Russia has recently undertaken two major policy initiatives aimed at strengthening science and innovation in its universities: the “National Research University” competition to increase funding to a select group of universities, and the “Megagrant” program to attract “star” scientists to lead labs in universities. Traditionally, the Russian Academy of Sciences has been the center of scientific research, while universities focused on education. These new policies signal a new direction by the government to bolster the science and technology sector by integrating science and education. While it is too early to measure the tangible impacts of the programs and the return on investments, the programs appear to have the potential to significantly impact the future of science and innovation in Russia. However, despite the increased funding, challenges like bureaucracy and difficulties obtaining materials continue to hamper research activities.
Ina Ganguli, of Harvard University, was a 2011-2012 Embassy Policy Specialist (EPS) [7] fellow.
