Research Policy

In this section, incrEAST offers information on national research policies, structures, programmes and organisations in Russia.

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Context of research policy

According to Article 13 of the Federal Law No. 127-FZ of August 23, 1996 “On Science and State Science and Technology Policy”, the procedure for shaping of state S&T policy in science and technology is as follows.
Medium-term and long-term trends for the state science and technology policy are defined by the President of the Russian Federation on the basis of a special report prepared by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Every year, in accordance with the President’s Letter on the current situation in the Russian Federation and with proposals of the Government of the Russian Federation, the legislative public authorities define the annual amounts allocated for the execution of federal S&T programmes and projects, the amount of financing of scientific organisations and the amounts channelled to federal foundations dealing with the support of S&T activity.

The definition of the main trends for state S&T policy, scientific and technological forecasts, the selection of priorities for the development of science and technology, the development of recommendations and proposals on the implementation of scientific programmes, S&T programmes and projects as well as on the use of S&T achievements are all carried out under the conditions of openness, using various forms of public discussions, evaluation and competitive procedures. State S&T policy is developed and implemented by the relevant executive authorities with the involvement of economic entities and taking into account the general state S&T policy.

Research policy: objectives and priorities

National science and technology priorities of the Science and Innovation Development Strategy of the Russian Federation are formulated as priority S&T areas⁴ and critical technologies⁵. The current priorities were approved by the President of the Russian Federation in May 2006 and are set for the period until 2015. The priority S&T areas define the general trends capable of providing new technologies and facilities that contribute to the development of national economy and social sphere.
The current List of Priority S&T Areas includes eight priorities:

• Information and telecommunications systems
• Nanosystems industry and materials
• Living systems
• Rational nature utilisation
• Power engineering and energy saving
• Transport, aviation and space systems
• Safety and terrorism counteraction
• Prospective armaments, military and special equipment

Detailed priorities are specified in the List of Critical Technologies of the Russian Federation, which forms the background for making decisions on concentrating public resources in the most important areas of science, technologies and innovation as well as on implementing the available S&T potential.

The first five priorities are implemented via traditional instruments – national S&T and innovation programmes, Federal S&T Programme “Research and Development in Priority Areas of Science and Technology,” as well as for other federal and sectoral goal-oriented programmes. Thematic priorities of the current Federal Targeted Programme “Research and Development in Priority Fields of S&T Complex of Russia for 2007-2012” are as follows:

• Nanotechnologies & materials
• Life sciences
• Power engineering & energy efficiency
• Rational nature management
• Information-communication technologies

Research policy: Policy making and coordination

The national S&T strategy is primarily developed by the following bodies:

• The Committee for Education and Science at State Duma submits draft federal laws to the committees, commissions and delegate associations of the State Duma, to the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation and the legislative (representative) and executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, for example, in April 2007, a draft federal law No. 407108-4 “On amendment to Article 2 of the Federal law “On Science and state S&T policy” (related to innovation activity)”
• The Committee for Science, Technologies and Education of the President of the Russian Federation elaborates proposals for the President on setting the priorities for the state S&T and innovation policy, state policy in education and measures aimed at their implementation. The Committee regularly informs the President on the current situation in science, technologies and education in Russia and abroad. The Committee develops proposals for interaction between the Russian Academy of Sciences, sectoral academies, other Russian research institutions and with foreign and international research organisations in order to coordinate their actions under the implementation of joint R&D projects.
• The Ministry for Education and Science: Ministry Board, Department for International Co-operation.
  

⁴Subject areas of S&T with the potential for making a major contribution to national security, economic growth, competitive capacity of Russian companies through the development of the technological foundations for the national economy and R&D-intensive production facilities.
⁵Sets of technological solutions that create potential for further development of various technological areas, possess a broad range of innovative applications in various sectors of economy and as a whole make the greatest contribution towards resolving the major problems of implementing scientific and technological priorities.

Source: HSE
Last up-date: 15.04.2008