Despite a supplementary budget reducing this year's science funding by €19 million, stakeholders believe the cuts will impact the least critical areas of the sector. Years ago, Estonia agreed to raise state funding for research and development (R&D) to at least 1 percent of GDP. However, with the economy not growing as expected, Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev's recent proposal suggests that this reduction can be made without breaking the agreement.
"€19 million is a significant sum for the sector. We currently don't have an overview of how it will be distributed across different areas," said Toomas Asser, rector of the University of Tartu and chairman of the Council of Rectors. The details of the cutback plan have not yet reached the universities.
According to Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas, €6.5 million of the planned cut will come from the government's targeted reserve. The Ministry of Education and Research had hoped to receive European Union funds for the Teaming measure's excellence centers, but these funds will not be available this year. The remaining €12.5 million must be found within the additional funds allocated to science by various ministries, with the Ministry of Education and Research managing more than half of this amount.
Minister Kallas assured that the primary instruments of science – research grants and basic funding for research – would remain untouched. The cuts will also spare the doctoral reform and research centers of excellence. However, pilot development grants and mobility grants for researchers will be discontinued, saving €1-2 million and €2 million respectively.
Anu Noorma, director of the Estonian Research Council, expressed relief that national research grants would not be cut at this stage, although development grants will be affected. Mart Kalm, rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts, acknowledged that while the cuts will negatively impact Estonian science, they are necessary given the current economic situation.
Toomas Asser noted that the previous government decision to increase higher education funding by 15 percent annually for four years helps mitigate the impact of the cuts. Despite the challenges, stakeholders hope that Estonia can maintain its scientific capacity and continue to function effectively during this period of austerity.
More: https://news.err.ee/1609348893/estonia-s-r-d-funding-target-of-1-percent-of-gdp-to-escape-austerity
