Present, Board Members: Anfimov, N.A.; Bochkov, N.P.; Goldin, S.V.; Golitsyn, G.S., Grigoriev A.I.; Zhuravlev, Yu.I.; Kirpichnikov, M.P.; Kozlov, V.V.; Konov, V.I.; Korovin S.D.; Kostyuk, V.V.; Leontiev, L.I., Matveenko, V.P., Mesyats, G.A.; Rumyantsev, A.Yu.; Sergienko, V.I.; Tereshchenko, G.F.; Tikhonovich, I.A.; Favorsky, O.N.; Khomich, V.Yu., Chereshnev, V.A.

Invited: Avsyuk, Yu.N.; Amirkhanov, Kh.A.; Anosov, D.V.; Babeshko, V.A.; Belsky, V.K.; Blinov, A.N.; Bongard-Levin, G.M.; Bortnik, I.M.; Bugaev, A.S.; Diachenko, O.A.; Zhidkov, V.S.; Zavaritskaya, V.A.; Kalinnikov, V.T.; Kasianov, V.L.; Kirillin, A.V.; Kirillov, A.I., Kiselev, L.L.; Klimenko, A.V.; Kovalenko, Yu.A.; Lapshin, V.B.; Livanov, D.V.; Lyalyushko, N.S.; Markovkin, A.V.; Minin, V.A.; Muravyov, S.A.; Myasoedov, B.F.; Obrezkov, O.N.; Pashinin, P.P.; Ragulsky, V.V.; Sviridov, K.N.; Sirotin, B.Ya.; Smagin, S.I.; Smetanin, Yu.G.; Smirnov, V.D.; Fedosov, Ye.A.; Khlopkov, Yu.I.; Khromov, V.N.; Tsyganov, S.A.; Charushin, V.N.; Shuvalov, V.A.; Yurasov, A.V.; Yaroslavtsev, A.B.

Agenda:
“On the results of the Foundation’s activity in 2004, the Foundation’s work plan and budget for 2005”.
Speaker: V.Yu. Khomich
“On the competition and information-analytical activity of RFBR”.
Speaker: V.I. Konov
“On the innovation-oriented activity of RFBR”.
Speaker: V.V. Kozlov
“On the regional activity of the Foundation”.
Speaker: V.P. Matveenko
“On organization of an expert panel in fundamentals of engineering sciences”.
Speaker: O.N. Favorsky
Miscellanea:
Contributors to the discussion (in the order of speaking): Babeshko, V.A.; Fedosov, Ye.A.; Myasoedov, B.F.; Chereshnev, V.A.; Goldin, S.V., Khomich, V.Yu.

