EU scientists’ spending power lags behind Indian counterparts

The figures, weighted to account for the local cost of living, were published by the European Commission earlier this week.

The Commission appears unfazed by the threat of a brain drain of our best scientific talent to better paid countries such as the US. “There's a flow of researchers in both directions across the Atlantic,” said Antonia Mochan, spokeswoman for Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik. “The main problem isn't scientists moving overseas, it's scientists leaving science," she added.

Gender gap

One of the other key concerns of the Commission is the high drop out rate among female scientists. The figures hint at one cause, showing there’s a sharp difference between the pay of male and female researchers in most European countries.

The gender pay gap rises to 35 percent at its extreme, and is most pronounced in Estonia, Czech Republic, Israel and Portugal, the study found.

Pay varies widely within the EU too, with average salaries in Bulgaria standing at less than €10,000, while researchers in Austria take home around €60,000.

Indeed, researchers in Austria, the Netherlands and Luxembourg receive close to the amounts paid in the US, while those in Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria earn less than a third of that amount, underlining the scope for brain arbitrage within the continent.

But while the wide differences are a concern, more alarming to the Commission is the fact that a mere 3 percent of researchers in Europe work outside their home country.

"If Europe is to be able to face the challenges of the future, then we need knowledge to move freely to where it can best be used, and that includes our researchers," said European Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potočnik. “This huge disparity of salaries within the EU certainly distorts free movement, and also contributes to our top people seeing better opportunities elsewhere in the world.”

Impasse over "researchers' passport"

Potočnik is battling to introduce a European “researchers’ passport” to help break down barriers for scientists. But fifteen member states had failed to put in place a system for allowing third party nationals into the EU to carry out scientific research when the deadline for applying the directive passed last month.

Potočnik called on member states to pass the necessary legislation, saying, “If Europe is to be a world leader in science, then it must be open to the world. The current system can be off-putting for scientists from abroad who want to work with their European counterparts.”

The Commission sees the free movement of scientists both within the EU and from third party states as essential for the development of the European Research Area.

The study, carried out online, attracted almost 10,000 responses from researchers at various stages of their careers, in the public and private commercial sectors across the EU-25 and associated countries.