Opportunities for EU Researchers for joint/national funding in Kazakhstan and other CA countries Dr. Kamila Magzieva Director of InExCB-KZ H2020-NCP-KZ , Brussels, Belgium

Study Within Task 4.5 “Reciprocity” IncoNet-CA partners studied relevant RTDI national programmes of CA countries open to EU researchers. 1. Law of Kazakhstan “About Science” ( ) 2. Law on State Support to Industrial and Innovation Activities in Kazakhstan ( ) 3. State Programme of Industrial and Innovation Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the period ( ) 4. National, State and Interstate Scientific and Technical Programs of the Kyrgyz Republic 5. Decree of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan of 12 February 2013 № 38 “About the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan” 6. Decree N436 "On measures for advancement the Science and technology development coordination and monitoring" issued on by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Results of study  Kyrgyzstan can be involved in the development and implementation of international S&T programs on the basis of multilateral or bilateral treaties and agreements.  Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan is planning to launch co-funded calls for proposals.  The Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology Development under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan examines the possibility to open national programmes for foreign researchers.  Only Kazakhstan has two national programmes open for participation of foreign researchers

Programmes and projects supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Permanent calls for proposals for applied and basic research for the period of Priorities of the proposals should be addressed to requests of accelerated industrial and innovative development:  Life sciences  Energy and Engineering  Sustainable use of natural resources and processing of raw materials and products  Information and Communication Technologies  Intellectual potential of the country

Programmes and projects supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Participation rules Applicants: Universities and research institutions regardless their affiliation. Business and commercial companies should contribute at least 25% of total funding to participate in the project. Under the project implementation the following requirements are encouraged: a) at least 30% of the performers must be young specialists under the age of 35 years, or masters, doctors or PhD holders; b) at least 15% of the research team (including young specialists, postgraduates, and PhDs) within the current project should participate at international scientific events and should have specific training in foreign research institutions and centers or labs; c) the team should publish at least 2 articles about their research results in internationally recognized magazines, and receive at least one international patent. The preferences in selection for funding should be given to projects that involve research organizations and higher education institutions, which foresee postgraduate training of researchers (graduate and doctoral PhD).

Programmes and projects supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Participation rules for foreigners including EU MS/AC Foreign researchers (individuals) can be invited to participate in the project as tutors or executive managers of the project in accordance to their competition. There is no participation of legal bodies. Article 15 of the Terms requests participation of foreign researchers as individuals (physical bodies): tutors, executive managers, leaders or co-leaders of the work packages. Due to lack of instrument for funding the foreign researchers, grants for such participants are limited by fee for lectures and travel and accommodation costs.

Programmes and projects supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Funding Total budget is about 900 million Euros Project funding shall not exceed Euros for basic research and Euros for applied research. Funding for foreign participants is restricted by covering their travel and accommodation expenses and fees for lectures. The projects implementation should be realized in Kazakhstan.

Innovation grants of the National Agency for Technology Development NATD as an operational institute of the Ministry for Investment and Development (MID-RK) provides 9 types of innovation grants; 6 out of them foresee involvement of foreign researchers in different activities: increasing knowledge of local engineers, consulting and advisory services, implementation of lean technologies, and doing high-tech and industrial research. Applications are accepted online on an ongoing basis. The requested funding should not exceed Euros. The realization period supposed to be less than 12 months. Following the funding conditions of the calendar plan, reimbursement should not exceed 40% of actual costs spent by the hosting organization to invite the foreign expert. The costs include actual fee, travel and accommodation costs, and other eligible costs justified in the application.

NATD Innovation Grants for the EU MS/AC 1. Innovation grants for professional development of engineers allocate about Euros, which will be distributed between grantees in accordance to their actual costs. Amount of the grant cannot exceed 40% of the actual costs of grantees to cover travel and accommodation expenses and services of hosting organization for the period of up to 3 months. 2. For outsourcing of foreign experts NATD foresees about Euros to cover 40% of their fee for the period up to 12 months. This amount is also distributed in accordance to actual costs of different grantees. 3. Local companies can apply for innovation grant to cover about 40% of consulting service of foreign experts from the grant total budget equal to Euros. The budget about Euros is foreseen to cover 30% of actual costs of experts from engineering organizations.

NATD Innovation Grants for the EU MS/AC 4. Foreign experts involved into implementation of lean technologies can get 40% of their actual costs to realize their activities in hosting institution. 5. Foreign experts involved into industrial research projects will receive reimbursement up to 40% of their expenses, including salary, purchase of equipment and other activities necessary for industrial research according to the calendar plan. 6. The foreign researcher, which is involved into high-tech start-ups, can get reimbursement up to 70% of the project’s cost according to calendar plan. Three types of the innovation grants (Patenting abroad, Purchase of technologies, and Commercialization of technologies) indirectly involve foreign experts as well.

Funding opportunities for EU researchers CONCLUSION There are two national programmes in Kazakhstan announced by the Science Committee of MES and NATD that allow participation of the EU MS/AC in the projects. Funding for foreign participants in projects supported by the CS-MES is limited by fee for lecturers and travel and accommodation costs. Participation in the innovation grants of NATD is subject to individual agreements in accordance to the type of grants. Participation rules of the programmes launched by both, SC-MES and NATD, foresee participation of only individuals (physical bodies) and not legal bodies (institutions). Other option to participate in national programmes of KZ is to be an expert-evaluator. For example, within last 5 years 1,758 foreign experts from 70 countries participated in proposal evaluation together with 1229 Kazakhstani experts.

Thank you very much for your attention ! 12