SLOVENIAN RESEARCH AGENCY PRESENTATION

Ljubljana, 2007

SLOVENIAin the Heart of EUrope

Basic data:Constitution: Parliamentary democracyCapital: Ljubljana (population 330 000)Area: 20 273 km2Population: 2.009.052Population density: 98.0 per km2GDP: 27,6 mrd USDGDP per capita: 13.849 USD (2003)GDP per capita PPP: 15.000 USD (1999)Annual real growth rates of GDP: 2,3 (2003)

Young country with rich scientific culture!• The begining of science and technology to the late

Middle Ages – University of Ljubljana - 1919– Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts - 1938– modern research institutes - after 2. world war– parallel and complementary concept of S&T

policy from 60’s– autonomous institutional construction of S&T

policy from 1991

Contents:

• About Slovenian Research Agency• Some facts about the research

system in Slovenia • Recent changes of the Slovenian

science policy • Main research policy instruments• Research evaluation system of SRA

Logo of the SRA

A brief description of the SRA logo

A graphic image of the manuscript of the Logarithm Tables by Slovenian mathematician, physicist and artillery officer Jurij Vega.

• Establishing: November 2004, Government of the Republic of Slovenia

• Status: a legal person of public law; indirect user of the budget of the Republic of Slovenia

• Mission: performing professional tasks relating to implementation of the adopted National Research and Development Programme

• Budget: 145 million € per year (2006)

SRA main areas of operation Promotion of

excellent and aplicative

research

Monitoring and analysing

Funding of research

Objectiveevaluation

SRA main function: Carrying out selected tasks of public interest, with the purpose of ensuring highly competent and independent evaluation and selection of the research programmes and projects financed from the national budget of the Republic of Slovenia.

MISSIONThe Slovenian Research Agency as an independent public funding organisation perform tasks relating to the National Research and Development Programme and creation of European Research Area.

• provides framework for scientific research within the national budget and other sources

• promotes high quality scientific research in Slovenia and its application

• fosters internationaly comparable evaluation standards in Slovenia

• provides the transparency of organising research community in Slovenia

• promotes international research cooperation • analyses R&D activities and provides science policy expertise

Organisation chart of the SRAManagement Board

Scientific Council

Expert bodies

Temporary expert bodies

Peers

Director

Scientific Fields

Research Infrastructure

Young Researchers

MonitoringInternational

Cooperaration

Finance

General Affarirs

Information Technology

Working bodies

National organisation chart of public decision-making and funding

Science & Technology

Council of theRepublic of

Slovenia

Government of the Republicof Slovenia

Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology

Slovenian ResearchAgency

Funding of Science

Ministry of Defence

Other ministrie

s

SRA budget by research activities, 2006

84,4

25,619,7

14,4

1,8

0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 80,0 90,0

BASIC AND APPLIEDRESEARCH

PERSONNEL DEVELOPM ENT

INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

INTERNATIONALCOOPERATION

M io evro

145 mio €

1.300 FTE by research type

Reasearch programmes

Basic projects

Applied projectsPost-doctoral projects

Target research programmes

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Target research programmesPost-doctoral projectsApplied projectsBasic projectsReasearch programmes

Funding of research by fields of science

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

%

Government funding of research by fields of science; Sweden (2001), Slovenia (2005)

Sweden - 2001Slovenia - 2005

Contents:

• About Slovenian Research Agency• Some facts about the research

system in Slovenia • Recent changes of the Slovenian

science policy • Main research policy instruments• Research evaluation system of SRA

Institutionalresearch landscape• 4 Universities:

– University of Ljubljana (26 faculties)– University of Maribor (12 faculties)– University of Primorska (7 faculties)– University of Nova Gorica (6 faculties)

• National Research Institutes (15)• Private (non-profite) Research

Institutes (ca. 100)• Research unites in business (ca. 300)

Comparative structure of the sources of financing R&D expenditure

46

50

53

56

59

59,3

64

66

66

71

72

73

30

36

39

35

31

35,3

29

29

32

26

21

19

6

3

2

2

3

1,4

5

5

0,4

1

4

8

18

11

7

7

5

4

2

3

3

0,4

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

UK

Netherlands

France

EU

Denmark

Slovenia

OECD

USA

Germany

Finland

Sw eden

Japan

Business sector Government sector Other Funds from abroad

Funding from different sources as a % share of RD expenditure by sector of

performance

68

81

5

5

26

37

6

1

1

0

2

1

15

11

93

88

69

55

4

1

0

0

1

0

7

6

1

7

2

7

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fi - Public s. (state + privat non-profit)) 01

SLO - Public s. (state + privat non-profit))01

Fi - Business s. 01

SLO - Business s. 01

Fi - Total R&D expenditure 01

SLO - Total R&D expenditure 01

Government

Other domestic public

Compaineis

Domestic funds

Foreign funding

Fi

Fi

Fi

R&D expenditure as a % of GDP

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

1991 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

%

Denmark EU Finland France Japan Germany

Netherlands Slovenia Sweden UK US

SloEu

Sw

Structure of researchers (FTE); Sweden and Slovenia

Business s.Government s.

