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.
Another is that the system gives insufficient or no recognition to the work involved in teaching and the diffusion of research results (conferences, etc.).
For Level II, in addition to the previous requisites the research output must be recognized as that of a leader in the field with its quality being assessed by senior members of the System.
[6] Mexican researchers that work abroad and are SNI members do not receive an economical incentive, and their membership is considered as an academic distinction.
Most members, just over fifty percent are in the Mexico City area, with other concentrations of researchers in Baja California, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Veracruz.
Its first priorities were to select the first round of members and then establish salaries for researchers that would counter the effects of “brain drain.”[2][3] Since its initial formation it has experienced reforms and adjustments to its organization and evaluation criteria, most notably in 1986, 1988, 1993 and 1995.
During this time it was part of CONACYT's larger program to reforming post-graduate study in the country, which suffered from low standards and quality.
[2] However, after twenty five years, there has been institutional fatigue and other issues presented by changing technologies and other challenges in higher education.