Uzbekistan\'s researchers aim to boost manufacturing sector

Ten years ago in order to draw maximum results from investing in science Uzbekistan has introduced a fundamentally new system of research funding, which bases on selection of research topics.

Since 2002, the scientists, involved in basic research, get five year grants, those engaged in applied research have three year grants. The country also gives two-year grants for innovative researches and grants for youth. Last year, by unique coincidence, all the scientists involved in these projects have summed up theirs projects. This year, new topics for research were approved for financing from the state budget. UT reporters have analyzed the results and prospects of work of the country\'s strongest minds.

INNOVATIVE MOOD

Science in Uzbekistan lives by new rules for already ten years. Science and Technology Development Coordinating Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers, in consultation with the concerned ministries and agencies, is developing scientific and technical programs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which embrace the problems whose solution is of primary importance for the country.

In\" turn, scientists of various research education and development institutes, researches of experimental design bureaus of the Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, as well as other departments and small innovative centers offer their projects for implementation under these state programs. Then specific projects, which will be implemented during the coming years, are determined on a competitive basis for having public financing from state budget funds.

Such approach facilitates the state to have more efficient use of growing scientific potential of the country. Some few figures confirm this fact. If in 2002, the year when contest for research grants was announced in the country for the first time, there were about 3,500 applications, in 2011 however, their number totaled to 4,470. Basing on needs for scientific solutions, the number of allocated grants is being increased. Thus, the number of grants during the last contest has increased by 300 projects in comparison with the previous year.

It was estimated that during the previous projects 783 inventions were patented, 241 computer software and new 22 trademarks were registered. Most of them have found wide practical application. Basing on research materials, some 430 books and two thousand teaching aids were issued. Local scientific developments are also learned with great interŽest abroad. 929 monographs and 14,213 journal articles, 3,710 of which were published in foreign countries, facilitate to this process. More than 200 thousand abstracts, published in collections of scientific works of national and international conferences have the responses from foreign experts.

Time will tell what implications the new projects will have. Science and Technology Coordination Committee hopes that they will be higher than the current ones. And these expectations are barely groundless: after all, it is just 1,541 applicants who have been awarded grants. Moreover, the majority of projects are aimed at solving global complex problems; specialists from several institutions are engaged to implement it.

NEW NAMES

This year, there have been changes in the usual list of 244 list organizations involved in the implementation of state scientific and technical programs. Branches of foreign institutions of higher education and about 40 organizations that were not previously involved in science have entered the scientific life of the country. The rookies are: the branch of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, the branch of Russian Oil and Gas University, the branch of Moscow State University, Qarshi Breeding and Seed-crops Research Institute, the Public Fund Blood Service for people and others.

The Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers \"On measures to further optimize the structure and the improvement of the scientific institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan\" made adjustments in the list of organizations involved it realization of state grants. As part of these changes, the reorganized centers transfer their designs, equipment and experts to legal successors. Quite all \"united\" institutions had much in common, their scientific topics, experts and even roots of origin. So the resolution aims to further improve all aspects of their performance.

The Ion-plasma and Laser Technologies Institute is among new names of the grants implementing institutions. It was formed after the merge of the Institute of Electronics, Department of Thermal Physics, Scientific and Production Association Akadempribor. Institute of the Gene Pool of Flora and Fauna of the Academy of Sciences - established on the basis of the Institute of Zoology and Research and Scientific Production Centre Botanica - has started it work. The projects are also implemented by the Research Institute of Irrigation and Water Problems at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Reclamation, which combined the Institute of Water Problems and Research and Production Association SANIIRI of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. The Institute of Mathematics at National University of Uzbekistan and the Center for Development of software and hardware systems at the Tashkent University of Information Technology are in the updated list. They were organized after division of the Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science. Karakalpak Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Research Institute of Humanities - created after uniting of five Nukus research institutions -will also contribute to the development of science in the country.

