NATIONAL FOUNDATION OF SCIENCE AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IMPLEMENTS
PROGRAMS OF 4 MLN DOLLARS IN 8 YEARS
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting 1997, the National
Foundation of Science and Advanced Technologies (NFSAT) has implemented
various programs of over 4 mln USD, the foundation’s chairman Harutyun
Karapetian told NT correspondent. According to him, 55 research
grants of 1.3 mln USD have been provided within the framework of the
Armenian-US Program on Bilateral Research Grants. 42 of these grant
programs have been completed, and 80% of their total amount was sent
to Armenian scientific groups. Under the grant programs completed,
more than 500 articles and reports have been published. H. Karapetian
said that by the US-South Caucasian Four-Sided Research Grant Program,
over 300 thousand USD was allocated, 28% of which was envisaged for
the Armenian side.
According to him, the RA Ministry of Education and Science and the US
Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) jointly launched
a 300 thousand-dollar program "Fundamental Research at Armenian
Universities". It is envisaged to establish a research center by
the project of one of the following universities – grant tender
participants: Yerevan State University, State Engineering University
of Armenia and Yerevan State Medical University. It will modernize the
research potential and create conditions for the purpose of improving
research skills of students, organizing courses and developing
cooperation with local and foreign organizations. NFSAT will allocate
150 thousand USD of the grant, the RA Ministry of Education and
Science – 90 thousand USD and the beneficiary university 60 thousand
USD. It was mentioned that NFSAT also organizes courses on development
of research grant projects, on principles of grant management and
commercionalization of research results, assists Armenian scientists
with participation in conferences and making business trips abroad and
with organization of scientific conferences in Armenia. The NFSAT also
plans to start a contest program "Commercionalization of Technologies"
in the near future.