National Research
Programme II
- The mission and purpose of NRP
II in the system of support of research and development from public funds
in the Czech Republic
According to Section 5 (1) (b) of
Act No. 130/2002 Coll. on support of research and development as amended the
National Research Programme is a set of programmes being approved by the
Government that implements a substantial part of the National Research and
Development Policy of the Czech Republic and contains the definition of
specific support targets for the period of 4 to 6 years for the targeted
funding of implementation of research priorities of the Czech Republic.
The National Research Programme II
(NPV II) is an instrument implementing the National Research and Development
Policy of the Czech Republic for 2004 – 2008.
The mission of NRP II is to assist the Czech Republic to reach the economic development and
improvement of the quality of life of its inhabitants and level of human
resources and to maintain at least its economic position in selected sectors.
The purpose of NRP II is to implement in the period from
2006 to 2011 the priorities of the National Research and Development Policy of
the Czech Republic for 2006 to 2008 (NR&DP) through a set of 4 thematic
programmes and 3 cross-sectional programmes with the overall expenditures of at
least CZK
Table I - Thematic priorities of the national policy and thematic programmes of NRP II implementing them
|
Thematic
priorities Of the
National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic for 2004 -
2008 |
Safe, reliable
and environmentally friendly energetics for the future |
New materials
and technologies |
Quality and
safety of life |
Information
and knowledge-based society |
Needs of the
Czech Republic in the social and economic area |
|
|
Thematic
programmes of NRP II |
Sustained
prosperity (TP1) |
Healthy and
high-quality life (TP2) |
Information
technology for knowledge-based society (TP3) |
Social and
economical development of the Czech society (TP4) |
||
Table II – System priorities of the national policy and cross-sectional programmes of NRP II implementing them
|
System
priorities of the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech
Republic for 2004 - 2008 |
Human
resources |
International
co-operation |
Regional
aspects of R&D |
Application of
R&D results in
practice |
Evaluation of
R&D |
|
|
Cross-sectional
programmes of NRP II |
Human
resources (CSP1) |
International co-operation (CSP2) |
Support to
preparation and implementation of the national policy, including the
technical assistance (CSP3) |
|||
2.
Basic structure of the programme
NRP II consists of 7 programmes in total, i.e. 4 thematic and 3
cross-sectional programmes. The basic structure of NRP II is referred to in
Tables III and IV and hierarchically represented in Figure I.
Table III - Thematic Programmes of NRP II
|
Provider |
Thematic
programme |
Interest index[1] |
Thematic areas[2] (sub-programmes) |
MTI
|
Permanent
prosperity (TP1) |
0,60 |
T1-1-1
Increase reliability of el.nets and high voltage switching stations
T1-1-2
Hydrogen and fuel elements usage as energy resources T1-1-3
New nuclear technologies to produce electricity, high-potential heat and
hydrogen T1-1-4
Lowering the energetical demand at buildings operations T1-1-5 Renewable energy resources T1-2-1
New technologies and materials for air protection T1-2-2
Technologies to protect mountains and mineral env. T1-3-1
New materials with new use attributes technical systems T1-3-2
New materials application in machinery construction T1-3-3
Mechatronical systems and robotics T1-3-4
New structures of production machinery T1-3-5
New semiconductor sensors and nanoparts T1-3-6
Increase of production lifetime and reliability of machinery products and
facilities with high technical parameters T1-3-7
New methods of nanodiagnostics T1-4-1
Alternative resources in transport development T1-4-2
Improvement and quality raise of transport infrastructure T1-4-3
Means of transport and systems for public and individual transport T1-5-1
Chemical optimalization and development of new engineering and pharmaceutical
technologies T1-5-2
Chemicals safety T1-5-3
Nanomaterials and processes T1-5-4
Development of new chemical substances to be included in products of other
branches T1-5-6
Organical syntheses for products with high added value tax T1-5-7
Catalysts for environmental protection, energetics, and low-waste chemical
technologies |
MEYS
|
Healthy
And Quality Life (TP2) |
0,61 |
T2-1-1 Healthy and safe goods T2-2-2
Systems and methods to assess the health safety of healthy nourishment food
raws, goods and feed T2-1-4 Non-traditional usage of agricultural
production T2-2-1 Development of new diagnostics based
on molecular biology methods T2-2-2 New medicaments based on mol. genetics
and biotechnologies T2-2-3 Nanomaterials to be applied in biology
and medicine T2-2-4 Biomaterials for transplanation
medicine T2-2-5 Genomics, proteomics and
