How to increase the resistance of bees, whether it is possible to better preserve cultural heritage using new technologies and how much the Internet and social networks affect the identity of young people – these are just some of the questions that the scientific teams that received donations through the PRISM program will try to answer.
Through the Science Fund, 97 projects involving 898 Serbian scientists from 91 scientific research organizations will be financed in Serbia over the next three years. More than 600 projects were submitted to the competition.
The budget of the program is 25 million euros, and the funds are provided from the budget of the Republic of Serbia and through the Project of Acceleration of Innovation and Encouraging Growth of Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Serbia (SAIGE), a partnership project of the Republic of Serbia, the European Union and the World Bank. The EU donation to this activity amounts to 16.5 million euros.
Through the support of the Science Fund, researchers within the PRISM program will work on the development of artificial intelligence, the creation of innovations and practical solutions in the fields of biotechnology, biomedicine and technical and technological sciences, the realisation of new ideas and the creation of solutions in the natural sciences and mathematics, as well as expanding knowledge from the field of social sciences and humanities.
“Supported projects prove that it is an investment in science, an investment in the future of all of us.” We must continue to invest in science, develop the capacities of our researchers, strengthen cooperation and create new opportunities for the progress of the entire society. Wise people say that a man’s success is measured by how much he can influence society. The PRISM program is confirmation that we believe in the power of science and scientists to transform society, to solve the most difficult challenges, and to open the door to new knowledge and progress,” said Dr. Milica Đurić-Jovicič, Acting. director of the RS Science Fund.
The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, Plamena Halacheva, emphasises the importance of selected projects and continuous investment in the development of science.
“The EU is a proud partner of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. Through EU financial support of 31.5 million euros, the Science Fund will provide the necessary grants of 16.5 million euros for scientists who will push the boundaries of knowledge and develop new scientific solutions. Investment in science, research and development is crucial for the future development of the country, especially for the knowledge-based economy. We believe that EU support has initiated much-needed reforms in the research and development sector, and these changes will significantly increase the competitiveness of the Serbian economy,” Halacheva emphasised.
Halacheva also pointed out that she is very glad that most of the research teams are led by women. Recently published data show that greater involvement of women in the STEM sector (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) can lead to an increase in the gross national product of 3 percent.
The manager of the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Sector of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia, Dr. Mario Guadamillas, emphasised the importance of the Science Fund’s investment in researchers and their excellent ideas.
“We are delighted to see the positive impact that the Science Fund has on the research community in Serbia in terms of increasing the volume of science funding and improving the competitiveness and transparency of the project selection process. The PRISM program is particularly important considering that the best projects from Serbian science were selected through an independent project evaluation process,” said Guadamillas.
Assistant Minister for Science, Innovation and Technological Development Dr. Marina Soković emphasised the importance of the work of the Fund for Science and the importance of the results achieved during the four years of this institution’s existence.
“Looking through the “PRISM of time” from PRISM, through IDEAS, Artificial Intelligence, IDENTITY, the Covid19 program and finally the PROMIS program, numerous results were achieved: 415 projects with a total budget of 74.44 million euros were approved and 2713 researchers from 145 scientific research institutions were supported organization,” stressed Dr. Soković.
Funds for financing the program are provided on the basis of a joint investment of the Republic of Serbia (Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation), through a loan and technical support from the World Bank and non-reimbursable financial support from the European Union, which form part of the “Project to Accelerate Innovation and Encourage the Growth of Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Serbia” (SAIGE Project), dedicated to strengthening scientific research and innovative entrepreneurship.
