University of

Zagreb

Research Funding with the European Research Area

(ERA):
Towards University Excellence

Melita Kovacevic, University of Zagreb

Vice-Rector for Research and Technology

UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education, Round Table, Zagreb, 3
– 4 December 2010
 University of
Zagreb

Topics

 Research funding within European

framework
 Research funding within national level
 Directions for change
 University of Research
Zagreb funding within
EU

The role of research

a key component of development and

economical growth

new jobs innovation society

& production in general
University of Research
Zagreb funding within
EU
Research university excellence
• fully autonomous, accountable, well managed
and performing universities
• financial autonomy is essential for universities in
achieving their strategic goals
• increasing diversity in sources of funding
• greater supervision of spending
• sets high requirements for the vitality of the
administrative organisation – pro-active research
management
• Full costing financial management tool for
financial sustainability and prove to all funders what
their money is spent on
University of Research
Zagreb funding within
EU

Conditions for achieving excellence in universities and other

research organisations (Brussels, October 2010)

 sustainable research funding

 research training for innovation
 partnership between research organisations and industry
 autonomy and excellence
 cooperation, clustering and excellence-based competition

• European Research Council (ERC)

• U - Multirank
University of Research
Zagreb funding within
EU

In numbers

2020 100 mil new posts

1 mil new doctors
2014 3,7 mil new jobs
2 % of GDB into HE (research)
research funding
- e.g. ERC – 7,5 billion EUR (2007-2013)
University of Research
Zagreb funding within
national level
Documents:

- Science and technology policy of the Republic of

Croatia 2006 - 2010, Ministry of Science, Education
and Sports
- Strategic framework for development 2006.-2013.,
Government of the Republic of Croatia
- Action plan, Ministry of Science, Education and
Sports, April 2008
Research projects – budgetary
financing (in mil. HRK)
R&D in general – budgetary
financing
Participants in FP7 (2007-
2010)
EU contribution in FP7 (2007-
2010)
National contribution to FP7 (in
mil. EUR)
 GERD/GDP ratio in Southeast
Europe

Source:
http://www.unesco.org/science/psd/publications/usr10_s-e_europe.pdf
Gross domestic expenditure
on R&D

Source:
University of Directions for
Zagreb
change

Questions instead of Directions:

1. Do we consider research as spenditure or

investment?
2. Do we want to have research institutions?
3. Do we want to compete with others (in region,
Europe, world)?
4. Are we aware that there is no development and
economic growth without research?
University of Directions for
Zagreb
change

Questions instead of Directions:

1. Do we have research capacity?

2. Is our research up-dated?
3. Is our research internationally relevant?
4. Can we recognize easily productive research
group? Do we support them?
5. Do we know what is our research profile?
University of Directions for
Zagreb
change

What do we need?

1. Policy paper
Strategy
human resources
2. Capacity
infrastructure
3. Adequate financing
University of Directions for
Zagreb
change

Prerequisites are

 knowledge
 understanding of global changes and context
 appropriate funding (mixed)
 strength-from institutional to individual level -
to admit
 University of Directions for
Zagreb
change

“We are not all the same”

Reminder: US – cca 3000 universities

Europe – cca 3000 universities
US – cca 70 intensive research universities
Europe – cca 2500 intensive research
universities

Peter J. Wells, Friday, 3 December 2010, 11.05

Thank you

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