The European Commission should implement fair pay policies for research grants to stop the ‘brain drain’ from eastern Europe

A significant proportion of the EU budget is spent on research grants aimed at encouraging research and innovation across Europe. Michael Galsworthy argues that while this funding is vital for supporting research, particularly in those states struggling from the consequences of the financial crisis, there is a substantial East-West divide in terms of how it is distributed.

One of the key problems in this respect is that researchers are paid different salary contributions depending on where they are located, encouraging a ‘brain drain’ away from poorer countries in eastern Europe.