The Board notes that, during the latest reporting period, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research carried out the following work:
- extensive work was carried out to organize, finance and support projects in 2002-2004. (11,627 projects in total, including 7,823 projects under the competition for initiative-based research projects);
- preparation work was carried out and a merit-review of applications to participate in the 2005 competition (10,148 applications, including 8,086 applications under initiative-based projects, 412 projects under the competition for information, computation and telecommunication resources, and 463 publishing projects);
- a program of regional competitions with the joint funding of research projects by the Foundation and the administrations of respective regions; the scope of this activity was extended to a number of new regions of the Russian Federation; 4 conferences were held dedicated to the results of implementation of regional projects. 936 projects from 33 regions were funded under regional selection competitions.
- conducted was a merit review of projects under 2005 regional competitions (942 applications from 21 regions of the Russian Federation);
- continued was the implementation of a program to support projects to organize Russian and international scientific events within the territory of Russia (568 applications were received, 464 projects were supported);
- continued was a program to support the participation of Russian scientists in international scientific events abroad (2,123 applications were received, 1,049 projects were supported);
- supported were projects for development of the material and technical basis of scientific research (381 applications were received, 195 projects were supported);
- completed was a program to support innovation-oriented projects based on fundamental research (87 projects under the general competition and 8 projects under a joint competition with the Regional Government of the Moscow region), held by RFBR together with the Foundation for Development of Small Enterprises in Scientific and Technical Sphere; organized was a new expert panel to hold competitions for oriented fundamental research; held for the first time was a competition for oriented fundamental research (808 applications were received, 169 projects were supported);
- conducted were regional competitions for oriented fundamental research together with the administrations of the Russian Republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and the Perm and Orenburg regions (79 applications were accepted, 43 projects were supported);
- 217 projects were supported as part of the RFBR publishing competition, 202 monographs were published;
- conducted was a competition of popular scientific articles (96 applications were received, 34 projects were supported);
- funded were 16 analytical reviews in different areas of science;
- work was continued under international competitions under agreements between RFBR and DFG (Germany), RFBR and NSFC (China), RFBR and CNRS (France), RFBR and OAE (Austria), RFBR and NWO (the Netherlands), RFBR and Academy of Finland, and RFBR and BRFBR (Byelorussia), a merit review was conducted, and funded were 363 projects carried out by joint research collectives:
- a merit review was conducted and projects to support the organization of 2004 expeditions were funded (362 projects were supported);
- developed was a new program, the “Program for Development of a Scientific Electronic Library”; formed was a council of RFBR's scientific electronic library, online access was provided to the information resources of eleven leading foreign publishing outlets;
- work was conducted to attract experts from various regions of Russia to participate in a remote merit review (expert examination) of RFBR projects;
- work is underway to start using a remote procedure for merit review of RFBR projects (in 2004, it was used to conduct 13,617 merit reviews of projects under competitions for initiative-based and regional projects);
- exercised was constant control over target use of funds provided by the Foundation;
- work was conducted to restructure the RFBR staff structure to ensure effective operation of the Foundation.

THE BOARD OF THE RUSSIAN FOUNDATION FOR BASIC RESEARCH DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
It is hereby resolved:
That, work of the Foundation for the period from March 17, 2004 to December 17, 2004 be approved. That, the effectiveness of RFBR's activity to support the most important scientific research in all areas of fundamental science, which was performed strictly based on competitive selection of the best projects, involving over 2,000 leading scientists from different regions of Russia, be noted.
In the current year, funding of projects has been provided in full.

