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Communiqué |
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May 13, 1999 Université de Montréal and its affilliated hospitals fight to keep 20 young researchers in the province |
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Université de Montréal and its affiliated hospitals will award 20 grants valued at $150,000 to young health sciences researchers as an incentive for them to remain in Québec as part of the Relève medicine 2000 campaign. "To stop the brain drain, we have to give young researchers the resources they need to work in Québec. These grants are a big part of those resources," noted Dr Patrick Vinay, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Université de Montréal. The goal of the Relève medicine 2000 campaign is to raise 3 million dollars. Through this campaign, the Faculty of Medicine and its network of research centres are sending out a clear, strong message to Québec society as a whole about how urgent it is to act, by helping our young researchers and stopping the drain of the best brains. To date, the UofM Faculty of Medicine has managed to mobilize the research centres at its 13 affiliated hospitals so that they will earmark money from their budgets or foundations to provide grants to young researchers. Mr. Vinay went on to say that, in their efforts to catch up with other institutions, Québec universities have produced a large number of young researchers in the field of health. After studying for ten years, most of them would like to be able to find a permanent position as a professor or researcher in the university system or in hospitals. However, severe budget cuts by various levels of government have dampened their hopes of working in their field. The situation is further complicated by lower funding levels to higher education and health. Young people find they have fewer employment prospects. For them it is crucial that they obtain research grants if they are to advance in their field of research. The money we are providing is their only guarantee of income so they will be able to work in Québec. The number of young researchers facing financial difficulties continues to rise, and many of them must consider leaving Québec, if they have not already done so. "This situation has a deleterious effect on our society," Dean Vinay laments. "Someone else will benefit from what they have to offer, while the high cost of their training has to be paid by Québec taxpayers." The grants will be distributed over three years, during which researchers will enjoy the same employment benefits as appear in their professors' contracts. By the end of this period, the Faculty of Medicine may be able to offer positions to some, if not all of these young scientists. In fact, based on our projections, hiring should resume in the year 2003. The Relève medicine 2000 campaign was launched last year with its first fund-raising activity in conjunction with the bicycle rally. The second edition of the bicycle rally will be held on September 12, 1999. The 13 hospitals affiliated with Université de Montréal are: Centres hospitaliers universitaires Hôpitaux et instituts affiliés -30- Source: Renseignements:
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Questions, commentaires, critiques? Écrivez à la Direction des communications Dernière modification : 13 mai 1999 |