The Venezuelan government announced on 3 June a grant of 336 million bolivars (US$156 million) to the country's research universities, with the largest amount, 66 million bolivars, going to the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. Science and technology investment has risen in recent years to 2.69% of gross domestic product, said science minister Jesse Chacón. The number of research scientists working in Venezuelan universities more than tripled between 1999 and 2008, from 1,689 to 6,038, he said. However, government-funded institutions recently had their budgets cut by 6%, although salaries were not affected (see page 898).