Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case

PLOS ONE, Mar 2017

Background The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. Methods This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). Results The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. Conclusions Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors.

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Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case

RESEARCH ARTICLE Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case Pedro Aceituno-Aceituno1*, Lorenzo Melchor2, Joaquı́n Danvila-del-Valle3, Carlos Bousoño-Calzón4 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 1 Departamento de Administración y Dirección de Empresas y Economı́a, Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA), Collado Villalba (Madrid), España, 2 Independent Researcher, London, United Kingdom, 3 Departamento de Administración y Dirección de Empresas y Economı́a, Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA), Collado Villalba (Madrid), España, 4 Departamento de Teorı́a de la Señal y Comunicaciones, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UCIIIM), Leganés (Madrid), España * Abstract OPEN ACCESS Citation: Aceituno-Aceituno P, Melchor L, Danviladel-Valle J, Bousoño-Calzón C (2017) Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0173204. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0173204 Background The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. Editor: J. Alberto Conejero, IUMPA - Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, SPAIN Received: June 29, 2016 Accepted: February 16, 2017 Published: March 15, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Aceituno-Aceituno et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: This work was supported by the Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social de España/Dirección General de Migraciones (http:// www.empleo.gob.es/es/) Expediente N˚. 3.34/13. Novanca/Caja Rural (http://www.novanca.com) Contrato de Investigación de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid con Novanca/Caja Rural. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and Methods This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). Results The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0173204 March 15, 2017 1 / 23 Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. This study was supported by Novanca/Caja Rural (http://www. novanca.com) Contrato de Investigación de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid con Novanca/Caja Rural. This does not alter adherence to PLOS ONE policies on data sharing. There are no relevant declarations relating to employment, consultancy, patents, products in development, marketed products, to declare. Abbreviations: ACE Japón, Asociación de Cientı́ficos Españoles en Japón; ACES, Association of Spanish Scientists in Sweden/Asociación de Cientı́ficos Españoles en Suecia; AES, Acción Estratégica de Salud; CED, Spanske Forskere i Danmark/Cientı́ficos Españoles en Dinamarca; CERFA, Cientı́ficos Españoles en la República Federal de Alemania; COFIS, Colegio Oficial de Fı́sicos; ECUSA, Comunidad de Españoles Cientı́ficos en Estados Unidos; FEBiotec, Federación Española de Biotecnólogos; FECYT, Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology /Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnologı́a; FUE, Fundación Universidad-Empresa; MEC, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia; R&D&i, Research, Development and Innovation; RedIEX, Sistema de Comunicación con Investigadores en el Exterior; SECTI, Sistema Español de Ciencia y Tecnologı́a; SNS, Sistema Nacional de Salud; SRAP/IEAP, Spanish Researchers in AustraliaPacific/Investigadores Españoles en AustraliaPacı́fico; SRS / CRE, Scientists returned to Spain / Cientı́ficos retornados a España; SRUK/CERU, Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom/Comunidad de Cientı́ficos Españoles en el Reino Unido; SSA / CIEX, Spanish scientists abroad / Cientı́ficos españoles en el exterior; YRS / JIES, Young researchers in Spain / Jóvenes investigadores en España. Conclusions Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors. Introduction Accelerated international migration, from less developed to more developed countries, has reduced the number of physicians in poor countries [1]. This one-sided migration is a big global public health problem that also affects middle-income countries [2]. The incorporation of scientists to health services not only encourages medical research in health services [3,4], but also improves researchers´ performance in translational research [5]. However, when the brain drain involves health scientists, these beneficial effects, as well as the rapid incorporation of research advances into clinical practice, do not occur. Curing patients becomes a long and expensive process and results in a worse diagnosis and treatment [6]. The business sector also benefits from inventing, testing and commercializing new drugs, vaccines, and medical equipment that are normally protected by patents and may provide better diagnoses and treatments for patients. Gove (...truncated)


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Pedro Aceituno-Aceituno, Lorenzo Melchor, Joaquín Danvila-del-Valle, Carlos Bousoño-Calzón. Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case, PLOS ONE, 2017, Volume 12, Issue 3, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173204