The Framework Law on Science

The volume of innovative goods and services nearly tripled and amounted to 3.5 trillion rubles from 2011 to 2014. However, Russia rolled back, in terms of the scientific development in comparison with the Soviet period, when science experienced its heyday. The law "On Science, scientific and technical and innovative activity in the Russian Federation", the concept of which was discussed at the meeting of a working group under the Chairman of the State Duma's legislative initiatives in the sphere of ​​innovation policy is intended to correct position.

The State Duma is constantly working to improve legislation in this sphere. The legislature has a portfolio of documents relating to public procurement, antimonopoly regulation, tax policy in the sphere of innovation. What is missing is a framework law which would have systemize the entire scientific activity.

The working group under the Chairman of the State Duma was established four years ago, and the experts from the very beginning talked about the need to develop a new basic law-in-draft on science, technology and innovation. 65 the Ministry of Education experts to were working on the concept of the document from February to October. First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Natalya Tretyak noted that the concept reflects the key principles of the law: freedom of scientific creativity and effective support.

The current federal law on federal science and science policy was adopted in 1996. Since 35 laws, correcting it, were adopted. As a result, the law turned into a "system-less legal act". The new law, according to Natalia Tretyak, will create favorable conditions for scientific creativity, establish transparent principles of scientific career, based on the reputation of scientists, the best support system development.

Particular attention should be paid to financing. First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Science and High Technology Vladimir Kononov said that science needs additional funds. The funding of science is reduced . In the budget of 2016, although the Committee was able to slightly increase the funding in some areas. Experts pointed out that the world of science co-financing the government and business - 50 to 50, and in Russia this area is 70 percent funded by the state. The state wants to attract business to science. Entrepreneurs need to be given specific preferences, such as tax incentives.

Chairman of the Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Anatoly Aksakov said that a new law on science should be coordinated with the law on strategic planning and to establish a system for all science-related agencies, development institutions and corporations. According to Aksakov, the law should answer the question that needs to be done to develop steel implemented projects.

• The law-in-draft on the federal budget for 2016 on the "civilian" science allocated only 0.3% of GDP. 308 billion rubles will be directed to science. This is 52 billion less than in 2015. For comparison - in the Soviet Union the proportion of the expenditure amounted to 5%.

• A number of research organizations in Russia has decreased by almost 20% for two decades, a number of industrial organizations with research and design units - 18%, a number of design bureaus decreased by 2.4 times, a number of design organizations - 13 times.

Scientists suppose that first we must recognize the situation, which now turned out to be Russian science. The recently released UNESCO report which stated that Iran today is in the scientific development behind Russia by only 10 percent. So it is necessary to deal with the less conceptual plan, and begin to address specific problems.

The law-in-draft will contain 11 chapters. Its training will go about one year, then it will make to the government. In early 2017 it is planned to discuss the initiative in the State Duma.