Sistema Nacional de Investigadores
| Established | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Mission | Promote quantity and quality of professional research in Mexico |
| President | Xavier Soberón Mainero |
| Members | 16,400 (2010) |
| Location | Mexico, Mexico City |
| Website | http://www.conacyt.gob.mx/index.php/el-conacyt/sistema-nacional-de-investigadores |
Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) or SNI is a governmental agency established in Mexico in 1984, to promote both the quantity and quality of research in Mexico, especially in the sciences. In the 1980s, the country suffered from “brain drain,” with talent leaving Mexico for better economic opportunities in other places in the world. SNI first worked to established compensation guides to keep researchers in the country, but since has also been involved in the reform of Mexico’s graduate-level education. Membership in the system is prestigious, especially in Levels II, III and Emeritus which require demonstration of significant contributions in research as well as teaching and the promotion of research in Mexico.
The Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) is a governmental agency which promotes and evaluates professional research activity in Mexico. Its objective is to promote and strengthen the quantity and quality of research in Mexico through the evaluation of the work done. It promotes the interests of researchers through social and political work. It is a subsidiary of the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) and an integral part of the Sistema de Educación Superior y Científico in Mexico. The organization has been key in representing academia to the federal government. It works to increase the number of active researchers in Mexico, both by the creation and retention of prominent researchers as well as working to link research to teaching quality in higher education, with a particular focus on the hard sciences. The organization also offers research grants, which as of 2009 totaled over two billion pesos.
It is a cornerstone of the higher education system in the country, and is authorized to rank both research and researchers. The prestige of membership in the system has no equal in Mexico, and most of Mexico’s universities and research institutions have links to the organization. However, the organization has been criticized in the 2000s. One criticism of the organization is that it has replaced universities in the function of evaluating research in Mexico. However, most institutions of higher education in Mexico accept the organization’s evaluations. Another is that the system gives insufficient or no recognition to the work involved in teaching and the diffusion of research results (conferences, etc.). It also does not create a distinction between those in the physical and social sciences or humanities even though they have different ways of working.
Evaluation of members and potential members mostly relies on their academic credentials and production but also includes other factors such as the creation of programs and projects. To become and remain a member of the SNI, researchers must show a history of systematic research in their fields, done as part of their employment with a university or research institution and duly documented. At least twenty hours per week must be spent in research if in Mexico or work must be completely research related if abroad. Researchers are evaluated through the publication of articles, books, research results and book chapters as well as patents, technological innovations and technology transfer, if applicable. Other areas for evaluation include the direction of professional and post-graduate theses, the teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses and the formation of new researchers and research groups.
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