pathofyziology of kardiovascular diseases T2-2-6 Genomics and proteomics of cell
differenciation at onkological diseases T2-3-1 Limitation to surface waters pollution T2-3-2 Env. bioremediation through microorganisms
T2-3-3 Waste reproduction and recycling T2-3-4 Biodiversity T2-3-5 Environment and health |
|
Information
Technologies for Knowledgeable society (TP3) |
0,58 |
T3-1-1
Knowledge management and informatics, mainly to support illness prevention
and treatment T3-1-2 Open and mobile systems for internet
and industrial applications T3-1-3 Information security and kryptology T3-1-4 Information infrastructure, e-learning
and virtual working place T3-1-5
Language barriers elimination through information technologies |
|
|
Social
and Economical Development of the Czech society (TP4) |
- |
T4-1-1 Ageing Czech society T4-1-2 Modernisation of Czech public politics
and administration in the EU context T4-1-3 Migration problems and their influence
on the Czech society T4-1-4
Modernisation of public services T4-1-5
Institutional frame of socially-economical stratification processes T4-1-6
Interests of the Czech state and society in European integration processes |
Table IV – Cross-section programmes of NRP II
|
Provider |
Cross-section
programme |
Thematic areas
(sub-programme) |
|
MEYS |
Human
resources (PP1) |
P1-1 Research to improve basic, secondary and
tertiary education and general human resource development P1-2
Research encouragement at universities P1-3 Improve attractively of the research
profession and its gender-related support P1-4 Research popularisation P1-5 Migration support |
|
International co-operation (PP2) |
Research
for the state administration acc. to §3, par.1a) Act No.130/2002 Coll., about
support to research and development, as amended, directed to fulfilment of
the tasks assigned by the government to the central state administration for
research and development for providing international co-operation in this
area. |
|
|
Support
for preparation and realisation of national politics including technical
assistance (PP4) |
Research
for the state administration acc. to §3, par.1a) Act No.130/2002 Coll., about
support to research and development, as amended, directed to fulfilment of
the tasks assigned by the government to the central state administration for
research and development and to realisation of current, as well as
preparation of the new politics of research, and further to fulfil central
administrative office tasks specified in competence act and §33 Act No.130/2002
Coll., about support to research and development, as amended. The only user
in this case is the state.[3] |
NRP II will be co-ordinated by the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sport (MEYS) through the NRPII Council that is governed by
the statute and rules of procedure approved by the Government Decision No. 417
of 28th April, 2003. The proposal of a new composition of the new
NRPII Council (since 2006) will take into account the nominations of individual
concerned ministries for representation of the professional community
representatives in this body.
Scheme I – Structure of National
Research Programme II
For
thematic programmes with anticipated co-participation of private business
entities (particularly TP1 to TP3) the index of the user sphere’s interest in
co-financing this programmes of NRP II was determined (the interest index is
mentioned with corresponding programmes of NRPII in Table III).
The
publicizing of these thematic and cross-sectional programmes of NRP II does not
mean any cancellation of the thematically oriented departmental programmes
which will continue in the future within the meaning of Section 4 (1) (c) of
Act on support of research and development.
- The objectives of thematic and cross-sectional programmes of NRP II
3.1. The objectives of the thematic programme
“Sustained Prosperity” (TP1)
1. To prepare new materials and provide
new procedures for utilisation of renewable and untraditional sources of
energy, including the hydrogen energy.
2. To increase the reliability of the
electrical energy transmission systems.
3. To work out new procedures for
nuclear power technologies.
4. To reduce the energy demands of the
operation of buildings.
5. To create new non-conventional
machine structures and constructions.
6. To create new materials with new
useful properties, including nanomaterials and new methods of material
diagnostics.
7. To prepare new semiconductor
components for diagnostics and control.
8. To increase the utilisation of the
transport security system.
9. To introduce new procedures for
selected sectors of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
10. To develop new materials, new
additions to products of other sectors, new polymers and catalysts.
3.2 The
objectives of the thematic programme “Healthy and High-quality Life (TP2)
1. To provide new procedures of
processing, distribution, control and unique identification of healthy and
unexceptionable food products and finding of their new sources.
