RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague
2000


FOREWORD

     The progress of science, research and development plays an important role in the efforts aiming at the increase of material and intellectual standard of the society. Its support is a manifestation of educational and cultural level of the state. It is the state that is responsible for the establishment of legislative and financial conditions for research and development and for the purposeful execution of state administration in this field. "Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic" - professional and advisory body of the Government - performs an important role in all these spheres.

     One of the criteria, on the basis of which the world evaluates our republic, is the level of science and technology (research and development). It depends not only on the level of material support, but also on the capability of the state to organise and manage research and development. The state guarantees the freedom of scientific research, but at the same time it must produce such a framework of legal and other regulations which would encourage the development of science and technology. The establishment of the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic was a part of the policy of the Government at the beginning of the nineties. Dozens of important scientists, research managers, representatives of industrial research and of the world of finance have already participated in the activities of the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic. The membership in the Council is not an employment, but an honorary public appointment.

     We can understand the aversion of the public to bureaucracy, as well as the skepticism towards the activity of various commissions and councils. The Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic is far from being a bureaucratic body, it has its indispensable place in organising research and development, which we will try to demonstrate by means of this publication. The aim of it is to inform Czech, as well as the foreign public on the fundamental and topical tasks, organisation, composition and activities of this body.

 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

     Act No. 300/1992 Coll. of the Czech National Council, on State Support of Scientific Activity and Technology Development established the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic in 1992, and thus laid the foundation for the overall change of research and development organisation and financing in the Czech Republic. Its present name the Council bears since the adoption of Act No. 1/1995 Coll. In Czech only, by which the original Act was amended and completed as Act on State Support of Research and Development (further amended by Act No. 220/2000 Coll.).

     The Act defines the Council as a professional and advisory body of the Government of the Czech Republic in the R&D sphere, stipulates its tasks and rules for its activity and imposes a number of executive functions on it.

     Pursuant to the provisions of the Act the Council has 15 members. The absolute majority of the seats must go to research and development specialists. The members of the Council are public officials. Members of the Council are appointed by the Government from among prominent scientists and experts from universities, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, research institutes of individual ministries including the defence research and development and from the entrepreneurial sphere. The term of office of the members of the Council is four years and the Act allows a member of the Council to be appointed repeatedly only during two consecutive terms. The manner of the selection of candidates for the membership in the Council and other requirements necessary for the operation of the Council are governed by the Government-approved Statutes of the Council In Czech only, and by the Rules of Organisation approved by the Chairman of the Council.

     The Council is presided by the Chairman who, pursuant to the law, must be the member of the Government and is appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister by the same. The Chairman of the Council is responsible for the management of the Council activities and provides for the communication between the Council and the Government - its advisory body. The first presiding officer of the Council was RNDr. Jan Koukal, CSc., later the mayor of the capital Prague. In the period from August 1993 to June 1996 the post of the Chairman of the Council was occupied by the Government minister and the head of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic RNDr. Igor Nemec. In 1996 the post of the Chairman was assumed by the Government minister without portfolio Ing. Pavel Bratinka. In January 1998, doc. PhDr. Jan Sokol, CSc., the then minister of education, youth and sport was appointed the Chairman. In 1998, the Government appointed the deputy prime minister for the economic policies, Ing. Pavel Mertlik, CSc., the Chairman of the Council. (Since July 1999 doc. P. Mertlik has also been put in charge of the minister of finance.). Since May 2001 has been appointed JUDr. Pavel Rychetský, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Government Legislative Council, the Chairman of the R&D Council.

     The Council has three Vice Chairmen elected from among the members by themselves. The first acts as a deputy for the Chairman and is responsible particularly for financial matters and legislative supporting documents, the other two Vice Chairmen share the responsibilities, one for the sphere of research, the other for activities in the sphere of development.

     The activity of the Council is managed by the Secretariat of the Council, which participates in it. The Secretariat is an independent section of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic; it is managed by the director of the Secretariat and by the academic Secretary of the Council. At present, there are six other professional employees and one clerk working for the Council.

     The Secretariat of the Council is responsible for the administration of R&D databases: CEP (Central register of state-supported R&D projects), RIV (Register of the results of state-supported R&D), CEZ (Central register of research plans of state-supported institutions) and VES (Central register of public tenders for the allotment of targeted means from the state budget for R&D support).

