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Management Board Adopted the Agency’s 2016 Annual Report

At its regular session of 22 February 2017, the Management Board of the Slovenian Research Agency adopted the 2016 Annual Report.

In 2016, the Agency focused on:

  • implementing research (co-)funding under the approved work programme,
  • adopting the new Rules on Procedures for (Co-)funding, Evaluating and Monitoring Research Implementation (29 July 2016),
  • introducing a new instrument (ERC visits),
  • further enhancing its cooperation with researchers,
  • improving its IT support services.

Key points:

  • The relative impact factor of scientific publications shows that Slovenia exceeded the world average for the first time.
  • There is a downward trend in the number of patent applications.
  • In 2016, a positive trend in the Agency’s research funding was noticed for the first time since 2010 (Figure 1). The increased volume of funding was not sufficient to introduce any major changes; however, the Agency was able to meet its contractual obligations arising mainly from an increased scale of research projects (Figure 2).

 

Figure 1: Agency's budget by year, 2005-2016 (in mio. EUR)

 

Figure 2: Growth index by mechanism in 2016

 

  • It is estimated that all the effects of austerity measures imposed on science in recent years cannot yet be determined, given the long-term impact of funding on the indicators used. 

Figure 3: Key bibliometric indicators

 

When drawing up its 2017 and 2018 budgets, the Agency continued actively informing the relevant ministry about the effects of reduced resources. The increase in funding that was detected for the first time in several years should become a constant trend.