RFBR COMPETITIONS:
It is hereby resolved:
That, lists of supported and rejected projects to publish materials and recommendations of expert panels on their funding in 2005 (Protocol No. 9 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be approved.
That, a resolution of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding projects to organize expeditions in 2004 related to the carrying-out of the most important fundamental research in physics, Earth sciences, biology and humanities and social sciences (Protocols No. 1-2 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be approved.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Foundation Board on funding projects for organization of Russian and international scientific events within the territory of Russia and on funding the participation of Russian scientists in international scientific events abroad (Protocols Nos. 1-8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be approved.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Foundation Board adopted based on recommendations of expert panels on additional funding, replacement of managers, termination of funding and replacement of project funding organizations (Protocols of the Bureau of the RFBR Board Nos. 1-3, 5-8) be approved.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding analytical reviews (Protocols Nos. 1-3, 6-8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be confirmed and affirmed.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding projects in the area “Development of the Material and Technical Basis” (Protocols Nos. 7-8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be confirmed and affirmed.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding projects in the area “Oriented Fundamental Research” (Protocol No. 6 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be confirmed and affirmed.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding projects under the 2004 competition for popular scientific articles (Protocol No. 8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be confirmed and affirmed. That, the publication of selected articles in the RFBR Herald ("Vestnik RFFI") and in a separate collection shall be viewed as expedient and advisable.
That, the resolution concerning the funding of publishing projects not funded in 2004 be extended to 2005.
That, the organization and holding by RFBR of initial oriented fundamental research, including the holding of such competitions together with the administrations of the Russian Republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and the Perm and Orenburg regions (Protocols Nos. 7,8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be approved and affirmed; That, it shall be considered that such competitions facilitate the making of knowledge received in the course of RFBR projects more investor-attractive and the more effective use of the results of fundamental research in Russia’s economy.
That, P.P. Pashinin, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, be appointed chairperson of an expert panel to hold competitions for oriented fundamental research (Protocol No. 2 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board).
That, the results of a completed competition for innovation-oriented projects based on fundamental research held together with the Foundation for Support to Development of Small Enterprises in Scientific and Technical Sphere” be recognized as successful. That, a series of popular scientific articles on the results of a number of projects be prepared for publication.
That, a new competition be held in 2005 together with the Federal Industry Agency, a competition to select targeted fundamental research projects directed at development of break-through technologies, new materials, devices and services for use in the interests of developing radio-electronic, aviation and ship-building industry, information technologies and electronics, ecology and rational use of the natural environment, chemical- and biotechnologies and also in other areas set out in federal target programs of the Russian Federation.
That, a new competition be held in 2005 together with the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy, a competition to select targeted (oriented) fundamental research projects directed at a wider use of the results of scientific research to develop new technologies and equipment for the atomic energy industry, the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear science and engineering, nuclear and radiation safety.
That, starting from May 1, 2005, a new uninterrupted application acceptance mode be used to support projects for organization of Russian and international scientific events within the territory of Russia.
That, the development in RFBR of a new scientific research orientation in fundamentals of engineering sciences be considered expedient and advisable. That, an expert panel be formed and the first competition for projects under the orientation be held in 2005. That, O.N. Favorsky be approved as chairperson of a commission to prepare proposals on the member composition of the expert panel and on the classifier in fundamentals of engineering sciences.

