Putin wants policy makers to allow for Russian science’s competitive advantages

President Vladimir Putin of Russia wants the Russian Government to consider changing the very principle of funding scientific research. His  decree was published on January 15 on the Kremlin website among other presidential statements made in the wake of the December 20, 2013 meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Science and Education. 

“For the purposes of optimizing the use of budgetary funds” the Russian Cabinet is now expected to develop a mechanism of financing fundamental research primarily through targeted budgetary grants rather than funds allocated for broad national programs, according to the decree. 

In addition, Mr. Putin wants the Cabinet and the Russian Academy of Sciences to develop, by May 1, suggestions for a program of increasing salaries for scientists who “have achieved exceptional results in their research.” 

Also, the Russian Ministry of Science and Education is expected to develop mechanisms of government support for Russia’s scientific journals. 

Mr. Putin issued another order that concerns improvements in setting priorities for scientific research. The identification of focal areas for research should be based on acknowledging the key competitive advantages that Russian science has, on determining long-term goals for socio-economic development in Russia’s regions, and on recognizing national security challenges. The president wants to have a special procedure firmly in place that would enable the Russian scientific community and the Presidential Council for Science and Education to discuss such priorities prior to pursuing them as goals. 

The Russian Government has also been tasked with developing, by April 1, special “government assignments” for scientists to receive on a competition basis and complete.