1st January 2000 – 31st December 2001
The Bank of Scotland
This research is concerned with the mobility of scientists and the consequences of this for scientific excellence and competitiveness in both sending and receiving countries and regions. It considers the factors shaping the migration decisions of scientists and potential barriers to mobility for out-going and returning scientists. The research focuses on 2 disciplines: physics and life sciences and on the flows between Italy and the UK. The research approach reflects the inter-disciplinary nature of the question and involves a range of techniques including: legal and documentary analysis; quantitative analysis of available statistical data; key informant interviews with policy makers in the UK, Italy and the EU, together with in depth qualitative work with mobile Italian scientists.