REGIONAL COMPETITIONS:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the high importance of the Foundation's policy to expand the scope of regional competitions for the development of scientific research in Russia’s regions be noted. That, one of the priorities of RFBR be considered the fulfillment of its undertakings to fund projects under regional competitions.
That, the activity of the Foundation to organize, hold and support regional selection competitions jointly with the administrations and regional governments of Krasnodar Kray, Krasnoyarsk Kray and Khabarovsk Kray, the Archangel, Belgorod, Volgograd, Voronezh, Jewish Autonomous, Ivanovo, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Kurgan, Lipetsk, Moscow, Murmansk, Orenburg, Orlov, Perm, Rostov, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Smolensk, Tver, Tom, Tula, Chelyabinsk, and Chita regions; the Khanty-Mansy autonomous district; the Russian Republics of Bashkortostan, Buriatia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karelia, Komi, Mariy-El, Sakha (Yakutia), Northern Ossetia-Alania, Tuva, Tatarstan, Udmurtia be approved.
That, the continuation of work with the administrations of constitutive entities of the Russian Federation to expand the geography of regional competitions and to attract additional, including off-budget, funds to finance scientific development work on a competitive basis be considered expedient and advisable.
That, new agreements to conduct joint competitions between RFBR and the administrations of the Irkutsk, Murmansk, Perm, Tom, Chita regions; the regional governments of the Russian Republics of Bashkortostan, Buriatia, Karelia, Tuva; the Khanty-Mansy autonomous district; and also additional agreements with the administrations of the Kaluga regions and the city of Obninsk be approved.
That, lists of supported regional projects and recommendations of expert panels on their funding in 2005 (Protocol No. 9 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be approved.
That, in order to coordinate the activity of the Foundation in the field of regional RFBR programs, a board be formed consisting of the following members: Matveenko, V.P. (chairperson); Babeshko, V.A. (deputy chairperson); Obrezkov, O.N. (academic secretary); Aldoshin, S.M.; Derevyanko, A.P.; Yershov, Yu.L.; Kalinnikov, V.T.; Kasyanov, V.L.; Konovalov, A.I.; Kuzmin, M.P.; Matishov, G.G.; Smagin, S.I.; Soyfer, V.A.; Tretyakov, V.Ye.; Fedorov, M.P.; Charushin, V.N.; Shuvalov, V.A. (Board members). That, the coordinating board be directed to review the order of funding regional competitions in 2005 and to prepare proposals for approval at the next meeting of the Board.
That, RFBR activity directed at the development of scientific cooperation with organizations and ministries of the CIS States be approved.
That, the holding of the following joint competitions with the CIS States be considered expedient and advisable:
- research projects;
- projects to support the holding of scientific events;
- projects to support academic probation of young scientists in scientific organizations of Russia and other CIS States.
That, statutes on joint competitions with the CIS States be developed and approved in 2005.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the expansion of international cooperation be considered an important development in the work of RFBR. In view of the above, the activity of RFBR in further development of international agreements and competitions be approved. That, the holding of negotiations with delegations from the following foreign research foundations be approved: NSFC (China), DFG (Germany), NSF (U.S.), NWO (Netherlands), Estonian Scientific Foundation (Estonia), the Academy of Finland (Finland), JSPS (Japan), CNRS (France), MF (Belguim), NSC (Taiwan).
In view of this, the following should be approved:
- the results of working visits by RFBR representatives: to an annual meeting of the G-8 scientific foundations (Germany), to JSPS (Japan), DFG (Germany);
- actual work practice under continued international competitions: RFBR-DFG (Germany), RFBR-NSFC (China), RFBR-CNRS (France), RFBR-BRFBR (Byelorussia), RFBR-OAE (Austria), RFBR-NWO (Netherlands), RFBR – Academy of Finland;
- plans to conduct new selection competitions with CNRS (France)-2005, NSFC (China)-2005, NWO (Netherlands)-2005, the Academy of Finland (Finland)-2005,JSPS (Japan)-2005, MF (Belgium)-2005, CAE (Israel)-2005, SNSF (Switzerland)-2005, NSC (Taiwan)-2005, NSF (U.S.)-2005;
- participation of RFBR in the European Community’s BONUS program;
- preparation of agreements on cooperation with foundations and organizations in Italy, Hungary, Britain, the United States;
- the establishment of working contacts with foundations and organizations in Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam.
That, agreements with JSPS (Japan), MF (Belgium), NSC (Taiwan) for holding joint selection competitions, agreements with the Estonian Scientific Foundation (Estonia) and the Lithuanian State Foundation for Science and Education (Lithuania) be approved.
That, resolutions of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation on funding international competition projects be approved (Protocols Nos. 1-4, 6-8 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) be confirmed and affirmed.

THE SCIENTIFIC ELECTRONIC LIBRARY:
It is hereby resolved
That, a decision of the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation (Protocols Nos. 2,3 of the Bureau of the RFBR Board) concerning new principles for development of the “RFBR Scientific Electronic Library” be approved.
That, the “Program for Development of the Scientific Electronic Library of RFBR”, the membership of the Board and the “Statute on the Scientific Electronic Library of RFBR” be approved.
That, in order to provide information resources under scientific research projects, an online subscription be held in 2005 to the electronic versions of the world's leading publications recommended by the Board of the scientific electronic library of RFBR. That, the subscription be effected via FGUP/VO Akademintorg, Russian Academy of Sciences.