2. To create new systems of production
organisms improvement.
3. To develop new diagnostic
procedures, including nanotechnological methods, for quick, precise and
patient-friendly determination of the patient’s condition and monitoring of the
treatment progress.
4. To increase the therapeutic
efficiency and safety of drugs.
5. To develop new procedures in
genomics of serious illnesses.
6. To create new medical materials and
procedures.
7. To reduce emission of
environmentally harmful gases, improve the condition of sites affected by environmental burdens of the past,
including improvement of the watercourses cleanness
8. To work out innovative procedures in
waste management.
9. To work out the methodology of
environmental standards implementation according to OECD standards.
3.3 The objectives
of the thematic programme “Information Technology for Knowledge-based Society
(TP3)
1. To develop technical infrastructure
for knowledge management, particularly in health care, social security and
state administration in general.
2. To develop new information
infrastructures on universities.
3. To develop new methods of knowledge
management, particularly by using the artificial intelligence methods, machine
learning and information and data warehouses.
4. To develop new mobile and open
systems for internet applications and for new types of consumer solutions, both
inside and outside the industrial sphere.
5. To develop new systems of computer
security, including the anti-spam protection, for the information and
communication environment in the Czech Republic to attain the world class level
in security.
6. To develop new means for working of
virtual teams and laboratories and methods of computer-supported learning
(e-learning) with the aim to attain at least the European top class level
7. To overcome language barriers in
information and knowledge sharing within the multilingual environment of EU.
3.4 The objectives
of the thematic programme “Social and Economical Development of the Czech
Society (TP4)
1. To establish the Czech national
interests and create the Czech identity in the conditions of the European
consolidation and economic globalisation.
2. To reduce the potentially negative
consequences of socially stratifying processes in the incidence of a discord
between the economic pressure upon the growth of meritocratic principles and
the capability of a social state to compensate the social disparities and
encourage criteria of social justice.
3. To activate the senior population on
the market to become more involved in the social structures and analyse the
possibilities to reduce effects of the Czech demographic development that will
manifest itself in decline in labour forces and dynamical population aging.
3.5 The objectives
of the cross-sectional programme “Human Resources” (CSP1)
1. To work out and examine procedures
and methods to increase the number of workers in science, research and
development, improve their social and economic position and provide more
efficient motivation to choose this career.
2. To enhance the procedures that can
positively influence the approach of the public to science, research and
development, increase the level of education of the whole population in
scientific and technical knowledge.
3. To enhance the preparatory and
further education of workers in research and development on universities and
other scientific work sites.
4. To orientate the targets, contents
and methods of the primary and secondary education towards the progress in
scientific and technical knowledge. To find motivations supporting the
attractiveness of scientific, research and technical professions for students
and tertiary education graduates.
5. To develop new processes enhancing
woman’s involvement in research and development.
6. To analyse the impacts and
efficiency of individual steps on improvement of the situation in the area of
human resources.
7. To develop new instruments
supporting the mobility of scientific workers within the state and
institutions, as well as between the various work sites (both in the Czech
Republic and internationally).
3.6 The objectives
of the cross-sectional programme “International Co-operation” (CSP2)
This
cross-sectional programme is aimed at funding the international co-operation
support in research and development, including its regional aspects. It is a
research for the state administration by form of public procurement according to
Section 3 (1) (a3) of Act on support of research and development. Following
areas were identified:
1. The coordination of national and
international research and development not only to avoid fragmentation of the
research and development capacities of the local work sites, but also to use
all available research and development sources to a maximum effect being synergically complemented by the
international research.
2. The involvement of work sites in the
international co-operation in research and development.
3. To increase the influence of CR at
formulation of international research and development programmes priorities in
relation to the national social and economic needs and for active role of CR in
building of ERA
4. To monitor and analyze the
involvement of CR in the international co-operation in research and
development.
5. To delegate our research workers to
foreign work sites and create opportunities for involvement of foreign workers
in the activity of local research and development work sites.
6. The creation of new stimulation
instruments for transferring the research results into local conditions and for
growth in public and private investments into research.
