming months.

P.S. I thank Robert Gassner, Reinhard Heinisch, Günter Lepperdinger, and Eva Schernhammer for their constructive remarks.