Many of our academics met then the program is critical. Said, our science is poor, and at the invitation of scientist megarotica stand out fantastic amount of money, 5 million dollars, which is tempting for any foreign Professor. They’ll come, “cut down” the millions of our money to do their work and depart. And our science remains what it was..
Valery Falkov: Yes, such statements may sound, but this interpretation of the program is totally incorrect. Enough to see on what terms stood megagrants. Limitations are very serious. The remuneration of the leading scientist and research team is, as a rule, not more than 50 percent of the total. About 25 percent goes to the purchase of equipment, 10 per cent for the purchase of materials and components for research. The remaining funds are allocated for the internship of Russian scientists into the world scientific centers, scientific seminars, the cost of maintaining laboratories.
Critics argue that the publication of the grant of “weight” in terms of money much more than the publication of any Russian scientist, is not included in the program mega. By the way, how many publications of megarotica got into the most prestigious first quartile of the database Web of Science?
Valery Falkov: “Weight” of the publication and its value is determined not by the status of the program, not the funding and interest in the grant, that is, a citation and a desire to use it to move forward. As for the quartiles? Answer example 2019. Just last year in the resources indexed by the Web of Science, the results of megagrants was published 825 articles. Of them – 446 articles that comprise the first quartile, which is more than 50 percent.
According to some estimates, after the completion of the grant and the departure from Russia a leading scientist about 25 percent of the new laboratories are returned to the previous level. There were cases when the name of the scientist itself is not justified, and with him had to leave?
Valery Falkov: Laboratory that has experience working in a team with leading scientists for several years, in principle, can not return to its previous level. Of course, it can be transformed, combined with other laboratories, but “to return to the previous level” is initially incorrect statement. Were there cases when the name of the scientist could not be justified and had to leave? Yes, individual cases were, but they can be counted literally on the fingers of one hand. Difficult situation we have dealt with on the Board and make a decision about early completion of the project or its unsuccessful implementation.
full interview with head of the Ministry of science and higher education ��F Valery Halikovym read all about it “RG” from 29.04.2020.