3.7 The objectives
of the cross-sectional programme “Support to Preparation and Implementation of the
National Policy, including the Technical Assistance” (CSP3)
This
cross-sectional programme is aimed at financing the preparation of basic
materials making for the creation of research and development concepts and
their implementation and creation of suitable conditions for technical workers
of the state administration and other experts for preparation of another
national policy of research and development and provision of the National
Research Programme II and the follow-up national programme. The needs of the
state administration in the above area can be financed from this programme’s
funds as well, by developing the methodologies for evaluation of research and
proposals for supporting the transfer of technologies. It is a research for the
state administration by form of public procurement according to Section 3 (1)
(a3) of Act on support of research and development.
4. The programme
duration and announcement of public tenders in research and development
The
National Research Programme II will be announced for the period 2006-
The announcement of public tenders
in research and development will be governed by the act on support of research
and development.
The NRP II projects will be
completed by December 31, 2011 at the latest
5. The
financing of NRP II
The proposal of NRP II expenditures
from public funds in individual years and for the whole period of the programme
is given in Table V. These figures will form grounds for the preparation of the
R&D state budget expenditures estimate in
compliance with Section 5 of Act on support of research and development.
Table VI illustrates the overall expected NRP
II expenditures broken down by individual years and for the whole period of the
programme in total. Data include also the expected non-public funds.
The distribution of public funds
between the thematic and cross-sectional programmes is significantly shifted in
favour of the thematic programmes. Besides the expensiveness of such research
the reason is also the fact that the fulfilment of system priorities of the National
Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic for 2004-2008 can be
ensured not only by cross-sectional programmes of NRP II, but also by using the
contributions of the Structural Funds, particularly of the Human Resources
Development Operational Programme within the European Social Fund (it meets
especially the “Human resources” priority of the national policy) and the
Industry and Enterprise Operational Programme (it meets especially the
“Application of R&D results” priority of the national
policy).[4]
The fulfilment of regional aspects is satisfied by, apart from departmental
programmes, relevant measures financed from the Structural Funds in view of the
fact that this form of support is directed exactly to regions. The priority
“Evaluation of research and development” can be implemented also by non-fiscal
instruments like e.g. Government Decision No. 644 of 23rd June 2004.
The provision of support of research
and development from public funds is governed especially by Act on support of
research and development, Government Regulation No. 461/2002 Coll. on
targeted support of research and development from public funds and on public
tenders in research and development, Act No. 40/2004 Coll. on public
procurement, other regulations of the European Union as referred to in Chapter
10 and with the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also by the European
Commission Regulation No 364/2004 of 25 February 2004 and other regulations
relating hereto[5]. The maximum extent of
support from public funds depends on the type of research and may reach
a) up to 100 % of qualified costs of
fundamental research, without the industrial research,
b) up to 50 % of qualified costs of
industrial research.
The
share of targeted support in the qualified costs of industrial research may be
further increased to 75 % of qualified costs of industrial research, if
statutory conditions are met as given by the above regulations.
The
level of the annual targeted support per one project will not exceed CZK
Of the project solution costs only such costs
may be financed that are qualified within the meaning of Act on support of
research and development and its implementing regulation (Government Regulation
No. 461/2002 Coll. on targeted support of research and development from public
funds and on public tenders in research and development) and with SMEs also of
Article 5 (5) (a) and (2) (c) of Commission Regulation No 364/2004 of 25
February 2004, while respecting the above mentioned legal norms laying down the
maximum level of qualified costs
financed from public funds.
In case that NRP II will not be notified by the
European Commission by the term of its planned commencement (in 2006), the
funds will be ensured in compliance with point III b of the Government decision
No. 272 of 9 March 2005.
6. Target groups, which the programme is
intended for and proof of the applicant’s qualification
As a whole, NRP II is intended
primarily for research institutions, universities, and entrepreneurial
entities. The way of proving the applicant’s qualification, including the
foreign entities, is laid down in Section 18 of Act on support of research and
development
7. International
relations of NRP II
NRP II promotes the international
co-operation in research. The international co-operation makes possible to
contribute significantly to achieving the Lisbon process targets (to become a
far more competitive partner particularly towards the US and Japan with the aim
to enhance the quality of life of the EU inhabitants)) and the Barcelona target
(to raise the EU research and development expenditures to 3 % of GDP by 2010).
