12 Russian universities will receive a status of national research universities

On October, 7, 2009, a final meeting of the contest commission on selecting programs of developing universities, in relation of which a category of "national research university" is established, was held.

During the meeting members of the commission considered in detail 28 applications of universities-finalists of the contest. After the discussion by secret voting 12 universities-winners were selected, which will receive a category of "national research university" and means from the federal budget for financing their development programs in 2009-2018 in the volume of up to 1,8 billion rubles each.

The contest selection of development programs of the universities, concerning which the category of "national research university" is established, was announced on August, 1, 2009. In the contest development programs of 110 universities took part, which aimed at personnel provision of priority directions of science development, technologies, technique, economy branches, social sphere, development and introduction of high technologies to production. All programs went through independent expertise: two experts evaluated each application on the basis of specially elaborated method. On each application an expert conclusion and evaluation, which let form a rating of the contest participants, were made.

Financing is aimed to get training-laboratory and scientific equipment, to improve the qualification and professional retraining of scientific and pedagogical university personnel, to elaborate training programs, to develop informative resources, to modernize the system of management of the quality of education and scientific researches.

The winners of the contest selection were chosen on the basis of criteria, approved by the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of July, 13, 2009, N550. The category "national research university" is stated by the Government of the Russian Federation for the term of 10 years. The university by the results evaluating the efficiency of realization of the development programs can be deprived of the category "national research university".

By the decree of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev of May, 7, 2008, the National research nuclear university (on the basis of Moscow engineering physics university (state university)) and National research technological university (on the basis of the State technological university "Moscow institute of steel and alloys") were created. National research universities have the right to realize educational programs of higher professional and after-higher professional education on the basis of educational standards, established by them on their own.