The Board of Directors of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation (R+D+i Agency) approved at its last meeting a record award, for more than $13 billion pesos, in scientific and technological exploration, reported this Friday his press office.
The national body, which is in the orbit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovationreported that the funds awarded will be used to promote the transformation of knowledge towards productive and innovative results, as well as to finance scientific and technological research projects throughout the country.
“For this government, the decision to Investing in Science and Technology is a priority, even within a context of difficulties. We do it to have a much more inclusive, federal and essentially sovereign development model. The Agency’s actions are an effective way to achieve this,” said the area minister, Daniel Filmus.
For his part, he President of the Agency, Fernando Ernesto Peiranopointed out that “this award confirms the full recovery of the Agency, which increased the volume of its projects, increased funds and managed to implement regulatory changes.”
“We have a broader and stronger promotion system compared to the initial management situation, even if compared to the last decade”expanded the economist, in charge of the R+D+i Agency.
“The full recovery of the Agency is confirmed, which increased the volume of projects, increased funds and managed to implement regulatory changes. We have a broader and stronger promotion system”, said the president of the Agency @ferpeirano.
— R+D+i Agency (@agenciaidir) February 17, 2023
Of the total awarded, some $6,922,125,709 pesos correspond to the 1,529 projects selected in the PICT 2021 call. While another $2,563,581,932 pesos will be used to update the amounts of 2,629 projects from previous calls.
In addition, the Agency will grant a budget reinforcement to increase by 23% the amount of projects awarded for all types and categories, compared to what was requested by the research groups.
Between the updates and the budget reinforcement, the amount per project will have an average recovery of around 138% compared to the previous year’s call, which will represent a genuine improvement since it exceeds the evolution of inflation or the dollar.
The evaluation process was in charge of the Scientific and Technological Research Fund (Foncyt). To recommend the financing of the projects, 7,103 evaluations and 24 “Ad Hoc” commissions were carried out, in which 210 researchers from all over the country participated.
The result of the call has a gender component, with the majority of projects directed by women (58% of the total and a federal nature), financing 77 scientific institutions throughout the country, and covering all disciplines of scientific knowledge that are developed in Argentina.
Also, $4,285 million pesos were awarded for another 122 technological development and innovation projects for SMEs and cooperatives and social innovation initiatives. Among the awarded projects is the creation of the “Tecnoteca” of Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego.
