We don't just want to stop a brain drain, we want to see a brain gain and to make this an attractive place for scientists to come to from all over the world Lord Sainsbury Better salaries may also be accompanied by money for research assistants and new equipment, as well as better working conditions. The package, announced in a Science White Paper, follows increasing concern over the loss of some of the UK's brightest scientists. He said there was a new mood in UK universities which valued highly scientists, particularly entrepreneurial scientists. Brighter future The Royal Society-backed initiative will be funded jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Wolfson Foundation research charity, which are both contributing 2m. Universities currently pay professors a minimum salary of 35,000 to 40,000.
Lecturers earn less.
The initial 4m will provide funding for a year, but the aim is to renew the scheme in subsequent years. A Higher Education Innovation Fund worth 140m would create better links between universities and the world of commerce, and help small firms exploit research. A Small Business Research Initiative would be introduced to encourage more hi-tech small firms to develop research capacity. SBS is fed up of spurious arguments that there is no evidence of a problem in recruiting and retaining the best people in science.