Research is 'clear priority' shows German budget for 2005
Research is to be a major beneficiary of the German budget for 2005, with an increase of 296 million euro, claimed the country's research minister, Edelgard Bulmahn, on 23 June. 'The investment in education and research speaks for itself,' said Ms Bulmahn. 'This area continues to be a clear priority in the policies of the federal government.' According to Ms Bulmahn's calculations, this increase in the money available for research spending will raise the total annual research budget to 9.9 billion euro. Announcing the news, Ms Bulmahn also noted that the red-green coalition government has increased the education and research budget by 36.5 per cent since they came to power in 1998. Universities are set to do well out of the budget, with some 925 million euro per year being set aside for university infrastructure. However, the minister called on the Länder to spend more on their universities, criticising some for hitting universities with spending cuts while the federal government is making more money available. Research institutions will receive a three per cent increase in investment. As Ms Bulmahn has previously emphasised, the government is currently awaiting reform from research organisations in order to increase efficiency, support for spin-offs and closer cooperation between university and non-university research. 'We are giving more money for research and in return expect more research for our money,' she reiterated on 23 June. Referring to the Barcelona target of increasing research spending to three per cent of GDP across the EU by 2010, Ms Bulmahn also appealed to the private sector to do more. 'All those involved still have a way to go,' she said. Allaying fears in the German research community, Ms Bulmahn confirmed that support for individual research projects will continue, and will receive an increase in funding of around three per cent. Food science, nanotechnology and information and communications technologies will be the country's priorities - we will support that which provides employment, the minister explained.
Countries
Germany