The Research, Development and Innovation Council: "Increasing money for science will help the economy recover"
Czech science should receive a total of CZK 39.4 billion next year. That is 1.35 billion more than what the Ministry of Finance currently expects. Macroeconomic growth after the pandemic will not be possible without adequate investment in research. The budget was discussed at the April online meeting of the Research, Development and Innovation Council (the Council).
At the beginning of the meeting, the members of the Council approved the second version of the draft state budget expenditures on research, development and innovation (R&D&I) in 2022. It is 1.35 billion higher than the current proposal. Pavel Baran, First Vice-Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Scientific Council of the CAS, described the increase in money for science as an absolutely crucial step for the entire system of research, development and innovation.
"Today, the Council discussed the state budget expenditures on R&D&I for 2022, including the medium-term outlook. The Council assessed the needs of the R&D&I system and then agreed on a proposal for expenditures for 2022 in the amount of CZK 39.353 billion - i.e. CZK 1.35 billion above the medium-term outlook, "says the 1st vice-president #RVVI Pavel Baran. pic.twitter.com/Isj9j1BT51
-- Czech Academy of Sciences (@Akademie_ved_CR) April 30, 2021
The Council also proposed state budget expenditures for the following years. In 2023, they should amount to CZK 40.4 billion, in 2024 CZK 41.2 billion. According to the Council, the current proposal will secure the stability of research as well as applications and technology transfer. It will also create one of the conditions for long-term GDP growth and the competitiveness of the innovative application sector. The proposal is based on the assumption that macroeconomic growth will not be possible without investment in research and development after the pandemic crisis. The material is now coming to an interdepartmental comment procedure.
The meeting continued with a debate on the National Recovery Plan (NRP), which is currently being finalized. It should be submitted for approval to the European Commission in May. If all goes well, the conclusion of the related contractual documents between the Czech Republic and the European Commission should take place this summer.
The April meeting of the Council took place online again - Pavel Baran, First Vice-Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Scientific Council of the CAS, is pictured on the right.
The Council re-examined the state of preparations for the Jan Amos Komenský operational program (OP JAK), which is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The council also discussed the Operational Program Technology and Applications for Competitiveness (OP TAK), which is submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. OP TAK will support companies in the field of innovation, research and development, energy savings, renewable resources or digitization in the period 2021–2027.
In the same period, OP JAK will focus, among other things, on education and science, research and innovation. For example, there will be a stronger involvement of Czech research institutions in international projects. It will also help with the development of work skills - specifically, for example, through the fact that research institutions will provide subsidies in obtaining the HR Excellence in Research (HR Award).
The institutions of the Czech Academy of Sciences that have this EU certification are, for example, the Institute of Physics of the CAS, the Biological Center of the CAS, the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS and the Institute of Physiology of the CAS. We addressed the topic of HR Awards in AB / Akademický bulletin 5/2019.
In connection with the implementation of the Metodika 2017+ (Methodology 2017+), the Council approved the material "M17+ User Manual for Research Organizations, Members of Expert Panels, External Evaluators and Providers of Institutional R&D&I Support". The 2017+ methodology defines the scaling of research organizations according to a comprehensive evaluation, which has been taking place every five years since 2020. This user manual determines the procedure of this evaluation. The Council also discussed information from Deputy Minister of Health Martina Vašáková that the sequence of samples from covid-19 tests will be paid by the Ministry of Health. The money will not be used from the science budget. There is to be CZK 160 million in the subsidy program approved by the government on April 12.
More on the topic also in AB / Akademický bulletin 4/2021.
Prepared by: Jan Klika, Division of External Relations of The Centre of Administration and Operations of the CAS.
Photo: Council for Research, Development and Innovation
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 - 10:24
Translated with the financial support of the Capacity Development of ÚFCH JH, v.v.i. for Research and Development project; CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_028/0006251; European Structural and Investments Funds, Operational Programme Research, Development and Education.
