The Science Development Foundation established by the President Ilham Aliyev with the charter signed in October 21, 2009 shows effort to support implementation of scientific projects and other events, stimulate scientific activities of the scientists that are busy with solving actual and contemporary problems, people and creative scientific collectives, scientific organizations which acts in the academy and education system and other state and non-state organizations, create them additional creative opportunities.
Starting from the first of day of working the Science of Development Foundation set to support the development of science actively, spread information about scientific results gained in Azerbaijan abroad, renovate or strengthen on very contemporary level scientific researches logistical devices and gadgets base in scientific organizations, at the same time, to draw special attention to foster young cadres, organize different scientific events, provide participation of scientists in experience increment abroad, maintain scientific editions and the solutions or some other issues like that as a goal. In this case, the foundation, as an organization that brings additional and effective stimulus, agility and new approach and paves the way to bring together and for collaboration of young scientists who work in academic, educational systems and other organizations in the country.
The projects presented to the foundation are supported in the following way:
- in order to get important results that will create a revolution in short period of time to finance pilot projects that presented by organisation (the solution of issues such as buying the most modern scientific devise, equipment, appliances, paralelly to foster cadres that could work with these devies);
- to finance projects which are foundamental and practical and covers physics-mathematics, technical sciences, science about the Earth, biology, medicine and aqrarian sciences, chemistry, humanitarian and social sciences by grants (prefering the projects that presented on scientific priorities);
- to finance the project that are research-innovation-directed by grants;
- to finance the projects that serve social and moral development of the society and scientific-research works implemeted on humanitarian and social sciences sphere by grants;
To finance special projects by grants:
- to provide logistically scientific researches that meet modern demands; the organization of republic, regional and international conference, symposium, seminar and other scientific events that bear special importance for the social, oral, scientific-technical and economic development of the country in Azerbaijan Republic;
- to finance partially or fully the participation of Azerbaijani scientists and specialists in prestigious regional and international scientific confrances;
- to support publication of scientific works (monography and atlases, analytical and scientific reviews that were written by an order, also the works that are related to the teaching of science) that bears importance for the development of science in Azerbaijan
- the organization of demanding agility special scientific expedition and work in outdoors;
- if needed, (to learn new method and device and etc.) to realize short-term (one month) practice programs, to the development of science in Azerbaijan, to support as projects other events that are directed to the teaching and propagating.
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According to “Azerbaijan youth in 2011-2015 years” State Program and 6.3.3 item of the action plan on implementing this program, The Science Development Foundation will held constantly grant competition for young scientists and specialists and continue this tradition in the future. The young scientists of the country including grant competitions, in other competitions of the foundation together with older and experienced partners-special activity is shown in creative collectives implementing scientific-research works. The special weight of the youth among the winners of “Mobility grant” competition which takes into account the participation in foriegn scientific events and practice program. |
In the framework of grant competition additional stimulating wage is given, business trips (scientific discussions, to analyze, to learn how to work with scientific devices and etc. porpuses) that are known scientific organizations in foriegn countries are organized, devices, gadget, IT technologies, products for scientific researches are bought, the international confrances of young scientists are organizased.
In November 10, 2010, on the day of Worldwide Science for the first time (with the participation of scientists and specialists aged till 35) in the history of the country young scientists and specialists first grant competition was announced.
Before the competition with a group of young scientists and specialists the meeting and discussions held in executive directorate of the Science Development Foundation in identfication of the conditions of competitions and appoinment of scientific priorities played a decisive role.
In the framework of first grant competition of young scientists and specialists 25 projects won. The total amount of money was 496 thousand manats. The second competition in February 2, 2013-on the day of The Youth was annouced, 496 thousand manats were allocated in the frame of this competition 24 projects that won. Finally, 23 projects won, the results were announced in October, 2015, in the third competition general amount financing was 480 thousand manats.
The young scientists and specialists from different organizations as temporary creative collectives dealt with scientific researches on these projects and realized scientific programs. The projects on the third competition is going on. Scientific results the young specialists got are published in prestigious scientific journals and are reported at international conferences and symposiums. Recently the youth have shown special interest to multidisciplinary researches.
