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First publication: Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no.
12-359/2005 issued: 10 February 2005, in force since: 11.2.2005
Changes included in the consolidated version: Rules amending the Rules on
Financing and Co-financing the International Scientific Cooperation of the
Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no.
49-1980/2005) published 18 May 2005, in force since 19 May 2005.
CONSOLIDATED VERSION:
Rules on Financing and Co-financing the International Scientific Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
These Rules shall define the conditions and procedures for the financing and co-financing
(hereinafter: co-financing) of international cooperation in the implementation
of projects within the National Research and Development Programme in accordance
with obligations assumed from bilateral and multilateral international
agreements.
Article 2
The Slovenian Research Agency (hereinafter: the Agency) shall finance the
obligations assumed within international bilateral and multilateral agreements,
programmes, memoranda, and protocols (hereinafter: international acts) and
activities relating to the preparation of programmes.
Article 3
The Agency may co-finance:
- cooperation by Slovenian organisations in international research and
technological development projects approved by the Government or the ministry
responsible for science, for which a special contract or other international act
has been concluded;
- international travel expenses for Slovenian scientists travelling to
international conferences abroad at which they have been invited to speak;
- the membership fees in international for Slovenian scientific associations;
- the work of Slovenian representatives elected as presidents, vice-presidents,
general secretaries or members of the management bodies of international
scientific associations;
- activities relating to the promotion of Slovenian science abroad.
The procedure for processing applications for the (co)financing of international
cooperation shall be in accordance with regulations on the allocation of funds
for state aid, subsidies, loans and other forms of co-financing, unless
otherwise specified in these Rules.
If the funds are allocated to a small or medium sized enterprise for a
restructuring programme, then the aid must be reported to the European
Commission before allocation.
II. PUBLIC TENDER
Article 4
The Director of the Agency (hereinafter: Director) shall appoint an expert
commission to organise public tenders for the (co)financing of international
cooperation (hereinafter: expert commission) in accordance with these Rules.
The expert commission shall be composed of a president and at least two other
members. Deputies may be appointed for the president and members of the expert
council.
Article 5
The Agency may (co)finance international cooperation of the type from Article 2
and points 2, 3 and 4 of the first paragraph of Article 3 of these Rules on the
basis of a public tender published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of
Slovenia.
The following may apply to the public tender:
- research organisations and independent researchers entered in the Agency's
register of research organisations in Slovenia or in the private researcher
register that meet the conditions prescribed by the Research and Development Act
and Agency regulations, and that implement Agency-financed programmes of work
for public research organisations (hereinafter: PROs), or Agency-financed or co-financed
basic or applied research or approved international projects (particularly
cooperation in the European Union's Fifth and Sixth Framework Programme for
Research and Technological Development) that represent the main area of research;
- Slovenian science associations;
- organisations implementing activities from international bilateral or
multilateral agreements;
- active researchers, elected as presidents, vice-presidents, general
secretaries or members of the management bodies of international scientific
associations.
Article 6
A public tender shall contain:
- the name and address of the Agency;
- the subject of public tender;
- the conditions that applicants must fulfil;
- the co-financing objectives;
- the format, time limit for and method of submitting applications;
- the criteria for the selecting applications for (co)financing;
- quantity of funds which the Agency will (co)finance cooperation;
- the time limit within which applicants will be informed of the selection;
- other relevant data.
Article 7
A tender application must include:
- the title of the public tender;
- the applicant's details;
- proof of fulfilling the tender conditions;
- list of the PRO work programmes or projects from the first indent of the
second paragraph of Article 5 of these Rules to which the application for (co)financing
for international cooperation applies;
- a short description of the course of international cooperation;
- bill or quantities or estimate of costs;
- other documents defined in the public tender.
Article 8
Only applications that contain all the information and proofs required by the
public tender and that arrive at the Agency by the deadline defined in the
public tender can be considered in the procedure to select an application for
the (co)financing of international cooperation.
