The Ministry of Communications and Mass Media is planning to finance the creation of up to 50 R&D centers in the IT segment in Russia in the next five years, Digit.ru reported in late June. During the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, Deputy Minister Mark Shmulevich said that by 2014 the first 7-10 centers to get the grants will be determined.
In the short term, the ministry will form a workgroup consisting of experts and scientists responsible for picking the right candidates to receive grants. Suitable candidates must be creating R&D centers either within institutions of higher education or in existing research institutes.
The maximum amount of each grant will be 20 million rubles (around $600,000) per year, and candidates may ask for financing for up to five years.