Highereducation s.

Sweden

Slovenia 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

%

Structure of researchers (FTE) by sectors (2001)

Sweden

Slovenia

Evolution of research organizations in Slovenia

Number of Research Organizations in Slovenia1945 - 2004

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1945 1954 1964 1974 1981 1987 2002 2004

Research institutes

Reserch units in economy

Faculties in universities

Institut “Jožef Stefan”

• Physics• Chemistry and biochemistry• Electronics and information

science• Energy studies• Environmental sciences

RP1-0040: Dynamic of complex nano-systems

• Head: dr. Mihailovič Dragan • Aim:investigate complex nano-systems, focusing on

nonequilibrium dynamics of new and existing nano-materials, nonperiodic inhomogeneous matter, and biological nanosystems.

• Center of Excellence: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (response of Slovenian researchers and industry to meet the challenges of new technology)

The National Institute of Chemistry

• Pure and applied chemistry• Chemical engineering• Environmental protection• New materials• Information science• Biotechnology

RP4-0176: Molecular biotechnology

• Head: dr. Roman Jerala• Aims: research of the biochemical processes,

particularly molecular recognition and signal transduction, and towards the application of modern biochemical, biotechnological, microbiological, biophysical and molecular biological methods to problems, which have potential industrial application in fields such as medicine, pharmacy or biotechnology. Industrijski projekti ;

1,7

Raziskovalni projekti ARRS; 4,9

Raziskovalni program; 6,3

National Institute of Biology

• Monitoring the state of the environment in Slovenia

• Developmental and applied research in plant and medical biotechnology

RP4-0165: Plant Physiology and Biotechnology

• Head: dr. Maja Ravnikar• Aims: Understanding the physiological

processes in plants help in easier and more efficient solving of problems connected with production of economically important plants. The response of plants, including Slovene varieties, to pathogens, which increases the importance of our results for Slovenia.

University of Maribor

Through its basic activities-education and research-the University of Maribor seeks to contribute to the provision of human resources for an accelerated cultural development in all of Slovenia, but especially in the region of Maribor and assurance knowledge input in the economy.

RP2-0046: Extraction processes

• Head: dr. Željko Knez

• Aims: Achievements of the research program are important for sustainable as well as for technological development of Slovenia. New technologies with minor influence on environment and knowledges for high-quality products were offered. Ms and PhD students who finished their study in the frame of high-pressure technologies are now employed in industry.

The results of high-pressure research are due to high-tech products in close connection with many development objectives of Slovenia.

Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences

and Arts• Linguistics• Literary studies• History• Musicology• History of art• Archaeology• Ethnology and

ethnomusicology• Philosophy

• Migration studies• Geography• Karstology• Biology• Palaeontology• Medicine• Audio-visual

laboratory• Spatial information

centre

Contents:

• About Slovenian Research Agency• Some facts about the research

system in Slovenia • Recent changes of the Slovenian

science policy • Main research policy instruments• Research evaluation system of SRA

EU research Building Knowledge Europe

• Research and Knowledge are keys to our future• European Research Area • Improving Human Research Potential• The Lisbon Strategey

• Increase and improve investment in RD(to 3% of EU GDP)

• Toward FP7• European Research Council• Technology Platforms • European Institute of Technology

Recent changes of the Slovenian science policy

• Research and Development Activities Act (priorities, concession for public service,

new agencies)• Economic and social reforms of the

Government of the Republic of Slovenia• NRDP Resolution for 2006 – 2010 (measures

of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia)

Main Slovenian R&D policy objectives

• to increase investments in R&D according to the 3% GDP

• to increase effectiveness of public investments in R&D

• to strengthen human resources in R&D• to strengthen R&D co-operation between

public research sector and enterprises • to strengthen business sector R&D• to increase international co-operation

Main measures to attain the policy objectives

• definition of priority areas for RTD• allocation of R&D budget in the ratio 80% to

technological development, 20% to science• establishment of 8 centres of excellence in

the priority RTD fields (structural funds)• reinforcement of intermediary

organisations (structural funds)• development of favourable environment for business R&D and

innovation (legal, administrative, financial)

