Armenia to Offer Special Grants to Scientists From Foreign Countries Willing to Live and Work in Armenia

YEREVAN — Science funding in Armenia grew 83% in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2021, government funding for science was 13,7 billion drams, but in 2022 it reached 25,1 billion.

“Today, the science sector in Armenia is more attractive than two years ago,” the Deputy Chairman of the Science Committee of Armenia Artur Movsisyan said at a press conference. “Along with funding increase, the number of scientific grant tenders also increased, therefore the participation of scientific groups has become more active. The funding for procurement of equipment used for scientific projects also increased, meaning the opportunities have increased and interest for science grew.”

Further progress will be ensured, however in the long-term perspective the objective is to ensure the kind of environment and development that would make science have its contribution to economic development.

The Science Committee plans to implement a number of themed projects in several directions. Opportunities will be created for Armenian scientists to travel abroad and train in the best scientific organizations.

The next project envisages support to a scientific group formed in Armenia whose team leader will be from abroad. The team leader must put specific scientific objectives before the group, select specialists through a competition, monitor the work and work in Armenia for several months during the year.

The next project is the “repopulation” grant, which envisages work with ethnic Armenian or foreign scientists abroad who want to live and work in Armenia, create scientific groups and laboratories.

“At this moment I find it difficult to say what specific criteria will be used to select the scientists, but I can confirm that the branch of science will be significant. The projects must be aimed at strengthening the directions of science which are either nonexistent or weak in Armenia, for example jurisprudence, political science, economics and others,” he said.

He said the sector has serious staffing problems because over the years the number of scientists dropped. The average age of scientists is high, while the number of young scientists entering the sphere is low. This is why the government is taking measures to involve specialists.