Pursuant to Act LXXVI of 2014 on scientific research, development and innovation (hereinafter referred to as the RDI Act), Government Decree 344/2019 (XII.23.) on the National Research, Development and Innovation Office and on the appointment of the management body of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, as well as to Order 42/2019 (XI. 25.) of the Minister for Innovation and Technology on the Organisational and Operational Regulations of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the National Research, Development and Innovation Office has created two new bodies, the Health Sciences Expert Board and the Defence Innovation Board. They are involved in specific issues in the fields of health and defence.

The tasks of the bodies, in their respective areas, are:

• to give – at the request of the President of the NRDI Office – an opinion on strategic issues concerning the management and use of the NRDI Fund;
• to make proposals for a funding decision for research and development proposals in accordance with the RDI Act;
• to monitor the social and economic impacts of the funding granted under the NRDI Fund and the achievement of the strategic objectives of its use.

Defence Innovation Board

The Board will be involved in the work of the NRDI Office on issues concerning national defence. The members of the Board are recognised experts in the field of national defence. According to the NRDI Office’s Programme Strategy for 2021, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Interior, the Minister for Innovation and Technology and the Government Commissioner for National Defence Industrial and Defence Development and the Coordination of Force Modernisation have the right to propose the members.

Members of the Board:

• dr. István Simicskó, Minister of Defence between 2015 and 2018, a Lecturer at the National University of Public Service, member of the Hungarian Association of Military Science.
• Prof. Dr. József Padányi, Brigadier General, Deputy Rector for Strategy and Institutional Development of the National University of Public Service, Acting Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs,
• Krisztián Erdélyi, Deputy Director General of Operations, National Directorate General for Disaster Management, Brigadier General,
• Dr. József Bokor, electrical engineer, university professor, vice-president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
• dr. Zsolt Veron, Head of the Defence Innovation Division of the Secretariat of the Government Commissioner for Defence Development, Prime Minister's Office.