ISSUES OF ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCILS

Abstract

The process of evaluation and selection of scientific projects consists of two main stages - state scientific and technical expertise, and subsequent consideration by national scientific councils.

Decisions on the financing of scientific projects adopted by national scientific councils are both reasonably and unreasonably criticized on the part of participants of competitions and representatives of the public. Criticism is caused by some decisions of the NSC which, in their opinion, do not correspond to the estimates of the SSTE. Because positive results of SSTE and high scores were obtained in comparison with those projects that were approved by councils for financing, but the projects received low SSTE score.

Indeed, experts involved for the SSTE are narrowly directed and relevant, and therefore they are the most competent specialists in the fields of appropriate topics of applications. They provide written conclusions outlining their arguments on a set of established criteria and leading questions. As for the NSC, in order to assess the prospects and economic validity of submitted projects they quite reasonably consists of not only of scientists, but also representatives of state bodies and the business community. Decisions and arguments contained therein are taken by councils using secret ballot. There are no criteria for the approval and rejection of applications by the NSC, including the assessment of economic validity of requested funding. In the absence of detailed regulation of activities of the NSC, including the monitoring process, abuses on their part can not be ruled out as well as each participant of competitions for obvious reasons may question any decision of the council, even if it is professionally substantiated by the council.

The problems indicated in this article in the event of their untimely decision can be of a regular and systematic nature. This undermines the model of the national scientific system laid down by the Law «On Science», multiplies with each competition ranks of critical scientists and, on the whole, reduces the trust in the scientific management system on the part of progressive competitive representatives of the scientific community.

Suggestions and comments which are organizational and legal nature presented in this article are aimed at organizing scientific research in order to rationally and equitably concentrate allocated resources and their economic efficiency.