- The funds will be used for calls for human resources and research projects
The Council of Ministers today approved the granting of an extraordinary loan of 95.6 million euros for science, technology and innovation. These funds will be used to reinforce the calls for R + D + i included in the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2013-2016, which is managed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
With these new resources, the Government maintains its commitment to R + D + i, aware of its importance for economic growth. The budgets of the Secretary of State for R & D + i increased by 10% in the items destined for direct aid in 2014 (the first increase since 2009). In addition, the credit supplements that have been granted in these years total 364 million euros. This bet has allowed Spain to remain these years among the 10 countries with the highest scientific production in the world.
The Secretary of State for R + D + i will improve with this supplement the calls for human resources and research projects to promote, through competitive competition, the execution of research and innovation projects, as well as other activities whose results represent an advance in knowledge.
These 95.6 million euros contribute to maintaining the level of public financing in R & D & i and increasing the competitiveness of the business fabric of our country. The Secretary of State for R + D + i will soon publish the 2015 Annual Action Plan, which includes: (a) training contracts, in their different stages, and to support the incorporation of R + D + i personnel in the system; (b) aid to promote mobility; (c) aid for carrying out R & D & i projects distributed, according to their objectives, in the different state subprograms; (d) aid to finance collaborative strategic research programs presented by companies and other R & D & I institutions in the public sector; (e) dynamization grants ─of different duration and characteristics─ intended for users of the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation System to achieve specific strategic objectives linked to the State Plan.
Commitment to spend
The Council of Ministers has also authorized the elevation of limits to acquire spending commitments charged to future years, allowing the amount granted for R & D & I actions to continue in the coming years.