Article 9
The expert commission shall prepare a draft decision on the selection of an
application for (co)financing, which the Director shall submit to the Management
Board. The Management Board of the Agency shall pass a decision on the selection
of applications for (co)financing.
In accordance with regulations on the allocation of funds for state aid,
subsidies, loans and other forms of co-financing, an appeal may be lodged
against the decision on the selection of applications for (co)financing. The
Director shall prepare a proposed resolution of the appeal based on the opinion
of the expert commission. The Management Board shall resolve the appeal based on
the Director's proposals.
Article 10
In the public tenders referred to in Article 2 of these Rules that are
implemented as bilateral public tenders, the draft selection of applications for
deliberation by competent international bodies in line with valid international
acts (e.g. joint committees, joint commissions) shall be prepared by the
Slovenian section of the international body, taking into account the quality
evaluation of research programmes or projects according to the Agency
methodology. Evaluation shall include: the significance of the research finding
to Slovenia's social and economic development, the scientific excellence or
practical application of the research, the potential for its inclusion in EU
research projects, the commercial application of the project, the references of
the head of project and research group, the inclusion of junior researchers and
the feasibility of the project. The Management Board shall issue a decision on
the selection of applications for (co)financing (particularly approval for the
number of exchanges and related funding) with an explanation, on the basis of
the selection made by the competent international bodies to which the decision
refers. The Agency shall inform all applicants of the decision on fund
allocation within the time limit stated in the published public tender.
In the public tenders referred to in Article 2 of these Rules that are
implemented as unilateral public tenders, the draft selection of applications
for (co)financing shall be prepared by an expert commission appointed by the
Director. The expert commission shall take into account the research project or
programme quality evaluation criteria defined in the first paragraph of this
Article, using the Agency methodology. The Management Board of the Agency shall
pass a decision with an explanation on the selection of applications for (co)financing
(particularly approval for the number of exchanges and related funding). The
Agency shall inform all applicants of the decision on fund allocation within the
time limit stated in the published public tender.
III. FINANCING AND CO-FINANCING OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION
Article 11
Financing for the international cooperation of scientists and experts from
abroad that visit Slovenia on the basis of the international acts referred to in
Article 2 of these Rules shall be provided in an amount equivalent to the costs
of accommodation in the postgraduate halls of residence, on the basis of an
invoice, or exceptionally in a maximum amount equivalent to the costs of
accommodation in a Category B hotel plus the daily allowance determined in the
valid decree for state bodies in the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter: the
Decree), however for a maximum of 14 days, unless the international agreement,
programme or other signed document specifies otherwise.
Article 12
Financing for the international cooperation of scientists and experts from
abroad that visit Slovenia on the basis of the international acts referred to in
Article 2 of these Rules for a period exceeding 14 days but not longer than 12
months shall, if so determined in an international agreement, programme or other
signed document, be provided in an amount equivalent to the costs of
accommodation in the postgraduate halls of residence, on the basis of an invoice,
or exceptionally in a maximum amount equivalent to the costs of accommodation in
a Category B hotel plus the monthly reimbursement (for the purposes of a daily
allowance) in accordance with international acts and the costs of compulsory
medical insurance, unless the international agreement, programme or other signed
document specifies otherwise.
Article 13
Twice a year an organisation that has hosted foreign scientists or experts shall
be required to submit a report and account of costs for all completed visits by
foreign scientists or experts during the set period. If no such report is
submitted, the Agency shall not pay out provisionally approved funds.
The Agency may use the report for promotional purposes.
The Agency shall pay out funds for the public tenders referred to in Article 2
of these Rules twice a year.
The Agency shall pay out provisionally approved funds on the basis of the expert
and financial reports submitted on all completed visits for the set period and a
request or invoice from the organisation for the payment of funds, which
includes a detailed account of the costs for completed approved exchanges within
a specific project.