In some academic institutions and universities the number of research projects had increased as a result of closing some centers. Thus, the Institute of Philosophy and Law handed its projects in the philosophy to the National University of Uzbekistan, and those regarding the law to the Tashkent State Law Institute. Studies on the topics of the Institute of Biochemistry and of the Institute of Physiology and Biophysics will be continued at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. Andijon-Namangan, Bukhoro, Southern Regional, Farghona research centers were substituted by Andijon, Bukhoro, Qarshi, Farghona State Universities. Integrated Research Institute of Regional Problems at the Samarqand Branch of the Academy of Sciences has become part of the Samarqand State University together with its projects as a research laboratory on environmental issues.

PRIORITIES FOR 2012

The state waits from science real economic effects: the costs of production should be reduced through introduction of high-productive developments. This explains why the number of applied and youth projects have increased this year, while allocated grants on fundamental research shrunk.

Compared with the previous three-year period the number of applied projects has increased by almost 300, and their total share in the costs allocated by state on research amounted to 58%. Many developments are designed for various industries, such as oil and gas, mining, metallurgy, machine building, chemical, pharmaceutical, electrical, cotton ginning industry, agriculture, health, education, information and communication sectors. Main efforts are done on modernization of production, creation of non-waste, resource-saving and highly efficient new technologies, materials and medicines.

The number of projects conducted by novice reŽsearchers has increased by twenty new ones. In 2008, youth projects were allocated from general grants to support talented young scholars. Since then, the number of projects increases by average 20 themes, after each contest, but their total budget does not rise. In the same year, the amounts of funds on youth projects were increased two-fold. Experts predict that this figure will continue to grow, in a situation of steady increase in the number of applications, supported by highly effective and promising ideas.

Nowadays, young people are engaged mostly in solving applied problems. The peculiarity of those projects is that their authors (most of them have Ph.D. or Doctoral degree) are younger than 35 years. Such projects have become an effective tool of engaging new forces and promising talents in science. It shows genuine attention for the future of country’s science. The themes for Basic Researches were chosen with reference of their further practical application. Despite the decline in the total number of projects that have received governmental funding, the area of researched fields has greatly expanded. Researches on renewable energy and natural reŽsources are among new areas of studying. There are more works in the field of biotechnology, nanotechnology and genetic engineering.

FROM LABORATORY INTO PRACTICE

There is an active process of implementation the national scientists\' developments at the enterprises of the country. For example, Olmaliq Mining and Metallurgical Plant introduces a non-waste technology for processing waste ore, proposed by scientists of the State Unitary Enterprise Fan va taraqqiyot. It allows receiving non-ferrous metals and raw materials for construction materials from the waste. The vacuum-air-vortex gripper device, developed by the Farghona Polytechnic Institute, undergoes pilot industrial application at the Farghona Mechanical Plant. There are more and more examples of such innovative activity of scientists and companies.

The state continues its policy aimed at improving the innovative activity of entrepreneurs. There is an efficient system of tax and customs exemptions for scientific institutions and enterprises, mastering new technologies. Grants on innovation researches and Republican fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects play special role in the complex of measures which promote scientific developments in the country.

Innovative grants became a powerful incentive for implementing scientific achievements into practice, and introduction of new developments which is very important for country\'s development. State support goes only to those projects that have a response from a particular company or organization about the relevancy of the proposed solutions. That\'s why their funding has been increased by 2 times and brought to 16% of all research grants paid from the budget this year. Thanks to innovative grants, 170 developments will find their practical application in all sectors of the economy this year. Most of the implementing projects are the ideas of scholars from the Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. Innovative grants are investment on the development of waste-free and energy saving technologies.

Hundreds of applied and innovative developments were introduced due to the Republican Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects, which soon, will be organized for the fifth time. In general, this unique and one of the most anticipated events in the scientific life of the country has become an indispensable tool in improving the productivity of the scientists. During the fair entrepreneurs learn and acquire the necessary developments, while scientists use good opportunity to learn more about the needs of businesses.

All this once again shows that the scientists of the country are making worthy contribution to the country\'s goal - to join the ranks of developed democratic nations of the world and improve the quality of life of the population.(Source: Uzbekistan Today Newspaper)