შოთა რუსთაველის საქართველოს ეროვნული სამეცნიერო ფონდი

Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia

For Science, for Future, for Georgia

საქართველოს განათლებისა და მეცნიერების სამინისტრო
GE

Mission / Objectives / Tasks

About the Foundation

 

The Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG) is a Legal Entity of Public Law under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth  of Georgia, which supports the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) system in Georgia.

The strategic vision of the foundation conforms  the  „Vision 2030 – Development Strategy of Georgia”  and the requirements of the Georgia-EU Association Agreement regarding to development  of Science, Technology and Innovation System.

The mission of the foundation is to promote Georgia’s integration into the international STI system, and significantly contribute to rapid socio-economic development and welfare of the country.

The  aims  of the  foundation are  to support new generation of Georgian scientists, increase research potential in the scientific institutions and communities, support Georgian scientists’ integration into the international scientific area by ensuring the improvements in quality, importance and competitiveness of the innovative scientific research.

The Foundation has the International Policy Board (IPB), which consists of leading Georgian and foreign scientists and the representatives of the Government of Georgia.

 

Activity of the Foundation

The foundation implements state  grant calls, targeted programmes and projects,  is involved in international scientific networks and joint projects. SRNSFG administers more than 30 national  and international programmes, also projects EURAXESS Georgia Network Startup –EuGeNes and  Caliper, funded by the EU Research and Innovation Framework  programme Horizon 2020.

 

Since 2021, the Foundation has been the National Contact Point for the following institutions in Georgia of  the EU Research and Innovation Framework Program Horizon Europe: Institute for European Innovation and Technology (EIT), Marie Sklodowska-Curie Activities (MSCA), Joint Research Center (JRC).

In 2016-2020, the Foundation was the National   Contact Point  of the European Research Council (ERC) in Georgia, part  of  the EU Research and Innovation Framework Program Horizon 2020.

Since April 2020, Shota Rustaveli Georgian National Science Foundation is a beneficiary organization of the European Commission-funded Twinning project.

Through the improvement of administered programs and targeted measures that are convenient   with national priorities and the socio-economic challenges of the country, the project focuses on cooperation between business and science in Georgia and promotes inter-sectoral  multidisciplinary research opportunities to develop the country's science, innovation and technology system.

Through the  maintenance of annual membership fees by the Foundation, Georgian scientists are given the opportunity to participate in projects of international research centers such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JIUR DUBNA).

Since 2015, the Foundation has coordinated access to a consortium of 21 institutions with the electronic databases of the international scientific publication  ELSEVIER (ScienceDirect, Scopus), and from 2019 up  to date, the number of consortium members  is  55.

In 2018, the Foundation additionally provided access to Clarivate Analytics databases, analytical tools (Web of Science, Derwent Innovation) for a consortium of 15 organizations. In 2019, the Foundation  funded a research internship  with  ERC grant beneficiaries.

 

Priorities and Grant Calls  of the Foundation

 

  • Supporting the excellent, high quality scientific research  in Georgia

 The foundation funds innovative Fundamental and Applied scientific projects of high international scientific potential in all scientific fields. Development of research programmes  in Georgian Studies and its popularization in the international scientific area is of strategic importance. The foundation promotes Georgian researchers, working abroad, to involve in research projects and their repatriation as well as development and modernization of scientific research infrastructure.

  •  Development of young scientists’ potential and promoting mobility 

 

The foundation promotes development of young scientists’ (Post- Docs, PhD students, MA students and residents) scientific capabilities and their integrity into the research projects. The foundation supports Georgian scientists’ involvement and mobility into the international scientific area by introducing their innovative research results at the international scientific events abroad as well as through the large-scale international conferences, symposiums and seasonal schools in the country.

 

  • Development of research  in Georgian Studies

 

Development  of researches   and targeted programmes in Georgian Studies and popularization in the international scientific area is one of the significant strategic challenge of the foundation. For this purpose SRNSFG administers  Research of Georgia’s Cultural and Material Heritage, Targeted projects  supporting joint doctoral programs in cooperation with international partners, targeted programs, international conferences for Georgian studies. New calls  have been launched since 2019: Call for Supporting Scientific Research Projects and International Scientific Events in the Cross-Border Regions of Georgia; Grant Call for Promotion of Scientific Research Projects and International Scientific Events in the Occupied Territories of Georgia; Grant call for promoting scientific research projects and international scientific activities in the field of Caucasus Studies.

 

  • Enhancement of international cooperation in scientific research  

 

The Foundation facilitates science internationalization in Georgia and Georgian researchers’ involvement in international scientific networks by promoting the bilateral and multilateral programmes in cooperation with the national science foundations and centers of the EU and leading Asian countries.

  • Science popularization

 

Science popularization is one of the significant priorities. Foundation impements  grant calls,  international educational programs in this direction.  Aim of the implemented calls is to promote science popularization in all groups of society.   For this purpose foundation conducts Grant Competition “Leonardo da VINCI”;   Prize for Special Achievement in Science; Targeted Grant Call for Science Popularizaton; Scientific Publication Grant Call. Foundation implements the encouragement program for successful students, administers sub-program of International  Academic  Olympiads,   provides  selection, preparation and participation of  Georgian National teams  in International Academic Olympiads.

The budget of the foundation for 2024 is 35  million  GEL.