Priority areas of Slovenian RTD

• Information and Communication Technologies • Advanced New Materials and

Nanotechnologies• Complex Systems and Innovative Technologies• Technologies for Sustainable

Development• Health and Life Sciences

Priorities related to social and cultural development

• support to national identity, modern Slovenian history, natural and cultural heritage

• development of efficient state and modern democratic society

• management of social processes and risks caused by new technologies, globalization, changing the demografic structure

Contents:

• About Slovenian Research Agency• Some facts about the research

system in Slovenia • Recent changes of the Slovenian

science policy • Main research policy instruments • Research evaluation system of SRA

Policy instruments of SRA• Research programmes • Basic and applied research projects• Targeted research programmes• Young researchers

Relevance and quality of Research programmes

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Science quality

Soci

al a

nd e

cono

mic

re

leva

nce

(patent)

(patent)

Efficiency of research programmes

0,4

0,60,7

0,91,0

1,1

0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2

Humanities

Medical sciences

Natural sciences

Social sciences

Biotechnical sciences

Engineering

FTE other sources /FTE SRA

Relevance of the research projects

• Tematic public calls for basic, applied and postdoctoral projects

• Targeted research programmes (TRP)

– Slovenian competitiveness 2006-2013– S&T for peace and security 2004-2010

• Important criterion of evaluation

Actual thematic priority areas

1. Genomics and biotehnologies for health, food quality and safety, sustainable development

2. Information society technologies, citizenship, human resources, social cohesiveness, preservation of natural and cultural heritage

3. New materials (nanomaterials), new manufacturing processes and tools

TRP Public call“Slovenian competitiveness”

2006-2013 Main aims:

• Competitive economy and faster growth• Knowledge based society: education, training,

research and development• Efficient and rational public administration• Modern social welfare state and higher level of

employment• Synergy of measures for achieving the sustainable

development

TRP Public call:”S&T for peace and security

2004-2010”Research chapters:

• Slovenian Army of the 21st century• Development of the communication and

information system according to the needs of national security

• Defense against terrorism, civil protection and environmental protection

• Development and management of the national security system

Programme of Young researchers (YR) in Slovenia

• 1.200 young reasearchers (850-900 FTE) financed per year

• 250 new candidates for young researchers accepted per year

• 25 mio EUR per year• 19% of the budget of SRA

YR by research organizations

Total number of young researchers financed by research organization type 2001-2004

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2001 2002 2003 2004

Research units in businesssectorOther research organisations

Public research institutions

University of Primorska

University of Maribor

University of Ljubljana

Features of the YR programme

• YR participate in research work during their postgraduate studies on research projects;

• they have regular, fixed-term employment contracts;

• the Agency finances their pay, social contributions, as well as material and non-material costs for research and postdoctoral study;

• the average annual cost of financing one YR is cca. EUR 30,000;

Conditions and criteria of YR• have at least university-level education in

the appropriate field; • have an average grade for all examinations

and coursework (excluding the degree examination) of at least 8.00;

• be aged up to 28 years inclusive (with respect to the year of birth); if a young researcher has already enrolled in a postgraduate study programme without financial support from the Agency or ministry responsible for science, the age of the candidates may rise above 28 years, namely, one year shall be added for each study year.

“Brain gain”

• Opening the national programmes: integration of foreign citizens into the programme of young researchers, postdoctoral research and excellent foreign scientists

• Funding of postdoctoral research for researchers who will switch over from public to business sector

Aims: member countries of the European Union, neighbouring countries (apart from

European Union members, Croatia and Hungary…),

non-European, highly developed countries (the U.S.A., Japan, Israel, etc.),

EFTA and CEFTA member countries, and regionally important countries.

International bilateral co-operation

Number of bilateral research projects

(30 countries)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

number

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

Aims: EU programmes (6th Framework Programme and

EURATOM), other European research and development

programmes (COST, EUREKA, NATO), co-operation with international organisations

(UNDP, UNIDO, CICGEB, ICS, CERN, ICPE, ICTP, ICSD, EMBC, IIR), and

Slovenian Business and Research Association in Brussels.

