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 establish 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.