Based on the letter of amendment to the 2022 budget of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology, the monthly amount of the János Bolyai Research Scholarship could be doubled to 250 thousand HUF, in an ascending system. With the consent of the National Assembly, the Government may take another step to support scientific excellence and increase the innovation performance of Hungarian researchers, the Ministry told MTI (Hungarian Press Agency) on Tuesday.
“The proposed increase of the János Bolyai Research Scholarship could more effectively encourage independent research and development activities of Hungarian researchers under 45 years of age, and help to keep the best researchers in Hungary” - the statement quotes József Bódis, state secretary for higher education, innovation and vocational training of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology.
The János Bolyai Research Scholarship has been awarded since 1998 for, among others, writing a scientific paper, creating a work on a research topic, and preparing for the award of another scientific title. The grant was initially available through calls for proposals to researchers under 40, and since 2002 to researchers under 45. Since its inception, the scholarship has helped more than three thousand young excellences to work, progress and realise their professional vision.
“The Government is striving to strengthen Hungarian research, development and innovation with all available means and methods because this is the key to the effective relaunch of the economy and sustainable growth. In 2019, more than 58,000 researchers worked in Hungary, which means that the strategic goal of significantly increasing the number of researchers by 2020 had already been met before last year. The government has provided a total of nearly HUF 30 billion to help highly skilled professionals keep their jobs during the epidemic. Thanks to the targeted wage subsidy programme, which is unique in the international arena, around 1,500 companies were able to keep their researchers, development engineers and IT specialists, among others, during the virus crisis”, József Bódis stressed in the statement.
Source: MTI