Board 27, November 20th, 2008
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 Twenty Seventh Meeting of the Governing Board of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) convened on November 20th 2008 in Kyiv, Ukraine; approving seventeen (17) regular government funded scientific projects (including continuations) for a total of USD $877,075 + ˆ1,695,033 subject to funds availability.
The Governing Board noted the introduction six (6) new Partners to the STCU since the June 2008 26th STCU Board of Governors meeting and confirmed nine (9) new Partner Projects activities approved since the June 2008 STCU Board of Governors Meeting for a total of $644,929 and ˆ261,300, and also confirmed twelve (12) Partner Project contract extensions for a total of $1,456,260 and ˆ31,500.
In addition to the aforementioned regular and partner projects, the 27th STCU Governing Board approved seven (7) STCU-Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences Targeted R&D Initiative projects for a total of USD $295,824 and ˆ38,838. 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. The STCU is currently working with other interested governmental agencies in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, to determine what future co-funding initiatives are possible.
The total funding to date including all twenty-seven (27) STCU Governing Boards stands at approximately $181.5 million, with the donor parties contributing the following amounts: Canada - $7.5m, U.S.A.- $75.1m, European Union - $39.0m (ˆ31.4m), Non-Government Partners Sector - $23.7m, Government Partners Sector - $35.2m and Other (Japan, CERN) - $1.0m
Funding Table