Article 14
The Agency shall provide funds for the work of foreign experts in scientific
development who visit Slovenia in accordance with the provisions of Article 2 of
these Rules.
Article 15
The Agency shall only co-finance the participation costs of Slovenian scientists
and experts in the international scientific meetings abroad referred to in point
2 of Article 3 of these Rules when an invitation to speak has been made. The
Agency shall cover 100 per cent of the international travel expenses according
to APEX or the next cheapest tariff on condition that the foreign partner covers
the accommodation costs.
The Agency shall usually only cover the participation costs for two Slovenian
scientists or experts from the same research organisation going to the same
international scientific meeting abroad.
The Agency shall usually only co-finance an individual scientist or expert at a
maximum of two international scientific meetings abroad per year.
Article 16
All Slovenian organisations whose international cooperation has been (co)financed
by the Agency shall be obliged twice a year to produce and submit to the Agency
a report on international activities and account of costs. If no such report is
submitted, the Agency shall not pay out the funds approved for the international
activity.
The Agency may use the report for promotional purposes.
The Agency shall pay out funds for the public tenders referred to in Article 2
of these Rules using the method defined in the third paragraph of Article 13 of
these Rules.
- Cooperation of Slovenian organisations in international research and
technological development projects.
Article 17
The Agency shall (co)finance the international cooperation projects defined in
point 1 of Article 3 of these Rules in accordance with an agreement between
partners to an international act or on the basis of a special agreement between
the Agency and direct implementing parties in the Republic of Slovenia. In the
case of projects that are already receiving additional financing from abroad, it
shall not be possible to conclude special financing contracts for that part of
the project already financed by the foreign partner.
Article 18
The (co)financed amount shall be defined after the signing of an agreement,
programme or other document on cooperation by the Republic of Slovenia in a
project or programme. The (co)financing shall be directly intended for a party
implementing project or programme in the Republic of Slovenia.
The Agency shall make one-off financial contributions to Slovenian organisations
for project application costs when those organisations, either as applicants or
coordinators, submit a project or cooperate as a partner in a project submitted
to the European Commission by another foreign or Slovenian organisation in
response to a published tender from the Sixth EU Framework Programme or the
Sixth EURATOM Framework Programme. The Agency shall make a one-off contribution
of 600,000 tolars towards application costs to a Slovenian organisation
submitting a project as a coordinator, and of 150,000 tolars to a Slovenian
organisation participating in a project as a partner, for each project
application which the European Commission declares to have met the legal and
formal requirements in full and sends for review.
Article 19
International travel expenses for project collaborators may be (co)financed from
Agency funds, on condition that the foreign partner covers the accommodation
costs, unless otherwise specified in the international document.
The Agency shall pay out the funds referred to in the preceding paragraph (international
travel expenses according to APEX or the next cheapest tariff for Slovenian
scientists and experts) in the public tenders referred to in Article 2 of these
Rules, using the method defined in the third paragraph of Article 13 of these
Rules.
Article 20
The Agency shall annually provide (co)financing for international projects for
which no membership fee is charged of up to 25 per cent of the value of the
Slovenian share in the international projects, or up to a maximum of 2,500,000
tolars. The amount of (co)financing shall be determined in relation to the
overall project value and the actual Slovenian participation in the project.
The eligible costs provided as (co)financing to direct international project
implementers in accordance with these Rules shall be for costs of labour
exclusively involved in research, costs of instruments and equipment used
exclusively and continually for research activities, costs for consulting and
other services, additional overall costs occurring as a direct result of
research and development and other operative costs occurring as a direct result
of research and development.
Article 21
Recipients of subsidies must permit the Agency to supervise the use of the
subsidies. The supervision shall be implemented in accordance with regulations
on the supervision of the use of budget funds.
If the Agency discovers that subsidies are being misused, it shall cancel the
paid funds, withdraw from the contract, and demand the return of all paid funds
in their real value, plus statutory default interest.
