Translated material
The Art of Interpretation
The Ministry of Finance reads the Decree of the President of Russia in a way that suits its interests
It seemed that the budget of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Russian Humanitarian Fund was increasing by 2.5 billion rubles. this year and Decree of the President of Russia No. 599 of May 7, 2012, establishing that funding for scientific funds: the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Russian Humanitarian Foundation in 2018 should reach 25 billion rubles. (despite the fact that in 2011 the funds received only 7 billion rubles) [1], indicate a victory for the scientific community. Instead of 5 billion rubles written in the budget law for 2011 and the planning period of 2012 and 2013. for two funds this year they will receive 9.5 billion rubles, and their funding should continue to grow, albeit not as quickly as we would like. However, the financial department wants to make this victory more modest.
The “Main Directions of Budget Policy for 2013 and the Planning Period 2014-2015” published on the website of the Ministry of Finance, which briefly reflects the department’s position on the issue of the budget for these years, says: “In pursuance of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 2012 No. 599 “On measures to implement state policy in the field of education and science”, state support for the research and development sector will be increased, carried out through state funds for supporting scientific and scientific-technical activities (in 2013 by 2.5 billion rubles, in 2014 - 4.0 billion rubles, in 2015 - 6.0 billion rubles) with the goal of bringing it to 25.0 billion rubles by 2018. or growth compared to the current year’s volume by 1.85 times.”
It is obvious that with the current budget of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Russian Humanitarian Fund of 9.5 billion rubles. An increase in funding by 1.85 times cannot yield 25 billion rubles. It is unlikely that the Ministry of Finance does not know how to read, and the solution is apparently simple: the Presidential Decree talks about “increasing the total amount of funding for state scientific funds to 25 billion rubles by 2018,” and the “Main Directions” of the Ministry of Finance talks about support funds scientific and scientific-technical activities. And if you add to 9.5 billion rubles. RFBR and RGNF 4 billion rubles, which Bortnik’s fund receives, then everything immediately falls into place: the Ministry of Finance wants to increase funding for the RFBR and RGNF not by 2.63 times, as required by the Decree, but by 1.85, considering that the Decree concerns three rather than two funds.
In principle, the Decree does not list funds, and the Ministry of Finance could interpret the term “scientific foundations” not as narrowly as the scientific community, but here’s the problem: the author of the Decree clearly explained what he meant. Speaking at the General Meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences on May 22, 2012, Vladimir Putin said [2]: “We see how well the grant model has proven itself. Therefore, we intend to significantly—I want to emphasize this, significantly—to increase the resource content of state scientific funds that support promising scientific research. Thus, by 2018 it is planned to allocate up to 25 billion rubles. Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation."
So, apparently, we will have to remind the authorities about the promises recorded in legal acts and help the Ministry of Finance with their interpretation.
E.O.