The Ministry of Education and Science wants to update the Megagrants program for the return of departed scientists to the country

The Ministry of Education and Science proposes to update the Megagrants program and increase the maximum amount and terms of state support for scientific research under the guidance of leading scientists. The amount of grants can grow from 30 million to 100 million rubles. per year, the duration of their receipt – from three to five years. According to the plan of the authorities, this could attract scientists who had previously left it to the country. The program was actually suspended in order to modernize it after the outbreak of hostilities by the Russian Federation in Ukraine against the backdrop of the refusal of foreign organizations to participate in international projects for which grants had already been allocated.

The Ministry of Education and Science has prepared a draft government decree to update the Megagrants program aimed at creating world-class research laboratories in Russian universities and scientific organizations under the guidance of leading scientists (primarily foreign citizens and compatriots living abroad).

The maximum grant for such scientific research is increased from 30 million to 100 million rubles. per year, and the duration of this support measure is from three to five years. Also, by decision of the Grants Council, it is possible to receive an amount of 50 million rubles. per year, with support extended for up to three years. In this case, the volume of extrabudgetary funds for co-financing the program must be at least 50% of the annual grant amount. Now the prolongation is possible only for two years, while the funding in the second year must be provided by the grant recipient himself in the amount of at least 100% of the grant amount for the first year of the prolongation.

The amounts and dates mentioned are for projects with large objectives and will be determined by the Grants Board. But money can also be received for projects led by leading scientists who decide to move to a permanent place of residence in the Russian Federation or stay in the country for at least six months. It also provides for the allocation of grants to support research in priority areas of scientific and technological development – up to 50 million rubles. per year for up to five years and 30 million rubles. per year with a grant extension for up to three years. Grants are also provided for attracting young promising researchers – 15 million rubles. per year for up to two years with the possibility of extending the grant up to two years.

The project assumes that two categories of researchers will be able to participate in the updated program: leading scientists and young scientists up to 35 years old, while the nomination for the latter is introduced in this competition for the first time, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Khokhlov notes. He suggests that competition among young researchers could be great. As for leading scientists, the funding of new laboratories offered by the project may be attractive both for Russian scientists who would like to start research in a new scientific field, and for foreign ones, especially for those who cannot continue research in their country due to age-related restrictions, the expert believes.

It should be noted that competitions for such grants have been held by the government since 2010, Russian universities and scientific organizations together with foreign or Russian leading scientists holding leading positions in a certain scientific field can become participants in the program. Applications were last accepted from December 2021 to the end of January 2022, that is, even before the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine (then the program was actually suspended in order to modernize it). Based on the results, the Grants Council then determined 30 winners. Later, in September last year, the Ministry of Education and Science proposed to allow grant recipients to change the composition of foreign partners for joint research. The need for this department was explained by the fact that foreign organizations began to massively refuse to participate in international projects for which grants had already been allocated. The composition of research participants was proposed to be adjusted in order to work with organizations from friendly or neutral countries (see Kommersant dated September 30, 2022).

The Ministry of Education and Science explained to Kommersant that, despite the current geopolitical situation, in 2022, more than 50 leading scientists from 25 countries were attracted from abroad as part of the Megagrants program, including from China, India, Serbia, Egypt, USA, Australia and other countries. The department also noted that the program will help create conditions for a comfortable relocation of foreign scientists – assistance in obtaining visas, medical insurance, invitations for family members, payment for accommodation and travel.

Venera Petrova