INFORMATION-ANALYTICAL ACTIVITY:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the completion of the development by the Foundation of an up-to-date multi-user information analytical system, the RFBR Directory, capable of operating on the Internet be approved. That, the RFBR Directory be put in 2005 into pilot and thereafter into permanent operation.
That, work of the Foundation concerning the independent integrated monitoring of Russian science and also its work to create based on the RFBR Directory a modern system to study the condition of and trends for development of Russia's science, which should use a large variety of integrated data contained in annual scientific reports under RFBR projects, be intensified.
That, the main orientations of the information-analytical activity of RFBR be approved.
That, the work of RFBR to expand information presented on the RFBR website be approved. That, the lists of winners of all RFBR competitions based on the results of the year, including competitions to conduct expeditions, travels of Russian scientists abroad to attend scientific events and the organization of scientific events within the territory of the Russian Federation, be published on the RFBR website.
That, the organizational work of the administrative staff of the Foundation within 2004 on a wide use of the Grant-Express sub-system to involve experts from the regions of the Russian Federation and to support remote merit reviews of applications be noted.
That, the work of the editorial board of RFBR Vestnik magazine in 2004 be approved. That, the editorial board be hereby directed to further improve the concept of the magazine. That, the distribution of RFBR Vestnik magazine by subscription be considered expedient and advisable. That, the periodicity of publication be once every two months.

FUNDING:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the final distribution of funding by type of activity for 2004 be approved. That, the fact that changes in the amounts of funding as compared to the funding approved and affirmed at the previous meeting of the Foundation Board were related to a reduction in the limit of budgetary obligations of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation effectuated by recommendation of the Clearing House of the Russian Federation be noted.

Type of Activity, Quota (thousand Rubles):

1. Initiative-based research projects and other RFBR competitions, 1,850,337.6
2. Initiative-based research projects under regional competitions, 65,000.00
3. Information, computation, telecommunications resources, 133,478.00
4. The Scientific Electronic Library program, 135,000.00
5. Oriented (targeted) fundamental research, 112,000.00
6. Staff expenses, 49,526.30
7. Expenses to pay for merit reviews, 30,000.00

Total: 2,375,341.90

That, the distribution of funding by type of activity for 2005, proceeding from a planned funding of the Foundation’s activity as per draft budget law in the amount of 3,360,000,000 Rubles, be approved.

Type of Activity, Quota (thousand Rubles):

1. Initiative-based research projects and other RFBR competitions (knowledge areas 01-07), 2,026,000.00
2. The holding of the first competition in fundamentals of engineering sciences, 150.000,00
3. Regional competitions and joint competitions with the CIS States, 120,000.00
4. International competitions, 90,000.00
5. Oriented (targeted) fundamental research, 360,000.00
6. Support to material and technical base of research, 240,000.00
7. Express support to scientific research, 90.400,00
8. The Scientific Electronic Library program, 181,000.00
9. Administrative expenses, including the payment for merit reviews, 102.600,00

Total: 3,360,000.00

That, the distribution of funds by knowledge area in the Initiative-Based Research Projects and Other RFBR Competitions for 2005 be approved.

Knowledge area, quota (%), quota (thousand Rubles):

01 Mathematics, mechanics, informatics 11 222 860
02 Physics, astronomy 23 465 980
03 Chemistry 15 303 900
04 Biology, medicine 22 445 720
05 Earth sciences 17 344 420
06 Humanities and social sciences 5 101 300
07 Information, computation and telecommunication resources 7 141 820

Total: 100 2 026 000

CONTROL OVER INTENDED USE OF FUNDING:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the activity of the Foundation to organize and exercise control over the use of target funding allocated by RFBR to conduct fundamental research under various types of competitions.
That, the directors be recommended to prepare a list of measures which will be used with respect to organization and project managers that are in default of the rules under RFBR projects.

INTERNAL ACTIVITY OF RFBR:
It is hereby resolved:
That, the reorganization of the structure of the Foundation with the setting-up of new departments and directorates for the purposes of expanding and making more efficient the activity of RFBR be approved.
That, a plan of measures to remedy drawbacks in the work of the Foundation identified during its review by the Clearing House of the Russian Federation be approved.
That, the activity of Bureau of the RFBR Board be approved, and that resolutions of the Bureau for the period from March 17, 2004 to December 17, 2004 be approved.
That, the work of the Foundation staff be noted. That, RFBR employees be rewarded with bonuses based on the results of work in 2004.