Board 24, May 31, 2007
Joint Statement
The STCU is an intergovernmental, non-profit organization created with the goal of aiding unemployed or underemployed scientists previously working on the development of weapons of mass destruction. It was created and is governed by the ‘Agreement to Establish a Science and Technology Center in Ukraine’, originally signed by Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States. Subsequently, Sweden was replaced by the European Union; Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan have also acceded to the agreement. The STCU finances projects that redirect the know-how of the scientists, who were formerly involved in military programs, into peaceful sustainable civilian applications. Other than government funded projects, the STCU also works in a number of other spheres of activity: Matchmaking; Promotional Missions; Seminars and Workshops; Partnership Projects; Travel Grants; and Patent Support.
The STCU Governing Board meets on a semi-annual basis in order to determine the Center’s policies and funding for scientific projects. The STCU Secretariat, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, is the main body responsible for fulfilling STCU decisions and policies on a daily basis. The 24th Governing Board meeting took place in Chisinau; which is the first time the Board has ever met in Moldova.
The Twenty Fourth Meeting of the Governing Board of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) convened on May 31st 2007 in Chisinau, Moldova; approving seventeen (17) new regular, government funded scientific projects for a total of $815,869 and ˆ1,756,109. The Governing Board also confirmed twenty-seven (27) new Partner Projects valued at $4,359,805 and ˆ526,394, and confirmed seven (7) Partner Project contract extensions valued at $1,562,765.
In addition to the aforementioned regular and partner projects, the 24th STCU Governing Board approved seven (7) STCU-Georgian National Science Foundation Targeted R&D Initiative projects for a total of USD $114,913 and ˆ42,538, as well as ten (10) STCU-National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Targeted R&D Initiative projects for a total of USD $244,976 and ˆ181,409. The Targeted R&D Initiative program was launched in 2005, with the goal of co-financing, as equal partners, jointly selected projects focused on recipient country S&T priority areas. Although this was the 3rd instance of STCU cooperation in this program with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, it was the first time that the STCU cooperated with the Georgian National Science Foundation in the scope of the Targeted R&D Initiative program. The STCU is currently working with other interested governmental agencies in Moldova, Ukraine, and other STCU member states to determine what future co-funding initiatives are possible.
The total funding to date including all twenty-four (24) STCU Governing Boards stands at approximately $160.2 million, with the donor parties contributing the following amounts: Canada - $4.3m, U.S.A.- $74.2m, European Union - $31.6m (ˆ26.3m), Non-Government Partners Sector - $18.8m, Government Partners Sector - $30.3m and Other (Japan, CERN) - $1.0m.
On December 18, 2003, on the basis of the Law 531-XV from 18 December 2003 the Republic of Moldova acceded to the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) Agreement. On 06 June 2006 the STCU was accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova. The STCU Information Office in Chisinau was opened in October 2006. Prior to the 24th Governing Board Meeting, there were 2 projects approved and funded in Moldova from the 23rd Governing Board Meeting totaling: ˆ267,359. The 24th Governing Board meeting in Chisinau approved three (3) new projects with Moldovan institute involvement totaling $65,956 and ˆ336,326.
Funding Table