R&D&I Council discusses initial draft 2025+ budget for science and research
On 24 November 2023, another regular meeting of the Council for Research, Development and Innovation (the Council) took place at the Government’s seat, the Straka Academy, chaired by Minister Helena Langšádlová. The Council members were informed about work on the draft budget for science and research for the next period, received updates about the concept of institutional support for excellence at universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences, and they approved the timetable for discussing the conclusions of the current national evaluation in accordance with the Methodology 2017+ with support providers.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Council approved the material Initial proposal of the State budget expenditure on research, experimental development and innovation for the years 2025–2027. The Council’s proposal respects Government Resolution No 703 of 27 September 2023 on the Draft Act on the State Budget of the Czech Republic for 2024 with a view to 2025 and 2026. The Council’s initial proposal will serve as a basis for preparing expenditure proposals to be submitted by the individual budget chapter administrators by 22 January 2023.
“In line with the Council’s resolution, in the next year, I will be advocating for the Government to increase State spending on research, development and innovation in the 2025+ budget period. The Council will continue to reflect its priorities of promoting excellence, people in science and supporting transfer. The budget for the period 2025+ will be prepared in cooperation with the relevant budget chapters at the beginning of next year and the Council will submit its final proposal to the Government by 31 May 2024,” said Minister Helena Langšádlová on the draft State budget expenditure on science and research.
Furthermore, the Council members approved its opinion on the Final Report on the Implementation of the Concept of Medical Research until 2022. The main objective of the Concept was to ensure an internationally comparable level of health research and to use its results to improve the health of the Czech population and at the same time to cover the current needs of the Czech health care system. The Council also learned about the Concept of Institutional Support for Excellence at Selected Universities and within the Czech Academy of Sciences. The Concept aims to contribute to an increase in the number of excellent workplaces, a more significant involvement of Czech scientists in the European research space and a higher participation in community resources. At the same time, the Concept and its implementation have a formative influence on the research, development and innovation system itself, including the link to education, especially within doctoral study programmes.
The Council members voted on the schedule of the tripartite meetings with providers, which will conclude this year’s round of evaluation of research organisations in accordance with the 2017+ Methodology at the national level. The Council also agreed on a Call for Proposals for members of the Committee for Evaluating Research Organisations and Completed Programmes. The Call will be published at www.vyzkum.gov.cz
At the end of this year, Minister Langšádlová and the Council are preparing a series of events for experts and professionals. The Council has confirmed that it will, for example, organise a round table of the working group People in Science entitled “Equal Opportunities as a Path to Excellence”, which will take place on 5 December 2023 at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, or prepare a conference on disinformation entitled “Ready to Fight? How Scientists Contribute to Societal Resilience to Hybrid Threats”, aimed at synergistically linking the experience and competences of experts from academia, security, military and government.
Source: press release of the R&D&I Council – Office of the Government of the Czech Republic | 26 November 2023
