funding of nanotechnology in Russia

funding of nanotechnology in Russia

Support for the generation of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials has a long tradition in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU). The strengths are in the areas of preparation processes of nanostructured materials and in several basic scientific aspects.

Metallurgical research on special metals, including those with nanocrystalline structures, has received particular attention. Research on nanodevices has been relatively less developed, even if recent activities indicate promising results. Because of funding limitations, characterization and utilization of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials requiring costly equipment are less advanced than processing.

Funds are allocated mainly for research personnel and less for infrastructure.

This Russian agency contributes to nanotechnology (NT) through several of its specific programs:

• "Electronic and Optical Properties of Nanostructures" involving a network of large scientific centers (the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, the Lebedev Institute in Moscow, Moscow State University, the Novgograd Institute of Microstructures, the Novosibirsk Institute of Semiconductor Physics, and others). This research network has an annual meeting "Nanostructures, Physics, and Technology" (last held in 1997). It interacts with the Phantom network in the European Community (EC).
• "Solid State Physics" program.
• "Modern Problems of Surface Science," including the vacuum community. A new journal, the Journal of Physics of Low Dimensional Structures, describes well the work performed in the program.
• "Fullerene and nanotubes," in the Physical Chemistry section.
• "Biology," with relatively low contents in nano-biotechnology.
• "Advanced materials," with only several projects related to nanotechnology.

Universities, industry, and institutes are allowed in the competition. Typical projects are for 2 years. The success rate is 10-15%, and budgets are allowed only for cost sharing (0.05 to 4% of the total research cost of the project).