     The Council has established its advisory body - "Bio-ethical Commission" - consisting of prominent specialists dealing with this issues from the point of both the science and legislation, the purpose of which is to solve the problems relating to the bio-ethical aspect of research.

     For the fulfilment of the mentioned tasks, the Council settles its own working groups comprising of the members of the Council and the Secretary of the Council.

     Principal and up-to-date information on the Council activities is published on the web site common with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport - the www page of the state R&D administration of the Czech Republic "www.vyzkum.cz".

 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE COUNCIL

     The objectives of the Council are stipulated by §7 of Act No. 300/1992 Coll. In Czech only, On the State Support of Research and Development, as amended.

     Pursuant to this Act, the Council is entitled, in particular, to:

  • comment on legislative supporting documents relating to R&D, which are to be submitted to the Government,
  • prepare the draft state budget for the sphere of R&D, i.e. to compile the proposal for the allocation of targeted and institutional means from the state budget for R&D support,
  • consider the draft budget of the Grant Agency and documents on the state of the research and development submitted by the central bodies, the Grant Agency and other entities prior to their discussion by the Government,
  • consider the programs of the Grant Agency and R&D programs, which are proposed and publicised by individual central bodies of the state administration prior to their publication,
  • evaluate the research plans of organisations, on the basis of which it proposes the level of institutional support spent by the central bodies for the activities of R&D organisations established by them,
  • submit proposals for the appointment and revocation of the members of the Presidium of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic,
  • elect and recall, in co-operation with the Presidium of the Grant Agency, the members of the Area Committees of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic,
  • be responsible for the R&D information system.
     

ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNCIL

     The activities of the Council, since its establishment in 1992 until the present time, may be divided into four periods. In the first period (since the establishment of the Council in 1992 until the adoption of the first Principles of the Government relating to the R&D sphere in 1994) the Council concentrated particularly on the preparation and implementation of the fundamental conception of the R&D sphere following the formation of the Czech Republic and all necessary structures, in particular the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic.

     During the second period, the Council concentrated mainly on the targeted funding of R&D and on the preparation of related legal regulations.

     The third period commenced at the end of the year 1996 by virtue of the amendment of the act on the scope of activity of the state administration bodies and the specification of activities of the Council on the basis of the agreement concluded with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. The activity of the Council was, in compliance with the act, stipulated as follows:

  • preparation of the draft state budget for the R&D sphere including the related information,
  • assessment of documents on R&D including the legislation compiled by the central bodies,
  • fulfilment of objectives in connection with the Grant Agency following from the law,
  • co-operation on conceptual documents related to the sphere of research and development,
  • compilation of materials on the basis of the Government resolutions.

Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
mil. CZK 5630 3080 3450 2650 4000 4216 4868 6233 7553 8731 9671 11576

     In the first half of the year 1997 the Government Principles relating to research and development In Czech only were adopted. It was stressed herein that it is necessary to amend the system, as well as the level of the state support of research and development and legal regulations and any other documents related to this sphere with a view to the forthcoming entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union. One of the decisive steps towards the fulfilment of the new principles was the compilation of rules of the institutional support of research and development. According to these, the institutional means are provided to the organisations on the basis of a regular evaluation of their research plans and the results of their activities.

     In January 2000 the Government approved the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic and the preparation of a new act on research and development was commenced. It initiated the fourth - present period of the Council activity.

Proposal for the allotment of the State funds to R&D

     Since 1993, the Council annually compiles the proposal for the allotment of the State funds to research and development. (This obligation is imposed to the Council by the law.) Research and development in the Czech Republic are financed from 20 budgetary chapters of individual ministries, other central bodies and institutions (the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic or the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic). The allotment of funds among these chapters and its distribution for the targeted support of programs, projects, grants and institutional support of research plans and activities is one of the significant assignments of the Council.

