Federal Target Program "Personnel" - universities

2011 is a turning point in the implementation of the Federal target program “Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia”, designed for 2009-2013: this year should be the last of three years of holding mass competitions - for scientific and educational centers, groups under guidance of doctors and candidates of science, for graduate students and young candidates of science (events 1.1.-1.3.). However, it is not a fact that this year will be the year of truly massive competitions, similar to the competitions of 2009 and 2010.

In any case, the beginning of the announcement of this year's competitions is very different from what happened before. In past years, the first (main) round took place in the areas approved by the scientific coordination council of the Federal Targeted Program “Personnel” - “mathematics”, “mechanics”, “computer science”, “condensed matter physics”. physical materials science”, etc., within each direction (lot) a certain number of government contracts were awarded. As a result of the fact that competitions within the framework of the Federal Target Program are held in accordance with legislation that is not adapted to the financing of science (primarily Federal Law dated July 21, 2005 No. 94-FZ “On placing orders for the supply of goods, performance of work, provision of services for state and municipal needs") and the main role in the evaluation of the application is played by the contract price offered by the applicant, scientists are forced to dump. Due to this, “cost savings” occur, and the saved funds are spent in the “second round” of competitions, when lots are announced in several directions at once.

In February 2011, the announcement of competitions for the Federal Targeted Program “Personnel” began, in particular, it was announced for event 1.2. support for research by groups led by doctors and candidates of science. But this is not reminiscent of the “main tour” of past years, but of “tours due to savings”: often several directions are grouped into a lot, and the number of contracts within the lots - taking into account the breadth of the topic formulation - is small. For example, lot No. 3 of the first stage (natural sciences) of competitions for groups led by doctors of science, combining six areas of research (from condensed matter physics to astrophysics and cosmology), provides for the conclusion of only 12 government contracts. And lot No. 2 of the II stage (technical sciences) of the competition for groups led by doctors of science, uniting as many as nine (!) areas of research (from nanotechnology to construction and metallurgical technologies), provides for the conclusion of 15 government contracts. In total, 114 contracts are expected to be concluded in the competitions of groups led by doctors of science - much less than in previous years.

What's the matter? Even during the period of discussion of the concept and project of the Federal Target Program “Personnel”, some influential persons put forward proposals to reformat the Federal Target Program “Personnel” from a focus on competitions for young scientists, small scientific groups and educational centers to competitions for organizations that are much more financially significant. These, in particular, were the proposals put forward by E.P. Velikhov and A.A. Kokoshina. However, the Ministry of Education and Science at that time did not agree with them.

In 2010, the situation changed: it was decided to significantly cut funding for mass competitions for young scientists, research groups and research and educational centers, which cause the Ministry a lot of headaches, as well as other Program activities in favor of funding development programs for national research universities. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 18, 2010 No. 354 “On amendments to the federal target program “Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia” for 2009-2013” ​​provided for the inclusion of a new event in the program - event 2.7. "Development of a network of national research universities." Within its framework, financial support is provided for the implementation of “programs for the development of national research universities aimed at staffing priority areas for the development of science, technology, engineering, economic sectors, the social sphere, the development and introduction of high technologies into production” (see the appendix to this government decree [ 1]). Due to the redistribution of funds within the Program (including reducing funding for the above-mentioned mass competitions for activities 1.1.-1.3.), almost 20.5 billion rubles were allocated from the federal budget for university development programs.

Later, funding for mass competitions was cut even further - giving money to the management of universities is much more pleasant and less burdensome than distributing it among small groups; Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 23, 2010 No. 1095 increased funding for development programs of national research universities to 32.4 billion rubles. (see appendix to this government decree [2]). So there will be even more expensive equipment gathering dust idle in university buildings.

However, even if we focus on the latest edition of the Federal Target Program "Personnel", then in 2013 it is planned to allocate 618 million rubles to finance government contracts concluded with groups led by doctors of science. Since by this time the work under the three-year contracts concluded in 2009 and 2010 will end, the entire allocated amount will have to go to finance work under government contracts concluded in 2011. Taking into account the fact that the maximum amount of annual funding that groups can receive under the leadership of doctors of science, - 2 million rubles, in order to spend 618 million rubles, it is necessary to finance at least (due to the law 94-FZ, applicants very rarely request the maximum amount) 309 contracts, but not 114. The situation is approximately the same and with competitions for groups led by candidates of science - suspiciously few contracts are proposed to be concluded.

It cannot be ruled out, of course, that another redistribution is coming in favor of university development programs, but less than two months have passed since the last redistribution until the announcement of competitions, and it would be a little strange if the Federal Target Programs were ruled so often.

Another explanation could be a change in the order in which competitions are “launched.” The initial version of the Federal Target Program “Personnel” provided that mass competitions for activities 1.11.3. will be announced in the first, second and fourth years of the Programme. This was based on the following reason: if we assume that in the first year the competitions will be won by the strongest groups and teams, then in the fourth year of the Program they could again take part in competitions, receive two-year contracts, and thus have support in within the framework of the Federal Target Program “Personnel” throughout the five years of its operation. However, in the final version, a choice was made in favor of holding competitions for these activities in the first three years of the Program.

Now there is talk that the Federal Target Program “Personnel” will be replaced by some new state program in 2014, and therefore it cannot be ruled out that the possibility of announcing measures 1.1.-1.3 is being discussed. competitions, albeit not as massive as in the first two years, in 2013 and within their framework to conclude 2-3 hundred two-year contracts with research and educational centers, groups led by candidates and doctors of science, etc. But there are no direct indications that such a decision has been made—or at least its possibility is being discussed—so far.

In any case, it is regrettable that, as usual, the scientific community is not aware of what is happening and can only guess how events will develop further.

Evgeniy Onishchenko

1. www.government.ru/media/2010/5/21/30746/file/354.doc

2. www.government.ru/media/2011/1/12/38252/file/1095pril.doc