March 10, 2008

dr. Franci Demšar, director

Thematic International Conference on Bio-, Nano- and Space Technologies

Supporting science

in Slovenia

The SRA perspective

Contents

• Some background information about research in Slovenia

• Institutional design and policy framework• About Slovenian Research Agency

– Basic facts– Evaluation procedures– Scientific output of Slovenian Research community–

publications

• SICRIS system – tool for searching research partners

R&D expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%) in Slovenia and in selected countries

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Sweden

Finland

Slovenia

Ireland

Czech rep.

Italy

Norway

EU-27

R&D expenditure and GDP share

Year

Business sector Public Sector

Higher education

GDP share of R&D

mio € % mio € % mio € % mio €% in BDP

1997 91 53 51 30 30 17 172 1,32

2001 179 58 81 26 50 16 310 1,56

2004 254 67 76 20 50 13 380 1,45

2005 243 59 101 24 69 17 413 1,49

Real growth 1997 - 2005 63 % 31 % 41 % 46 %

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

Contents

• Some background information about research in Slovenia

• Institutional design and policy framework• About Slovenian Research Agency

– Basic facts– Evaluation procedures– Scientific output of Slovenian Research community–

publications

• SICRIS system – tool for searching research partners

Institutional design and position of the SRA

Operational level

Science & technology council

Government of the RS

Strategic level

MHEST Other ministries

Policy levelMinistry of

Defence

SRA

Executive level

Scientific Community

Science policy in Slovenia– strategic background

• 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 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

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)

R&D personnel/women, 2005

All R&D

personnel Women R&D

personnel

Business enterprises 5.033 3.437

Public sector 2.872 1.541

Higher education sector 4.695 2.706

Total 12.600 7.684

Contents

• Some background information about research in Slovenia

• Institutional design and policy framework• About Slovenian Research Agency

– Basic facts– Evaluation procedures– Scientific output of Slovenian Research community–

publications

• SICRIS system – tool for searching research partners

• 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: 148 million € per year (2007)

... about the SRA

SRA main areas of operation

Promotion of excellent

and applicative research

Monitoring and analysing

Funding of research

Objectiveevaluation

Slovenian budget for S&T, 2005-2009 (public sources)

MHEST SRA SAZU ME MIS MD

Total research funding by budget categories, 2006

Foreign scientific literatureOther research funding

FP and international research

Research projects

Research and infrastructure programmes

Infrastructure funding

COBISS

Research and development

Scientific publications and conferences

Research equipment

Young researchers

Total amount: €141 m

Volume of research programmes and projects financed by SRA

Bodies, participating in the evaluation process

SRA scientific council

Temporary body for projects evaluation

Nomination of the body

Peers

Scientific merit Socio-economic sign.

Selected by the body

Panel of experts

… evaluation procedures

Evaluation system

Evaluation made by the panel on the basis of peer review

(international & domestic peers) – 2 per project

Final list of approved projectsPanel: scientific body & international peers

Scientific Council of the Agency

Short project applications- outline

Projects selectedon the basis of

A1 + A2 + A3 & B1 + B2 + B3100 % of available quota

Projects selectedon the basis of expert panel assessment

100 % of available quota

Call for submission of full proposals

Assessments are send to applicants

I. phase

II. phase

Just selected projects are invited

Composition of the panel

Members of the panel

Members of the temporary expert

body

Peers from abroad

50 : 50

External observers – Members of the Scientific body of the discipline

Cobiss entering page

… scientific output

On line bibliographic data: COBISS

Number of publications in the Web of Science data bases by research organisation type, 2001-2005

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

University of Ljubljana

Public research institutions

Public institutions

University of Maribor

University of Nova Gorica

University of Primorska

MF FKKT BTF

IJS KI NIB

UKC OI SBM

FSFERI

FKKT

Number of ISI indexed publications

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

year

199

3

year

199

4

year

199

5

year

199

6

year

199

7

year

199

8

year

199

9

year

200

0

year

200

1

year

200

2

year

200

3

year

200

4

year

200

5

Niz1

Contents

• Some background information about research in Slovenia• Institutional design and policy framework• About Slovenian Research Agency

– Basic facts– Evaluation procedures– Scientific output of Slovenian Research community–

publications • SICRIS system – tool for searching research partners

Thank you for your attention!