Explanation:

AS CR - Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
MEYS - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
GA CR - Grant Agency of the Czech Republic
MIT - Ministry of Industry and Trade
MH - Ministry of Health
MD - Ministry of Defence
MA - Ministry of Agriculture
ME - Ministry of Environment

     The proposal for the allotment of the funds for the support of R&D into the individual budgetary chapters of the state budget is compiled by the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic on the basis of assessment of the supporting documents obtained from the administrators of the budgetary chapters. The supporting documents include the requirements of individual sectors of the national economy (ministries) for the institutional support of research intentions and activities of R&D organisations and the requirements for the targeted support of programs and grant projects. Since 2000, the Council is governed, apart from still valid regulations, also by the provisions of the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic. While preparing the draft state budget for the sphere of R&D for the year 2001 the concepts of research and development progress in the scope of activity of individual ministries were also taken into account. Simultaneously with the task of reflecting these concepts into the draft state budget for research and development for the year 2001, the Government imposed upon the ministries to compile these concepts In Czech only in compliance with the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic. The Council considers the requirements of the ministries and compare them with the possibilities of the state budget for the relevant year. Following the discussion with the administrators of the budgetary chapters, the Council compiles the draft budget for research and development which complies with the recognised requirements of the ministries and is feasible from the point of view of the budget as a whole. The draft compiled by the Council is submitted to the Government and then through the Ministry of Finance included into the draft state budget of the Czech Republic. Following the consideration and final approval of the state budget by the Government and by the Parliament, the Ministry of Finance allots the funds earmarked for research and development into individual budgetary chapters.

     State support of R&D in the Czech Republic assumes two forms:

  • targeted support, i.e. the support of research projects, which succeeded in public tenders of:
    • "grant projects" (i.e. projects submitted by physical or legal entities), and
    • "program projects" (i.e. projects implementing programs, which are proposed and publicise by the administrators of budgetary chapters and approved by the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic
  • institutional funding, i.e. through the support of R&D organisations and their research plans from the budgetary chapters of the relevant central bodies (establishers) on the basis of the assessment of the results of these organisations' activities. The assessment is performed by the establisher and the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic.

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Institutional funding of organisations 2080 2567 2762 2656 3335 3451 4861 5636
Targeted funding of projects 1920 1649 2106 3577 4218 5280 4810 5940

     Targeted funds are provided by the administrators of the state budget chapters in two forms:

  • as grants to legal entities or physical persons for the support of projects, the results of which are determined to be published, for the needs of state administration bodies or for more users,
  • as loans to legal entities and physical persons for the support of projects, the results of which are determined for one user only (except for the results determined for the state administration bodies' needs).

social sciences 563
technical sciences 1712
natural sciences 1903
medical sciences 622
agricultural sciences 332

     Public tenders for the provision of targeted funds are publicised by the administrators of the state budget chapters. The rules and criteria for the assessment of the project proposals are made public on the publication of the tender.

     By the law, prior to the release of funds for the support of projects, certain data on state-supported projects must be submitted in an obligatory form into the Central Register of R&D projects (CEP), which is administrated by the Council.

     R&D funding is governed by the provisions of the following documents:

     In 1996, the Government Principles for the Provision of Targeted Funds from the State Budget for the Support of R&D (Government resolution No. 27/1996 In Czech only), which are gradually being amended, entered into force.

     In 1998, Principles for the Assessment of Research Plans and Results of Organisations for the Purposes of Provision of Institutional R&D Support In Czech only (Government resolution No. 281/1998 In Czech only).

     In 1999, the Government approved the resolution (No. 249/1999) on the state support of R&D for the years 2000 - 2002 related to the GNP level. (The increase of R&D state support is envisaged to be 0.60 % of GNP in 2000, 0.65 % in 2001 and 0.70 % in 2002.)

     In the "National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic" (Government resolution No. 16/2000 In Czech only) a large article is devoted to R&D funding as a major instrument of research and development policy. The conditions and methods of allocation of state funds to R&D, which must comply with the procedures common in EU countries and their implementation to enable the economic growth of the state and therethrough the growth of the R&D state support, are developed here in detail.