International multilateral cooperation

Number of projects in 6. FP per million people

1

5

9

9

13

15

15

16

18

18

18

21

22

24

24

25

37

41

41

44

46

48

48

50

52

52

52

55

57

59

65

68

87

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

TR

RO

BG

PL

DE

IT

LT

FR

ES

UK

SK

CZ

HU

PT

IL

LV

GR

LU

NL

AT

EE

BE

CH

SE

FI

IE

NO

DK

SI

LI

CY

MT

IS

number

SI in FP6 contractsOverall figures17.7.2006

EU27 population 490 mio. SI population 2 mio. 0,41%

Total no. of contracts   6.654   100%

No. of SI contracts 360 5,4%All participants 51.304 100%

No. of SI participants   429 0,84%

Total EU funding 12.122   100%

For SI participants 56.5 0,47%

SI in FP6 contractsERANET projects

195 ERANET projects (were submitted in 4 calls)

– 90 projects were selected– SIovenia is participating in 20 projects

• Ministry (MHEST) is participating in 16 projects• Slovenian Research Agency in 2 projects

Supporting cooperation & coordination of national or regional research funding

programmes

Contents:

• About Slovenian Research Agency• Some facts about the research

system in Slovenia • Recent changes of the Slovenian

science policy • Main research policy instruments • Research evaluation system of SRA

ISI – Science indicators for 2001-2005

  PAPERS IMPACT CITATIONSCITED

PAPERS % CITED

FINLAND 38.578

5,60

216.012

26.595

68,93

NETHERLANDS 103.477

6,25

646.372

72.121

69,69

SLOVENIA

8.039 3,04

24.443

4.485

55,79

TURKEY 49.428 1,87 92.645 23.206 46,94

USA

1.352.443

6,41

8.664.518

904.521

66,88

WORLD

4.019.419

4,51

18.120.357

2.462.760

61,27

Triadic patent families and publications per mio population

Figure 3.2.5 Triadic patent families and publications per million population, 2000

LT

SI

LU

EE

PLCY

CZ

AT

LV

IE

NL

EL

DE

UK

ES IT

PTHU

MT

DK

SE

FI

SK

FR

BE

JPEU-25

US

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Triadic patent families per million population, 2000 (1)

Publ

icat

ions

per

mill

ion

popu

latio

n, 2

000

Key Figures 2005

Evaluation challenges and changes

• Objectivity of evaluations criteria

• Validity of data bibliometrics, technometrics

• Independence of evaluators system (foreign evaluators)

• Implementation of policy evaluation results

RESEARCH EVALUATION PROCESS RESEARCH EVALUATION PROCESS - EXPERT SYSTEM OF SRA -- EXPERT SYSTEM OF SRA -

ELIGIBILITY TESTELIGIBILITY TEST

Administrative bodies of SRAAdministrative bodies of SRA

Professional body for evaluationProfessional body for evaluationof proposals for…of proposals for…

FOREIGN PEERSFOREIGN PEERS DOMESTIC PEERSDOMESTIC PEERS

Scientific council of SRA Scientific council of SRA

Management board of SRA Management board of SRA

Quantitative data

Professional body for evaluationProfessional body for evaluationof proposals for…of proposals for…

Research evaluation system in Slovenia

CRITERIACRITERIA METHODSMETHODS INDICATORSINDICATORSScientific quality Peer review Experts ranking

(contents, 5-top outputs…)

Scientific outputs Bibliometrics COBISS, citations

Socio-economic relevance

TechnometricsTransfer of knowledge

(cooperation with non-academics,

contracts - money)

Efficiency Econometrics Input/Output(FTE/results)

On line bibliographic data: COBISS

Bibliographic categorization by

methodology of SRA

    HumanitiesSocial

sciences EngineeringBiotechnical

sciencesMedical sciences

Natural sciences

               

 QUANTITATIVE ELEMENTS

(DATA)            

SCIENCE Science-COBISS 5 (=230)5

(=240) 5 (=360) 5 (=250)5

(=290)5

(=480)

SCIENCE Citations 0 (=160)5 (=80) 5 (=120) 5 (=120)

5 (index) (=150/4)

5 (=370)

               

RELEVANCE FTE - other sources0 (=1,5)

5 (=3) 10 (=6,2) 5 (=3,4)

0 (=1)

5 (=2,9)

  PEER REVIEWS            

SCIENCEScience - 2-4 achievements (foreign peer A) 5 5 10 5 0 5

SCIENCE /RELEVANCE

Evaluation of training proposal (foreign peer A) 5 5 5 5 0 5

          5    

RELEVANCERelevance 2-4 achievements (domestic peer B) 5 5 10   5 5

Trasparent research results: SICRIS

Conclusions: • Evaluation of research is as a management

tool very important instrument for Slovenian research policy-making process.

• Slovenian Research Agency will continue with

professional evaluation activity which will be more oriented towards national research and development priorities for strengthening our competitiveness in global world.