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Politics

Spain: Lottery Tickets for Research

January 15, 2014

The Spanish government introduced strict austerity measures last year, aimed at reining in public debt. Now the country's scientists are feeling the pinch.

https://p.dw.com/p/1ArNC
The work of Luisa Botella, a genetic researcher in Madrid, offers the only hope for many patients suffering from the genetic disorder Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. But her research project now looks set to finish, because the Spanish government has halved its funding. So the highly qualified scientist is now selling lottery tickets in her free time to further fund her research. Meanwhile other scientists are opting to leave Spain.