Scientific mobility often benefits researchers’ productivity and network but may lead to unbalanced flows from less to more attractive countries. This is the first quantitative study to examine a mobility program aimed at tackling this problem by favouring relocation within a geographical domain, by supporting the long-term relocation of experienced researchers: the Career Integration Grant (CIG), a funding scheme of the Marie Curie Actions under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme. CIG aimed to reinforce the European Research Area and counter the European brain drain to third countries by supporting the long-term relocation of experienced researchers in EU member states or associated countries. We consider three yearly calls between 2011 and 2013 and explore the effect on the chances of long-term relocation at country and institutional level. We find that obtaining the grant related to greater chances of long-term relocation in the host institution (+9.4%) and country (+8.2%). The grant was particularly effective for applicants’ subcategories that typically have less access to alternative funding sources: i) non-tenured, ii) scientists from soft sciences, iii) non “returnees” and moving to iv) non-high ranked institutions. We do not find a relationship with the probability to obtain a tenured position and on scientific productivity.

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Handling Editor: Gemma Derrick

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