Federalización, desconcentración y descentralización de la ciencia y la tecnología en Argentina: El papel del COFECYT y su forma de distribución de recursos (2004-2020)

Abstract

Efforts to federalize science and technology (S&T) in Argentina have mostly focused on the territorial deconcentration of public resources. This article aims, on the one hand, to deepen the discussion on the governance of the S&T system and, particularly, on the decentralization of policies, focusing on the role of the Federal Council for Science and Technology (COFECYT in Spanish). On the other hand, given the links between decentralization and deconcentration, we analyze the distribution and territorial impact of the funds managed by COFECYT between 2004 and 2020. With a view to a more comprehensive treatment of the federalization of S&T, COFECYT seems to be an appropriate space to guide the debate and possible negotiations on the decentralization or other changes in the territorial governance of the system. Furthermore, despite the low impact of COFECYT funds on the aggregate, the way they are distributed among provinces may provide new considerations on how to strengthen or where to direct deconcentration strategies.