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
GA CR 201 450 610 768 843 849 944 991
MEYS 75 63 162 708 819 989 703 1256
AS CR 462 314 316 505 480 456 513 630
MH 434 224 351 397 390 388 461 499
MIT 93 79 96 331 931 964 1198 1420

 

Explanation:

GA CR - Grant Agency of the Czech Republic
MEYS - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
AS CR - Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
MH - Ministry of Health
MIT - Ministry of Industry and Trade

R&D databases

     The Council must be equipped with all necessary information to be able to work properly. Therefore, along with the ever increasing volume of tasks and new regulations on R&D coming into force, the Council has initiated the compilation of databases, which it operates, for which it is responsible and which are the main source of information on the current state of R&D not only for itself, but for the public as well. These databases serve for the preparation of draft state budget, for the analysis of state of R&D in the Czech Republic, for keeping the public informed on the level and methods of provision of the state support to R&D, as well as for searching for the duplicities.

     In 1993 the first information system CEP - Central Register of R&D Projects, for which the Council is responsible by the law, was formed. Data in CEP are used, in particular, for the inspection and informing on the use of targeted funds spent by the State on R&D, for the preparation and assessment of program proposals and for the outlining of individual ministries, or grant agencies.

     CEZ - Central Register of Research Plans of the State-supported R&D Institutions was formed for the purpose of institutional funding supervision and prevention of double funding of projects and research plans.

     CEP and CEZ collect the following information:

  • identification code, project name, or the research plan in Czech and English
  • subject of the project (synopsis), or the research plan
  • field of the project, or the research plan
  • information on the contractor of the project, or the provider of funds for the research plan
  • information on the holder (bearer) of the project (on the organisation which concluded the contract on the solution); in case of a research plan on the organisation, which compiled and submitted the plan
  • information on the author of the project
  • the year of commencement and completion of the project, or the research plan
  • financial costs of the solution of the project, or the research plan
  • level of confidentiality of the data
  • evaluation of project, or research plan
  • information on the state of the solution of the project, or the research plan (time schedule)

     RIV - Register of Information on the Results of State-supported R&D (results of projects included into CEP, or research plans included into CEZ) was established for the purpose of evaluation of results of both the targeted and institutionally supported R&D and for keeping the scientific and other public informed on those results.

     RIV collects, in particular, the following data:

  • identification No. of the result
  • kind of the result (article, treatise, patent, scientific monograph, research report etc.)
  • name of the result in the original and Czech language
  • year of the implementation of the result
  • the principle branch of the result
  • synopsis of the result in the original and Czech language
  • authors of the result
  • person or organisation presenting the result
  • specific data in relation to the kind of the result - complete quoting of the book; proprietor of the patent; contractor of the project with respect to the research report, etc.
  • identification code of the project, or the research plan relating to the result

     In 2000, the Council has initiated the formation of the database VES - Central Register of Public Tenders. Its aim is to provide public all information on publicised public tenders, or public orders for the provision of targeted funds from the state budget into the sphere of research and development.

     VES collects the following data on public tenders publicised for the support of R&D - programs, projects and grants:

  • identification No. of the tender
  • goals of the tender (with respect to grant agencies the subject of the tender)
  • terms of the publication of the tender, deadlines for the filing of the application (of project proposals), publication of the results of the tender
  • regulations and criteria for the evaluation of the project proposals
  • deadline and place of the filing of the application (of proposals)
  • address where detailed conditions and application forms are available
  • information on evaluated tenders, number of filed and accepted applications, the amount of allotted funds.

     By the law, prior to the publication of the tender, the Council evaluates the R&D programs, in particular from the point of view of their professional quality and interconnectedness. The Council has initiated the formation of a number of programs, e.g. a program for strengthening scientific research at universities, complex projects of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, basic research programs in the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic and new programs of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Lately, the Council participated in the preparation of the program "Centres of excellence", for which the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has publicised the tender.

     Publicly accessible data from CEP, CEZ, RIV and VES registers are available on the web page http://www.vyzkum.cz.

     The Council co-operates with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in the conceptual solution of the development of information R&D databases. On the basis of national R&D databases of the Czech Republic, a unified information R&D system integrating all four databases - CEP, CEZ, RIV and VES - is under preparation. The Council decided on the gradual introduction of a new system of data collection for national R&D databases since 2001 by means of an advanced web technology. The preparation of this system proceeds in close co-operation with the relevant central bodies.

Grant Agency of the Czech Republic

     The Council substantially participated in the establishment of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and constantly co-operates with it.

