International Stays Abroad, Collaborations and the Return of Spanish Researchers

This article uses curricular information from a sample of applicants to the Spanish Ramón y Cajal
programme to, on the one hand, assess the extent to which international mobility has an impact on
the collaboration patterns of researchers and, on the other hand, to address the connection between
collaboration patterns and the likelihood of return to Spain. We focus on two main types of collaborations:
co-publications and collaboration in research projects through formal participation. We find
that longer stays abroad seem to provide better opportunities to publish with a host principal investigator
and to participate in research projects in the recipient country. We find that the length of the
stay also has an impact on the likelihood of return to Spain: longer stays abroad reduce the likelihood
of return. However, a longer duration international stay does not affect the collaboration links maintained
with the home country, which may persist over time. We also find that public financial support
is crucial for explaining and facilitating the return of Spanish researchers from abroad.