The project leaders and performers who have won the competition represent different state organizations, universities, non-state organizations and private organizations. Among won projects on physics-mathematics, sciences about the Earth, biology, medicine and agrarian sciences, chemistry, humanitarian and social sciences there were fundamental-practical, research-innovation, material-technical provision, expedition, work in outdoors, organizing and holding scientific conferences in Azerbaijan and practice programs abroad. In first competition, among project leaders and performers gender equality was observable (in the first competition male/female number 37/35) in the last two competition the number of females is increased (18/43 and 19/30).
The projects are implemented not only in Baku city, but also in Nakhchivan and Ganja. It is very pleasing that among the young scientists derive benefit from the grants of the fund, there are the people who are the holder of president award and high reward of the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the National Academy of Sciences. It is interesting that in grant competiton of young scientist and specialists “success rate” ( the relativeness of coming and winning projects) is rising and as a rule changes between 30-50 percent. In traditional competitions this rate is low.
The foundation pays special attention to the international ties. This, on one hand, to buy devices to create relations with the companies which produce qualitative products and, on the other hand, collaboration forms is realized on helding international grant competition. First steps have already taken on collaboration field on international grant ompetitions and it was successful enough. The Science Development Foundation also joined the call of helding joint scientific-research projects on joint pilot grant competition (BS-ERA.NET) on European Commision Research and Technical Development the 7th in the frame of the Frame Program Widened Black Sea Region and Azerbaijani scientists participated in 8 projects (being a coordinator in 2 of them). From 11 countries 11 projects out of 55 projects won the competition. In this competition one project (as a coordinator) from Azebaijan also distinguished and won the competition (general statistics: Germany-2, Azerbaijan-1, Bolgaria-1, Romania-4, Greece-3). The project will be financed jointly by the Science Development Foundation and INTAS program. The collaboration between Azerbaijani scientists and Turkish, Georgian and German scientists is taken into consideration.
The Foundation signed with French Scientific Researches Center (CNRS) and Belarussian Republic Foundamental Researches Found memorandum and intention protocole on announcing joint grant competitions about collaboration.
Beginning from the half of 2012 year this coorperation will start. In addition to that, the collaboration with South Korea, from neighboring countries with Georgia and Russia is planned.
The Science Development Foundation held the third grant competition “to prompt the important projects that are directed to the develoment of IT” ,according to 29th item of “Action Plan on annoucing 2013 year as an IT year in Azerbaijan Republic approved by the head of government with the charter dated March 28, 2013 and supported “starup” projects where the youth also participated on the second IT competition.
The youth participated achieved a certificate at special courses with the help of international trainers from Ukraine, Israil and other countries in the frame of the international project called “to enhance productivity of financing scientific-research works” which was financed by the fund, together with Ukrainian specialists in the Azerbaijan Medical University and the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University to finance the transfer of technologies, business incubators, innovations and scientific results.
The executive directorate of the foundation helds consultative seminars to help to the young challengers of grant. To save the original expression (electronic and paper) of the ideas of the projects the the cognitive results of the projets included into the competition objectively registered in the Copyright Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The permanent experts of the Science Development Foundation and independent scientific experts and also including foreign experts are involved to the work of technical and scientific valuation of the projects.
On the other hand, talented young scientists as independent scientific experts (with the payment) are attracted to the scientific valuation. This is also material and moral support for them.
The foundation cooperates closely with the National Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of the Youth and Sport.
According to the 6.3.1 item of the Action Plan, electron information bank was created about the most active young scientists and specialists working in Azerbaijan by the Science Developent Foundation.
There are biographical information about the young scientists and specialists and their scientific activities and the degree of activeness.
In accordance with the standards of Europe, the information bank can be used both in the country and abroad in the frame of legislation. The electron information bank is enriched gradually. Now appropriate information bank about young azerbaijani scientists who work abroad is planned to be establish.
Source: Azerbaijan news