     The Grant Agency of the Czech Republic was formed in 1993 pursuant to Act No. 300/1992 Coll In Czech only. By means of publicising public tenders for "standard" research and development projects, the topic of which is chosen by the person or organisation proposing it, was the first to support the best projects from all branches, regardless of the legal form or appurtenance to a certain branch of the holder of the project.

     Since 1997, GACR also publicises the tender for the grants for the graduates of doctorate studies to support young research workers.

     In compliance with the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic the Grant Agency has publicised the tender for projects of non-oriented research and development for the year 2001.

     The Grant Agency of the Czech Republic is an organisation providing the evaluation of project proposals by professional committees and funding of the selected projects. The Grant Agency is in the position of a central body of the state administration for the budgetary (financial) purposes. The Grant Agency publicises tenders for the support of R&D projects proposed by physical or legal entities and for the support of projects implementing the programs of the Grant Agency. The Grant Agency provides the funds on the basis of the results of a public tender. The organisation of the Grant Agency and the manner, in which it publicises a public tender, are amended by the Statute approved by the Government.

     The statutory body of the Grant Agency is the President. The executive body of the Grant Agency is the Presidium consisting of five members including the President. The President and the members of the Presidium are elected by the Government on the basis of a recommendation of the Research and Development Council of the CR. The standing advisory groups of the Presidium of the Grant Agency are Area Committees ensuring the consideration and evaluation of project proposals. The members of the Area Committees are elected on the joint meeting by the Research and Development Council of the CR and the Presidium of the Grant Agency. The supervisory body of the Grant Agency is the Supervisory Board, the members of which are elected and revoked by the House of Representatives of the Czech Republic Parliament. The operation of the Grant Agency is ensured by the Office.

AS CR institutes 42,7
university faculties 44,2
independent research institutes 5,6
R&D of enterprises 7,5

Legal rules and regulations

     Act No. 300/1992 Coll. In Czech only of the Czech National Council, on the State Support of Research Activities and the Development of Technologies amended the system of research and development funding from the state budget of the Czech Republic and specified the rights and obligations of legal entities and physical persons participating in research and development and of the state bodies ensuring the support thereto. The Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic were established on the basis of this Act.

     The Council compiled the draft amendment to Act No. 300/1992 Coll. of the Czech National Council - Act No. 1/1995 Coll. In Czech only, which, in particular, introduced the condition of a public tender for the allocation of any targeted state funds and made the entire system of state support of research and development transparent, unified the terminology with OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries and determined the position of Area Committees of the Grant Agency of the CR. By the virtue of the regulation following from this Act, the Council specified in detail the procedure of providing the targeted funds (it is, in particular, the case of the "Principles of the Provision of Targeted State Budget Funds for the Support of Research and Development In Czech only").

A number of R&D regulations is
available on state administration
www:

http://www.vyzkum.cz

     The Council, in compliance with the objective following from the resolution of the Government No. 247/1997 In Czech only on the Principles of the Government for the field of research and development co-operated with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and other bodies and institutions in compiling the new system and the rules of interdisciplinary evaluation of plans, activity and results of research organisations. "The rules of the evaluation of research plans and results of organisations for the purpose of the provision of institutional support of research and development In Czech only" were compiled and were approved by the Government resolution No. 281/1998 In Czech only.

     Pursuant to these Rules In Czech only, the institutional support is provided to research organisations on the basis of a regular evaluation of their research activity. The Rules stipulate which organisations may apply for the institutional support, how to specify and formulate their research plan together with the results achieved, what is the structure of the submitted supporting documents for the evaluation, how and on what levels the evaluations takes place and stipulate the manner of establishment and activity of the evaluation committees. The Rules In Czech only were implemented for the first time in the preparation of the state budget for 1999.

New act on research and development

     The Government, in compliance with its policy statement of 1998, has imposed upon the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Council to prepare in co-operation with other bodies and institutions the proposal for a new act on research and development, which shall replace Act No. 300/1992 Coll. In Czech only, on State Support of Research and Development, as amended. The proposal is to be submitted to the Government no later than March 31, 2001. The proposal is at present being compiled on the basis of the Government resolution on the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic (No. 16/2000 In Czech only) and on the organisational assurance of state administration execution in the field of research and development in the proposal of the act on research and development and of act on public research institutions and on the procedure of the preparation of the above-mentioned acts (No. 460/2000).

