BIRA-IASB is supported on a structural basis by the Federal Science Policy through:

• the dotation
• the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE)

Since 2018, the personnel envelope is part of the overall dotation. Since then, cuts in operating funds have increased in order to maintain the current level of statutory staff. Federal non-structural, competitive, revenues (e.g. BRAIN, FED-tWIN, ...), despite a slight increase in 2019, have steadily been decreasing since 2015, as there are fewer and fewer opportunities.

BIRA-IASB is proud of its international recognition and working environment. By the end of 2020, 36 people of foreign nationality (22% of staff) work at the Institute. The Institute has 16 different nationalities (including Belgian). With the exception of two American and two Chinese colleagues, all staff members have European nationality.

More than half of the Institute's scientists are contractual men.

When we look at the level (SW, A, B, C, D), we find the highest percentage of women in level D. They are mainly cleaning ladies. In level C, we find mainly male technical and administrative assistants. In the higher levels (SW, A and B) the percentages of women vary between 25 and 31%.

This activity report illustrates the large variety of results obtained by the scientists at BIRA-IASB. Their activities strongly rely on the support of services such as engineering, IT, communication, administration and infrastructure. While the total number of employees has remained unchanged since 2018, the proportion of scientists has increased, while the support staff (mainly in the engineering and IT departments) has proportionally decreased.

This is easy to explain.