Sir

You report that the German government, which has been making efforts to rebuild the science base in east Germany, is changing its funding policy, because research in the east is now considered ready to compete with the west ( Nature 398, 7; 1999). We would like to add a point that is often forgotten: salaries in east German government-funded research labs are generally only at 86 per cent of the level of their west German counterparts.

This difference was introduced after the country's reunification to take account of the former lower productivity of companies, administrations and labs in the east. Curious effects can be observed as a result. In Berlin, for example, moving to a job across the street can bounce you from 100 per cent to 86 per cent payment (city versus federal funding). This makes it a tough job to hire scientists in the east.

We wonder whether the new east-west competition for federal research funds will in this respect be on a fair and equal footing, and hope that the government will find a way to solve this problem.