Basic scientific research funding contains corruption risks: expert

YEREVAN, October 26. / ARKA /. The so-called basic science funding system applied in Armenia contains huge corruption risks, Harutyun Karapetyan, the chairman of the National Foundation of Science and Advanced Technologies, told a news conference today.

Karapetyan explained that at the end of last century funding was provided to thematic researches, but after the establishment of the State Committee for Science, the funding shifted to the so-called basic financing system, which has increased corruption risks substantially. To ground his words, he cited abuses detected by the Audit Chamber in the State Committee for Science.

In its annual report for 2011 the Audit Chamber revealed a number of violations in the field of science financing. In particular, the report noted that the State Committee of Science in violation of the law provided financing to private organizations, which actually duplicated similar researches conducted by government-owned centers. 

Karapetyan said under basic financing systems, the funding is provided to a scientific organization whose leadership decides independently who to provide funds to, which he said contains corruption risks.

"The only solution is to move to thematic funding, “ he said.

The basic funding of science was introduced in 2005. After its introduction, 60% of state funds are made available under the basic funding system and 25% are released for thematic funding.  -0-