Ministry of Economy publishes yearly R&D&i action plan with €3,800 millions
Most of the competitive calls for companies and public bodies will be opened in the third and fourth quarters of 2013.
By Biocat
The Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the State Secretariat for R&D&i, published on 31 July their yearly action plan for 2013 for scientific research and innovation with a budget of €3,800 millions in subsidies and loans.
This document contains the budget breakdown and expected calendar of the R&D&i actions and competitive calls, most of which will be opened in the third and fourth quarters. The plan also establishes the aims and priorities of the R&D&i policy in the middle term, in line with the 2013-2020 Spanish strategy for science, technology and innovation and the European Horizon 2020 program.
The plan is divided into four programs:
- National program for the promotion of talent and employability (€348.697 millions): includes grants to hire R&D&i management personnel (€101.5 millions), 940 grants for predoctoral contracts to train doctors over four years (€73 millions), 175 grants for Ramón y Cajal contracts (€54 millions), and 300 grants for Torres Quevedo contracts (€15 millions), among others.
- National program to foster scientific and technical research of excellence (€498.250 millions): encompasses the accreditation of five Severo Ochoa centers of excellence (€20 millions), grants for the development of 2013-2016 strategic research programs in public R&D bodies (€180 millions), and grants to purchase scientific-technical equipment (€170 millions), among others.
- National R&D&i business leadership program (€681.9 millions): noteworthy, the €200 millions earmarked for strategic public-private partnership projects.
- National R&D&i program to address societal challenges (€1,830.344 millions).
The presentation of this plan coincided with the submission to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of more than 235,000 signatures collected by the group Ciencia con futuro calling for €75 millions to avoid the collapse of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The report was announced in El País and on RTVE, among other media outlets. The CSIC is the largest public institution devoted to research in Spain and the third in Europe.