Act on public research institutions

     By its resolution No. 460/2000, the Government has also imposed upon the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and upon the Council to compile, in co-operation with other bodies and institutions, the proposal of a material intention of act on public research institutions, which is to be submitted to the Government no later than June 30, 2001; the proposal on act on public research institutions is to be submitted to the Government no later than October 31, 2001.

Concept documents

     The Council has initiated and took an important part in the preparation of the following concept documents for the field of research and development, which stipulated the fundamental principles of state support of research and development and scientific policy of the state for the period of its validity:

Principles of the Government of the Czech Republic for the Field of Research and Development of the year 1994

     In May 1994, the Government of the Czech Republic adopted the Principles of the Government of the Czech Republic for the Field of Research and Development. These Principles introduced a number of new elements into the system of state support of research and development and thereby approximated it to the system common in the developed countries. It was, in particular, the case of:

  • public tenders for all projects (based in the legislation by means of Act No. 1/1995 Coll. In Czech only, on State Support of Research and Development, amended by Act No. 300/1992 Coll.),
  • substantial growth of targeted funding of projects at the expense of the institutional distribution of funds to organisations, which had lacked the link to the results,
  • introduction of rules of targeted support of research and development,
  • introduction of terminology compatible with OECD,
  • growth of support of research at universities,
  • gradual compilation of programs and decrease of the meaning of grants in research in the competence of individual branches,
  • participation in international programs, particularly multilateral co-operation in the framework of the European Union.

     The Principles of 1994 launched the systematic and conception solution of individual problems inherited from the past. One part of the problems, particularly in the field of targeted support of research and development, was successfully solved, however, new problems, concentrated into three spheres, arose. The Principles of 1994 did not touch the issues of the support of industrial research, in particular due to the fact that at that time the enterprises were not interested in it. The second sphere, which was not dealt with, was the boundary between research and the execution of state administration in contributory and budgetary organisations, inasmuch that the same rules were valid for all activities of those organisations. The third factor, which changed in comparison with 1994, is the approaching entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union. It proceeded from the level of a general aim into the phase of the submission of an application and commencement of negotiations on the entry itself.

     For the above-mentioned reasons, the new Principles In Czech only, prepared in co-operation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, was approved by the Government on April 23, 1997.

Principles of the Government of the Czech Republic for the Field of Research and Development of the year 1997 In Czech only

     The Government stipulated the fundamental goals, which should be reached by the time of the admission of the Czech Republic into the European Union. In particular to:

  • complete the present system of state support of research and development to make the methods and rules of its allocation compatible with that of the EU;
  • regularly, depending on the economic possibilities, increase direct state financial support of research and development so as this support represented at least 0.7 % of GNP;
  • create the environment encouraging the funding of research and development; from various sources;
  • support co-operation of research organisations and universities with industrial research and development;
  • introduce the system of statistic and accounting statements compatible with that of the EU.

     The provisions concerning targeting and methods of state support of research and development and the use of research and development results were further included into the Principles. State support should be allocated so as the share of basic research and targeted research be approximately the same; the methods of state support of research and development should be the same as those used in the EU countries. It was proposed to provide institutional support to research plans of organisations on the basis of their regular evaluation according to the common methodology and to reduce the tax burden for the research and development field. The Government undertook to create the conditions for a differentiated remuneration of research workers in budgetary and contributory organisations on the basis of the quality and results of their work. Support of an industrial research and development, defence research and development and an international co-operation are under solution.

Principles of research and development policy of the Czech Republic on the verge of the 21st century

     The principles of R&D policy of the Czech Republic on the verge of the 21st century In Czech only were adopted by the Government in its resolution No. 397 of June 30, 1998 In Czech only as a fundamental concept document, on which the compilation of national research and development policy shall be based following from the needs of the Czech Republic and compatible with policies of EU members states. The Principles stipulate the goals and main principles of scientific policy, which are the development of the society, prosperity of the Czech Republic, high level of education, health, safety of its citizens, competitiveness of its economy. Achievement of these goals depends on successful, efficiently structured, sufficiently supported and suitably motivated research and development.