If a change occurs during the implementation of international research or an
international project, the recipient of a subsidy shall be obliged to inform the
responsible person at the Agency within 15 days, or the funds shall be
considered to have been misused.
Article 22
For projects that are part of international scientific and technological
cooperation that include international cost assessment, the part of the review
procedure of the assessment process defined by the applicable rules on the
conditions and methodology of selecting and financing basic and applied research
shall not be implemented if the Agency has access to the international review.
Article 23
It shall be possible to finance the review of international projects in which
Slovenian organisations participate on the basis of tenders held by other
countries or international organisations, if the review is agreed within a
relevant international act.
Payment of up to SIT 25,000 shall be made for a review in the Republic of
Slovenia on the basis of a copyright contract, if the review is agreed within
the relevant international act.
Article 24
If an international agreement, programme or other signed document between the
Republic of Slovenia and another country does not include an obligation for the
foreign party to (co)finance the international cooperation of Slovenian
scientists and experts, the Agency shall (co)finance the daily allowances as
determined in the Decree, and shall (co)finance 100 per cent of the
international travel expenses according to the APEX or the next cheapest tariff.
The Agency shall pay out funds for the public tenders referred to in Article 2
of these Rules using the method defined in the third paragraph of Article 13 of
these Rules.
- (Co)financing the participation of Slovenian scientific associations in
international non-governmental scientific associations
Article 25
(Co)financing for the participation of Slovenian representatives elected as
presidents, vice-presidents, general secretaries or members of the management
bodies of the international scientific associations defined in point 4 of
Article 3 of these Rules may be provided as follows:
- in the amount of the international travel expenses and daily allowances
defined by the Decree, for participation in sessions of the management bodies of
international scientific organisations;
- reimbursement for expert work relating to holding the office of president or
general secretary of international scientific associations up to an annual
maximum of 200,000 tolars, with no individual Slovenian scientific association
being entitled to receive more than one reimbursement per year for its officials
in international scientific associations.
- The Agency shall not (co)finance participation in the meetings of working groups
and ad hoc bodies.
Article 26
The Agency may only (co)finance the membership fees referred to in point 3 of
Article 3 of these Rules for Slovenian non-governmental scientific associations
that are entered in the Agency's register of associations.
Article 27
An association must submit the following in order to be entered in the Agency
register:
- its Articles of Association and work programme;
- copy of entry in the register of associations (register društev);
- statement of the number of members;
- statement of the annual membership fee.
Article 28
The Agency may provide (co)financing for the international membership fees of
Slovenian scientific associations in international scientific associations
within a range from 40,000 tolars to 190,000 tolars per year. The Agency shall
provide funds for membership fees on the basis of original invoices.
The Agency shall not provide (co)financing for the membership fees of sections
of Slovenian scientific associations in international scientific associations.
The Agency shall not provide (co)financing for the international membership fees
of companies and institutes or other public legal persons or individuals.
- Financing the work of international delegations and delegates
Article 29
The Agency shall provide funds to finance costs that occur when the Republic of
Slovenia's international scientific cooperation programmes are being implemented
by means of visits by foreign delegations to Slovenia and Slovenian delegations
abroad.
The principle of reciprocity shall be respected in the provision of funds.
Cooperation by Agency delegates in international bodies and the committees of
international organisations in which the Republic of Slovenia is a partner,
shall be financed in full and in the amount defined in the Decree.
Article 30
Priority shall be given in (co)financing to activities in accordance with the
provisions of these Rules, which the Agency has planned and to which it has
allocated funding in its annual financial plan.
IV. FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 31
The Rules on Financing and Cofinancing the International Scientific Cooperation
of the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no.
62/96, 11/98, 48/99, 46/01 in 97/03) shall cease to have effect on the day these
Rules enter into force.
Article 32
These Rules shall enter into force the day after their publication in the
Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.
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