By amending the Organisation of Research and Development Act, its coherence with the changed circumstances will be improved, the principles of financing R&D will be specified, and the parties to the R&D system and their roles will be provided more in detail. The renewed law will pay more attention to research ethics and specifies the principles of disclosure of research results. The members of the Research and Development Council highlighted that, in addition to research, the focus should be more strongly on innovation, and they emphasised the need to improve coordination between the ministries.
‘Also in the context of the debate on the state budget strategy, we have discussed how to avoid any duplication of effort and create more synergies and cooperation. It is understandable that each ministry or institution may have its own view of one or another problem, but the studies or analyses commissioned to solve the problems could still be comprehensive and taking into account the interests of all parties. We will certainly continue along this path during the budget debate in the coming autumn,’ said Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
The draft is scheduled to be sent to partners for approval after further discussion in June, and the law should enter into force in 2023.
The proposed reform of doctoral studies aims to ensure that the majority of doctoral students have a junior researcher position in universities or a job in other R&D institutions and companies. While examining the plans for the reform of doctoral studies, the members of the Research and Development Council discussed how to increase the compliance of doctoral studies with the needs of society and business, and the role that business-related doctoral studies could play. Currently, the number of doctoral theses defended annually is less than 250 (the target is 300), which does not ensure that there will be new top specialists in the future. In general, doctoral studies last longer than the nominal time and people who have obtained this degree cannot find a job outside the field of higher education and research. As the next step, the representatives of entrepreneurs in the Research and Development Council promised to focus on the expectations of entrepreneurs on the skills and competencies of people who have passed the business-related doctoral studies.
‘Such doctoral studies in business or industry help to assign job tasks more precisely and achieve results faster,’ Kaja Kallas said.
The draft is planned to be submitted to the Government of the Republic no later than in August in order to begin with its implementation from 1 September 2022.
The Research and Development Council also received an overview of the Government Office concerning the introduction of the recommendations discussed at the previous meeting on the change of the Council’s own role in the management of R&D and innovation, and it examined the planned measures in the field of R&D and innovation in the new budget period.
The Research and Development Council, which advises the Government, includes the Minister of Education and Research, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, and the following persons as members appointed by the Government: Jaak Aaviksoo, Toomas Asser, Toomas Luman, Gunnar Okk, Mart Saarma, Oliver Väärtnõu, Tarmo Soomere, Toomas Tamsar, Arto Aas, Tiit Land, and Maive Rute. The Research and Development Council is chaired by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
The next meeting of the Research and Development Council is scheduled for 31 August.