National R&D Policy of the Czech Republic

     The task to stipulate national R&D policy following from the internationally accepted obligations and compatible with policies of developed countries emerged from the policy statement of 1998 of the Government. This policy shall be aimed at the determination of R&D priorities oriented at the most efficient branches from the point of view of export and at the branches necessary for the development of education level of the nation, health and safety of the citizens and other needs of the society, at the support of scientific and technical findings transfer and last, but not least, at the making the system of state support and legislation compatible with that of the European Union by means of a new act on research and development.

     By its resolution No. 811/1998 In Czech only, the Government imposed upon the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and upon the Council, in co-operation with the central bodies, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, Council of Czech Universities, Czech Rectors' Conference, Association of Research Organisations and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, to prepare the proposal for national research and development policy on the basis of the "Principles of scientific policy of the Czech Republic on the verge of the 21st century In Czech only" compiled in compliance with the policy statement of the Government, on the basis of the "Analysis of previous trends and existing state of research and development in the Czech Republic and a comparison with the situation abroad In Czech only", intermediate proposal for the development of state budget expenditures for research and development and the supporting documents on the function of research and development in the concept documents of central bodies.

     More than 150 experts, members of the above-mentioned institutions, participated in the compilation of the draft national research and development policy. They worked in mutually linked working groups - in the central control group and further in the working group for research, development and transfer of achieved results with sub-groups for basic research and for oriented research and development - industrial, agricultural and branch; in the working group for funding and indirect tools of support for research and development; in working group for international co-operation; in working group for infrastructure and in working group for moral-ethical aspects of research and development.

     Public discussion was opened on the preparation of the proposal for the national R&D policy. The President of the Council invited the scientific community to address the problems of Czech science in the form of an inquiry. Its results were incorporated into the preparation of the draft.

     "National R&D Policy of the Czech Republic" stipulates the basic approach of the State to research and development in the nearest future. It expresses the principles of the Government for the research and development field. It is addressed to the state administration bodies and workers and to institutions and workers in research and development for the implementation of their intentions and conceptions in research and development, it is the complex of information for EU and OECD bodies, which expresses the readiness of the Czech Republic to the integration into international co-operation in the field of research and development and is the reaction to the declaration of world conference on science "Science for the 21st century." It provides information to the public, on efforts to spent public funds effectively to the benefit of the company.

     The main content of the national research and development policy is divided into the chapters: Meaning of R&D for the society; Main goals of the policy; Starting points - why the Czech Republic needs R&D policy; Principles and visions - what is the R&D policy in the Czech Republic like; Goals and priorities - course for a middle-sized country; System priorities for individual fields of R&D; Material, topical priorities; Horizontal, cross section priorities of R&D; Funding and support to R&D - main instrument of national R&D policy; Legal environment and organisation structure of R&D, morals and ethics; Public, R&D in an informational company; Information and technical infrastructure of R&D - prerequisite of modern science and research.

     "National R&D Policy of the Czech Republic" was submitted to the Government in December 1999. The Government approved it by its resolution No. 16 as of January 5, 2000 In Czech only. In this resolution, the Government stipulated further tasks, the most important of which is the compilation of the draft act on research and development and the preparation of draft national program oriented at research and development.

     The Government recommended the scientific and academic community, the organisations engaged in R&D and all other entities in this sphere to reflect national R&D policy into their activities, in particular in those fields concerning the morals and ethics, relationships with the public and R&D management.

Other Council activities

     Besides the Council, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (central body responsible for the sphere of R&D including the international co-operation) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (central body responsible for the industrial R&D of engineering and technologies) participate in the co-operation between individual spheres of national economy in the field of R&D in the Czech Republic. The Council closely co-operates with both bodies - with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport particularly in the sphere of concept materials, legislation in the field of funding and in the field of funding of international co-operation (including the items related to the integration of the Czech Republic into the European Union). The Council co-operates with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the support of the industrial research and in the establishment of and environment promoting R&D funding from various, particularly non-state sources.

     In preparing the draft budget of the Czech Republic for the field of R&D and in implementing it, the Council co-operates with the departments of the state budget, financing of non-profit field and financing of enterprise sphere of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic on one hand, and on the other with individual sectors of national economy- ministries and other state administration bodies, from which the research is being financed, not only from the financial but also material and professional points of view.

