The aim of this document is to improve the system of state funding for scientific and scientific-technical activities, as well as to align subordinate regulation with the law "On Science" and budget legislation. The draft is aimed at creating a unified model of state support for science.
Among the main tasks is the establishment of a unified procedure for basic, program-targeted, and grant funding of scientific activities, as well as a clear delineation of sources and forms of funding from the republican budget, the Science Fund, and the resources of sectoral state bodies. At the same time, the draft emphasizes the importance of grant funding as a key mechanism for supporting innovative and initiative scientific projects.
Within the framework of the initiative, the powers of the Cabinet of Ministers, the authorized state body in the field of science, the National Academy of Sciences, and sectoral state bodies are also clarified. Furthermore, the document improves the legal mechanisms for the operation of the Science Fund as a specialized financial instrument.
The justification for the draft notes that the current system of regulatory regulation of science funding is developing fragmentarily, which does not allow for uniformity in the application of legislation. The conducted analysis revealed duplicative and inconsistent norms, as well as insufficient clarity in the distribution of powers among state bodies.
It is proposed to approve an updated funding procedure that includes general rules for basic, program-targeted, and grant funding for science, as well as clearly defines the sources and forms of state support and planning procedures in the context of the budget process. The document clarifies the coordinating role of the authorized state body while maintaining the independent budgetary powers of the National Academy of Sciences and sectoral state bodies.
A new Regulation on the Science Fund will also be approved, which will define the fund as a specialized tool for supporting priority, innovative, and initiative scientific projects. This Regulation will enshrine the priority of grant funding, competitive mechanisms for project selection, and the possibility of flexible management of the fund's resources, including the redistribution of funding and the introduction of a moratorium on funding certain areas. Funding for the Science Fund will be carried out from the republican budget.
In addition, the draft proposes an update to the Regulation on the organization and conduct of independent scientific expertise with a change in the name of the authorized body.
The adoption of the new document will also lead to the repeal of the Cabinet's resolution "On the Approval of Regulatory Legal Acts on the Issues of Funding Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities and Conducting Independent Scientific and Scientific-Technical Expertise" dated April 12, 2024.
Additionally, the draft makes changes to subordinate acts concerning the conditions of remuneration for employees of scientific organizations, namely in the Cabinet's resolution dated February 7, 2025, "On the Conditions of Remuneration and Staffing of Employees of Scientific and Scientific-Technical Organizations," clarifying the circle of state bodies involved in funding scientific activities.
