Financing postgraduate study and research training for young researchers is an important scientific policy instrument at the Agency. The programme has been going on with great success since 1985, and has made an excellent contribution to increasing the amount of research going on in Slovenia, and reducing the age profile of research groups. The programme's success has led to the Agency dedicating a significant amount of its budget to financing training. To date a total of 5,347 young researchers have participated in the programme.

Features of the young researcher programme:

• young researchers participate in research work during their postgraduate studies on basic research or applied research projects;
• they have regular, fixed-term employment contracts;
• the Agency finances their pay, social contributions, as well as material and non-material costs for research and postdoctoral study.

Funds for the training of young researchers are allocated for a fixed-term, up to a maximum of four years and six months for a science PhD programme (doctorate).

The average annual cost of financing one young researcher is SIT 6.6 million (ca. EUR 27,500).