The case of the young. How does Russia support budding researchers?
To develop science in the country, it is necessary to support young scientists. A number of programs are being carried out in Russia for this purpose.
Megagrants and more
For example, thanks to the national project “Science and Universities”, scientists are allocated mega-grants: applicants from different regions can receive up to 90 million rubles for their developments. The program also includes internships and professional development. More than 2,500 employees of the established laboratories have already taken advantage of this opportunity.
Also, the national project “Science and Universities” helps young scientists to realize themselves in the teams of world-class scientific and educational centers (REC), centers for genomic research and international mathematical centers. For example, in the Belgorod region, in the REC “Innovative solutions in the agro-industrial complex”, work is underway in the field of genetics, breeding and industrial microbiology, in the REC “Kuzbass” they are engaged in developments in the field of mineral processing, in the minerals, chemical technologies and related industries, and in the West Siberian interregional REC of the world level – biological safety, the environment of the Arctic zone, as well as the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry.
Over the next three years, additional funding will be directed to support projects with the participation of students and young scientists from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) – it will help increase the effectiveness of their scientific work. At present, the monthly remuneration of a postgraduate student at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation is on average 34 thousand rubles. Last year, about 37,500 researchers took part in projects funded by the Russian Science Foundation. Most of them were no older than 39 years old.
Track “Science” of the competition “Leaders of Russia”
In the Year of Science and Technology, a number of competitions and events are held to support young scientists. For example, on September 16-18, the finals of the Science track of the Leaders of Russia competition, the flagship project of the presidential platform Russia – the Land of Opportunities, took place. As a result, the best track participants got the opportunity to get into educational programs of leading universities and scientific organizations, undergo internships and receive job offers in relevant ministries, leading universities and large companies.
Young scientists conduct research in a wide variety of scientific fields. The winner and super-finalist of the Science specialization of the Leaders of Russia 2020 competition, Alexander Petukhov, works at the Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky and at the Institute of Applied Mathematics named after M.V. Keldysh Institute of RAS in Moscow. Together with psychiatrists, he develops an algorithm based on neural networks that can be used to analyze the text of people with deviant behavior. If you integrate the algorithm into a social network, it will reveal the predisposition of people to suicidal tendencies. The system can also detect destructive intentions such as terrorism and extremism.
Another winner and super-finalist of the Leaders of Russia 2020 competition, head of the laboratory at Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Artyom Narkevich, is developing intelligent systems to improve the quality of diagnostics of various diseases using artificial intelligence.
Finalist of another specialization of the Leaders of Russia 2020 competition, Healthcare, Head of the Department of Biomedical Technologies of the National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology of the Ministry of Health of Russia Ilmira Gilmutdinova, together with her colleagues, launched an all-Russian online platform for the rehabilitation and recovery of patients who have recovered from COVID-19. The fact is that people with moderate and severe course of this disease, after discharge from the hospital, may persist coughing, shortness of breath, signs of muscle hypo- or atrophy and other disorders. The platform helps these patients recover and improve their health.
President's Prize
Last year, the President of the Russian Federation Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists was awarded for work in the field of biology, artificial intelligence, medicine and physics.
Kirill Antonets and Anton Nizhnikov, employees of the All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, were awarded for the discovery of amyloid proteins in plants and symbiotic bacteria, as well as for explaining their functional significance.
Researchers from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgenia Dolgova, Ekaterina Potter and Anastasia Proskurina received an award “for the formation of a new ideology in the treatment of patients with malignant tumors based on the time-coordinated action of innovative nucleic acid preparations and crosslinking cytostatics.” Scientists have created a new approach to the treatment of cancer and proposed two unique technologies for use.
Vladimir Maksimenko, a senior researcher at the University of Innopolis, has created brain-computer interfaces to monitor normal and pathological brain activity. Its development makes it possible to prevent seizures in patients with epilepsy, to simulate imaginary motor activity for the rehabilitation of patients after strokes and injuries. One of the proposed interfaces determines the degree of concentration, which is especially useful in the educational process.
Head of the laboratory of the Federal Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics” of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Khaidukov was awarded the President's Prize “for fundamental research of anti-Stokes nanocrystals and the creation of advanced technologies on their platform.” The scientist's development can be used in medicine, as well as to protect against counterfeiting of oil, banknotes, etc.