     The Council also co-operates with the Office of economic competition protection, the task of which is, pursuant to Act No. 59/2000 Coll., on Public Support, the assessment of public support for R&D as well.

     The Council also closely co-operates with many other bodies and institutions, associations and scientists active in the sphere of R&D either in the field of basic research (e.g. with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Rectors' Conference and the Council of Czech Universities) and in the oriented R&D (e.g. with the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, a number of associations etc.), and in many other spheres (e.g. with the Czech Statistical Bureau).

     Pursuant to the legal rules and regulations, the Council provides central bodies and public with a number of information on R&D (e.g. information on state-supported projects) which these bodies and organisations use for their activities. Information available for the public is on www server of the Office of the Government. For instance, the joint working group of the Council and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport compiled, on the basis of the data collected from the inquiries, prepared pursuant to the OECD methodology, the "Analysis of previous trend and existing state of R&D in the Czech Republic and a comparison with the situation abroad," which was published in July 1996 as an independent material and sent to organisations engaged in the field of R&D.

     The Council has substantially participated in the compilation of the "Analysis of previous trends and existing state of research and development in the Czech Republic and a comparison with the situation abroad In Czech only". The compilation of this second analysis was ordered by the resolution of the Government No. 811 of December 1998 In Czech only, on the preparation of national R&D policy and on the activity of the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Council and many other bodies and institutions participated in the compilation of the analysis. The analysis follows from the objective data on the state of R&D in the Czech Republic and compares them with the equivalent data of the developed countries. The main sources were the statistics of OECD countries, data of the state budget of the Czech Republic on expenditures on R&D and data from the central register of state-supported R&D projects (CEP). There were seven spheres analysed: statistical data of OECD countries on R&D, state budget expenditures on R&D, state-supported R&D projects (CEP), bibliometric analysis of R&D, patents as the results of R&D, results of applied R&D projects and economic efficiency and R&D.

     The "Analysis of previous trends and existing state of research and development in the Czech Republic and a comparison with the situation abroad In Czech only" as on of the supporting documents for the preparation of the national R&D policy was approved by the Resolution of the Government No. 563 of June 9, 1999.

     The "Analysis In Czech only" was published in Czech and English in 1999 as a collective publication of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and of the Council.

     Addresses of the central administration bodies and other bodies and institutions, from whose budgetary chapters R&D in 2000 has been funded:

 

COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL

Chairman of the Council:

JUDr. Pavel Rychetsky - Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the CR Government Legislative Council

Vice-chairmen:

Prof. PhDr. Martin Potucek, CSc. MSc. - Public policy
MUDr. Vladimir Viklicky, CSc. - Medical sciences
Ing. Miroslav Janecek, CSc. - Chemistry

Members of the Council:

Ing. Josef Bouska, CSc. - Agricultural sciences
Prof. JUDr. Jan Dedic - Legal sciences
Ing. Milan Holl, CSc. - Applied physics
Ing. Karel Jungwirth, DrCs. - Physics
Plk. Doc. Ing. Karel Kotek, CSc. - Chemistry
Doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Kukal, DrSc. - Geology
Ing. Rostislav Mach, DrSc. - Physics
Prof. ThDr. Petr Pokorny, DrSc. - Theology and History
Prof. Ing. Jaroslav Purmensky, DrSc. - Material Sciences
Prof. Ing. Zdeněk Vostracky, DrSc. - Engineering and Electrical Engineering
Prof. RNDr. Jiri Zlatuska, CSc. - Mathematics and Informatics

Scientific Secretary and Director of the Secretariat of the Council:

RNDr. Marek Blazka

Secretariat:

Ing. Vratislava Fremrova
Monika Hadincova
Mgr. Nadezda Kuzelkova
Ing. Jan Marek, CSc.
Ing. Martin Matejka
Ing. Milos Thoma
RNDr. Jana Zoubkova

Address:

Office of the Government of the Czech Republic
nabr. Edvarda Benese 4
118 01 Praha 1

Tel.: (0420 2) 24002358, 24002329, 24002536, 24002355, 24002567, 24002325, 24002354
Fax: 57530256
E-mail: blazka.marek@vlada.cz
http://www.vlada.cz

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