On the basis of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, an understudy of the Russian Academy of Sciences was created

As scientists feared, the functions of the new Center repeat or supplement some of the functions of the Academy.

The Russian Foundation for Basic Research ordered to live long. On its basis, the Russian Center for Scientific Information was created. The corresponding government decree was signed by Mikhail Mishustin on July 29. The new Center will be based on Leninsky Prospekt, 32A.

According to approved charter new FGBU RCNI, its founder is the government.

However, separate functions and powers are assigned to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. It will form and approve state assignments, plan financial and economic activities, and generally control the RCNI.

Recall that immediately after the project appeared at the beginning of the year, the Russian Academy of Sciences openly stated that it did not coordinate some of the functions of the new Center. In particular, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury Balega spoke about this. It was about scientific and methodological activities, expertise, international relations. “After all, this is all spelled out as the main functions of the RAS,” the academicians were indignant. The project also spoke about giving the RCNI the function of the country’s highest scientific organization. This generally burned to the core of those who serve science in the Russian Academy of Sciences (it will turn 300 years old in 2024!) “How so! Not otherwise than someone at the top decided to get even with the Academy completely!

Fortunately, so far everything is not as tragic as expected – the Government Decree states that: “The Russian Center for Scientific Information belongs to the most significant scientific institutions until December 31, 2023 inclusive.” That is, it is no longer the highest scientific organization of the country (which is good), but for a limited period. It is not clear, however, in which direction the changes will be made after its expiration… Is the Government giving the Academy a deadline to show its best side, so that at the end of 2023 no one would have a desire to give the highest status to the RCNI? Wait and see.

However, RCNI nevertheless chopped off a certain functionality from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Let’s go in order. The main goals and objectives of the Center are:

– Support for the conduct and development of research and development. — The RAS has something similar;

– Implementation of interaction with the Commission for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation and councils on priority areas of scientific and technological revolution. – RAS function;

– Providing Russian scientists with access to scientific information, including subscriptions to scientific publications and databases <...>publishing and distribution of scientific journals, including those in foreign languages… – Publishing activities are listed in the charter of the Russian Academy of Sciences among the main activities;

– Implementation of scientific diplomacy. – Alas, this is also spelled out in the main activities of the Academy. And further. The resolution lists expert activity as one of the functions of the RCNR. On this occasion, colleagues from TASS took a comment from the Ministry of Education and Science. Here is what they answered about this: “… The expert activity of the RCNR will be additional in relation to the examination of scientific and technical programs and projects of the Russian Academy of Sciences.” By the way, I specifically checked: the abbreviation “RAN” is never found in the Charter of the RCNI! As if there is no such organization. Isn’t it strange? It is good that it remained in the words of the employees of the relevant Ministry.