site.btaCabinet Approves New Rules of Organisation of National Science Fund

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved new Rules of Organisation of the Bulgarian National Science Fund, as envisaged in the Scientific Research and Innovation Promotion Act. The goal is to create specific and sustainable rules and procedures for the Fund's work with guaranteed transparency in decision-making, the Government Information Service reported.

The newly approved Rules stipulate that that the Fund Manager will be appointed by the Minister of Education and Science after a competition. Temporary and permanent scientific and expert committees will be established under the Fund. The former will organise the evaluation and rank the research projects in the competitions, while the permanent committees will analyse and evaluate the implementation of the funded projects in the respective scientific fields.

The activities of the Fund will be carried out on the basis of a three-year operational programme, which will be developed by the Fund Manager and adopted by the Executive Board, and approved by the Minister of Education and Science in consultation with the Minister of Innovation and Growth.

The Bulgarian National Science Fund and the National Innovation Fund will work in synchrony, with coordination in the funding of basic and applied research, including dissemination and innovation activities, new technologies, technology transfer, entrepreneurial skills building and promotion, supported by the Innovation and Research Council and with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Education and a representative of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth on the Fund's Executive Board.