The
provider will contract the rights of foreign entities, who take part in the
project solution, to the research results in relation to their means invested
in the project in question. In so doing, the provider acts not only in
compliance with the applicable Czech legal regulations, but also with the
international commitments of the Czech Republic.
In
the area of international co-operation NRP II plays only a complementary role;
the implementation of the national policy in this area takes place particularly
within the MEYS departmental programmes of international co-operation.
8. Terms and
conditions of public tenders in research and development
Terms and conditions of a public
tender, its execution and evaluation are governed by Act on support of research
and development and Government Resolution No. 461/2002 Coll. on targeted
support of research and development from public funds and on public tenders in
research and development.
The draft project will contain,
inter alia:
a) into what thematic or
cross-sectional programme the project registers itself and what thematic
objectives it fulfils, including comparison of this draft project with the
objectives and contents of that given thematic area,
b) what will be the specific thematic
contents by which it will contribute to the fulfilment of objectives of any
thematic or cross-sectional programme.
9. Evaluation
of NRP II
Table VII – Indicators of the NRP II objectives fulfilment
After completing the second year of the NRP II solution, the providers
will produce a report on the preliminary state of solution of thematic and
cross-sectional programmes falling under their competences and submit it to the
Czech government for information.
The report will contain the evaluation of the NRP II progress, the
preliminary state of fulfilment of the
objective according to criteria given in Table VII, commentary explaining the
reasons of non-fulfilment, if any and proposals, if applicable, for changes in
NRP II, its management or evaluation of projects.
Table VIII Indicators of fulfilment of the thematic and cross-sectional programmes objectives
After the end of NRP II the providers will
produce a final report on the NRP II completion and its evaluation based on the
criteria for evaluation of NRP II, thematic and cross-sectional programmes and
evaluation of achieved results in compliance with the methodology of evaluation
of research and development and its results pursuant to Government Resolution
No. 644 of 23rd June 2004 on evaluation of research and development
and its results and on related methodology.
The report will be submitted to the Czech
government for information. This report will be one of the ground papers not
only for the preparation of other national programmes, but also for the
analysis of research and development and preparation of the national research
and development policy in the Czech Republic.
10. Legal framework of the National Research
Programme II
Legal regulations of
the European Communities:
1. Articles 87 and 89 of Treaty
establishing the European Community, as amended by subsequent treaties.
2. Council Regulation (EC)
No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of
Article 93 of the EC Treaty (Celex: 31999R0659).
3. Commission Regulation
(EC) No 794/2004 of 21 April 2004 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No
659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of
Article 93 of the EC Treaty (Celex: 32004R0794).
4. Commission Regulation
(EC) No 364/2004 of 25 February 2004
amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 as regards extension of its scope to
include aid for research and development (Celex: 32004R0364).
5.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the
application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and
medium-sized enterprises, as amended (32001R0071).
6.
Information
from the Commission on the Community framework for State aid for research and
development, Official Journal C 045 of 17 February 1996 (Celex: 396Y0217(01),
as amended by the Commission communication amending the Community framework for
State aid for research and development, Official Journal C 048 of 13 February
1998 (Celex: 31998Y0213(01), as amended by the Commission communication
concerning the prolongation of the Community framework for State aid for
research and development (Celex: 52002XC0508/02).
1.
Act
No. 130/2002 Coll. on support of research and development from public funds and
on amendment to certain related acts (Act on support of research and
development), as amended.
2.
Act
No. 215/2004 Coll. on regulation of certain relations in the area of public
support and on amendment to act on support of research and development.
3.
Act
No. 218/2000 Coll. on budgetary rules and on amendment to certain related acts
(Budgetary Rules), as amended.
4.
Act
No. 40/2004 Coll. on public procurement, as amended.
5.
Act
No. 320/2001 Coll. on financial control in public administration and on
amendment to certain acts (Financial Control Act), as amended.
6.
Act
No. 143/2001 Coll. on protection of economic competition and on amendment to
certain acts (Act on protection of economic competition).
7.
Act
No. 513/1991 Coll., the Commercial Code, as amended.
8.
Act
No. 527/1990 Coll. on inventions and rationalisation proposals, as amended.
9.
Government
Regulation No. 461/2002 Coll. on targeted support of research and development
from public funds and on public tenders in research and development.
10.
Government
Regulation No. 267/2002 Coll. on the information system of research and
development.