The expenses for basic science need to be supported in GDP percentage, in spite of “difficult situation”, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said during the meeting of the President’s Council for Education and Science, RNS reports.
“In spite of the difficult situation, we need to support level of expenses for basic science in GDP percentage. Economizing today, we will definitely lag behind tomorrow, and we cannot let that happen. Along with budgetary funds, we will allocate extra-budgetary funds in order to keep the amount of financing of fundamental science in GDP percentage in the nearest two-three years”, he said.
Putin added that we need once and for all to refuse from practice of spreading budgetary funds with a thin layer among research organizations”.
“The funds should be allocated to efficient groups based on competition and competitive selection, so we could count on receiving the necessary result”, the President emphasized, adding that the budget of the Russian Scientific Fund in 2017 will increase up to 18.7 billion rubles.
