“We will never return to this field”, a researcher contactes USR Claudiu Năsui regarding the budget of Romanian research
After USR Deputy Claudiu Năsui proposed to reduce financing for research projects, as part of measures to reduce the budget deficit, a reaction came from a researcher. It argues with an example: “The research nucleus program hardly covers 40-50% of a researcher's salary.”
On May 29, Năsui, former Minister of Economy, published a list of 13 measures saying that the Romanian state can save 32 billion lei, “without pensions, social aids or from the army”.
“A profound ignorance of the research system in Romania”
One of the proposed measures is “cutting grants and nucleus financing for INCDs, remain financed from the revenues they take from services provided”.
The scientific researcher Cristina Lincaru criticizes the measure proposed by the politician from the USR leadership, which he says “proposes practically the abolition of the incds” and undermines the scientific development of the country.
“This proposal demonstrates a profound ignorance of the research system in Romania and, in particular, the way of organizing, operating and (auto) financing the national research-development institutes (INCDs). There have been very few institutes of this type, whose role is to make the transition from the fundamental research to the applied research,” he writes in an article.
“In the 1990s, many institutes were abolished that concentrated competences that we have scattered in the four countries, for the benefit of other nations that appreciated them as it is. Now, instead of those institutes are proud malls or residential complexes, and we import technologies and licenses that could be carried out in the country,” the researcher said.
In Romania, there are 42 National Institutes for Research and Development (INDs) under the coordination of the Ministry of Education, which Cristina Lincaru says that “it has been facing chronic underfunding for years”.
Next, the researcher explains the mechanism by which the INDs manage to survive.
“The INCDs do not have a budget tab from the Ministry of Finance or from the Ministry of Coordinator”, but are self-financing through research projects (obtained in the competitive system) and, within the legal limit of max. 20% allocation of resources (human and infrastructure), through testing services, analysis, research, development provided for economic operators, at their request ”.
The researcher reacts vehemently against the measure to reduce the financing of the nucleus program that “contributes essentially to maintaining the operation of the INDs”.
Through the Nucleu program, the research-development activities carried out by the research institutes are supported, and this program is usually funded from the state budget.
Cristina Lincaru also warns that underfunding the research means the condemnation of young generations of researchers to professional abandonment.
“The nucleus program hardly covers, on average, 40-50% of the salary of a researcher. The difference to the full salary must be covered from other projects/grants, which is extremely difficult in recent years due to the extremely small number of projects (which have very small budgets), for which all the researchers and the university cadres, from the Romanian Academy, were beaten” etc.). The very low success rate in these competitions leads to the departure of the researchers (especially the young) abroad or, even more tragic, to their departure from the research system, ”says Lincaru.
“Romania is in the last place in the number of researchers at MIA of occupied people, this being three times lower than the European average. By abolishing the INDs, we will never return in this area,” concludes the researcher.
