Charter of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research

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CHARTER OF THE RUSSIAN FOUNDATION FOR BASIC RESEARCH

I. General Provisions

1. The Russian Foundation for Basic Research (hereinafter: the “Foundation”) created by Decree No. 426 of the President of the Russian Federation, dated April 27, 1992, “On Urgent Steps to Preserve the Scientific-and-Technical Potential of the Russian Federation” shall be a State not-for-profit organization existing in the form of a federal institution under the authority of the Government of the Russian Federation.
2. The Foundation shall engage in its activity in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, other federal laws, decrees and directives of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as in accordance with enactments and directives of the Government of the Russian Federation and in accordance with this Charter. The principle of self-governance of the Foundation shall consist in its right to choose independently research areas, to distribute off-budget funds and to approve the distribution of allocations from the federal budget with respect to science fields and projects on a competitive basis as well as to cover its expenses in accordance with the budgetary classification of the Russian Federation.
   The Foundation shall work to attain its goals in cooperation with the federal executive power body responsible for the implementation of a unified State scientific and technical policy, and in cooperation with public scientific organizations and associations.
   In its activity the Foundation shall adhere to the principle of providing to scientists creative freedom, a free choice of issue areas and methods for conducting basic scientific research.
3. The Foundation shall be a legal entity, shall have its autonomous balance sheet, its autonomous property and assets, accounts in the Federal Treasury as well as with other credit organizations, a circular seal containing its name, stamps, official letterheads and its emblem (trademark).
4. The official name of the Foundation shall be Российский фонд фундаментальных исследований; its name in the English language shall be: Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
5. The Foundation shall have its seat in Moscow.

II. Main Orientations of Activity of the Foundation

6. The primary objective of the Foundation is the provision of support for basic scientific research.
7. To achieve its primary objective, the Foundation shall:
   1. select on a competitive basis:
      - research projects in areas supported by the Foundation
      - projects for publication of research papers and science proceedings in areas supported by the Foundation;
      - projects for the organization and holding of scientific events (conferences, seminars, etc.) in areas supported by the Foundation
      - Russian participants of scientific events in the Russian Federation and abroad in areas supported by the Foundation;
      - projects for the development of the experimental base of scientific research, including the development and acquisition of information support devices, means and technologies in areas supported by the Foundation
   2. develop and approve the procedure for merit review of projects submitted for consideration on a competitive basis, the procedure for expert examination of projects and proposals;
   3. provide funding to selected projects and events and shall supervise the use of allocated funds;
   4. support international scientific cooperation in the field of basic research, including the funding of joint research projects;
   5. effect in the established procedure the preparation, publishing and distribution of information and other materials about the activity of the Foundation and shall distribute information in the field of basic research within the territory of the Russian Federation and beyond its limits;
   6. use funds from the federal budget allocated for the development of the information base of the Foundation to publish and distribute a bulletin to inform the general public and scientists on its activity and to publish methodology, analytical and other materials of the Foundation, the results of ongoing and the most important research conducted using funds provided by the Foundation. The bulletin shall be distributed free of charge among state-run research libraries, bodies and agencies of State power and leading State scientific institutions;
   7. participate in the development of proposals for the articulation and definition of the State scientific and technical policy in the field of basic scientific research.
8. The Foundation shall have the right to:
   - arrange, at the expense of the customer, expert examination of science projects and select projects on a competitive basis if ordered or requested by federal executive power agencies and bodies, by the executive bodies and agencies of the constitutive entities of the Russian Federation, or by Russian and foreign organizations
   - open representative offices and set up branches which shall exist on the basis of statutes approved by the Foundation
9. Announcements on the holding of competitions, results of the competitive selection process, decisions of the Foundation on funding projects and events as well as other materials about the activity of the Foundation shall be published in print media and distributed via electronic media.

III. Procedure for the Formation and Use of the Funds of the Foundation. Property and Assets of the Foundation

10. The funds of the Foundation shall be formed in Rubles and foreign currency out of funds allocated from the federal budget, voluntary contributions and donations by organizations and members of the public, including foreign legal entities and individuals, as well as using funds from other sources not prohibited by existing laws.
11. The funds of the Foundation shall be used for the following:
    1. funding of research projects and other events selected on the basis of contests conducted by the Foundation;
    2. acquisition and distribution of scientific information for the purposes of providing support for basic research;
    3. personnel expenses, development of the material-and-technical and information base of the Foundation, the holding of expert evaluations.
12. The funds of the Foundation may not be used for purposes not consistent with the orientations of its activity provided for by this Charter.
13. The funding of projects and events shall be provided based on agreements to be made between the Foundation and the recipient of the funds in each specific case while an integral part of such agreements shall always be the following:
    1. budgets specifying expenses to be made in connection with projects and events and to be agreed with the research managers of such projects;
    2. a consolidated budget for the totality of projects and events carried out by a specific recipient;
    3. an undertaking of the project manager to publish all research results obtained using funds provided by the Foundation and to make such results accessible to the general public.
    4. a clause that the Foundation shall not be responsible for the results of any work conducted with the use of its funds.
14. Using funds from the federal budget allocated under appropriate sections of the budgetary classification of the Russian Federation, the Foundation shall finance research projects and other scientific events selected on a competitive basis and to be conducted by academic or scientific organizations.
    Within the framework of a research project carried out by a state-run scientific organization, federal budget funds may be allocated for the purchase of unique research equipment provided an additional agreement is made with the Foundation setting forth the procedure for using such equipment to conduct other research projects funded by the Foundation.
15. Using funds from off-budget funding sources, the Foundation may fund projects and events carried out both by legal entities and natural persons.
16. The Foundation provides funds on a non-refund basis.
    Funds are provided by the Foundation on a competitive basis regardless, however, of the departmental affiliation and organizational-legal form of research organizations and also regardless of the age, academic title, academic degree or position of scientists taking part in the competitive selection process.
17. The Foundation shall refrain from the making of any changes in, or additions to, research projects submitted for its review and evaluation.
18. The Foundation shall have its autonomous property and assets allocated to it by the owner thereof and shall use them for its day-to-day operations. The Foundation shall not have the right to alienate, or dispose otherwise of, any property allocated to it and any property acquired by it using funds allocated to it.
19. The Foundation shall not have its own research institutions and laboratories.
20. The Foundation shall bear responsibility for its obligations with all of the funds at its disposal as well as with that portion of its property on which penalties may be imposed in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. In the event of insufficiency of the above, the owner of the property shall be liable for the obligations of the Foundation.

IV. Organization of the Activity of the Foundation

21. The procedure for the management of the Foundation is determined by the laws of the Russian Federation and by this Charter.
22. The highest management body of the Foundation shall be the Board of the Foundation (or the Foundation Board).
    The Board of the Foundation shall consist of the chairperson of the Board of the Foundation, his or her deputy and 24 members of the Board of the Foundation. The chairperson of the Board of the Foundation shall be appointed for a four-year period and may be released from his or her duties by the Government of the Russian Federation.
    The deputy chairperson of the Board of the Foundation shall be appointed for a four-year period and may be released from his or her duties by the chairperson of the Board of the Foundation in coordination with the federal executive power agency responsible for conducting a unified State science and technical policy, with subsequent approval of such appointment or dismissal by the Government of the Russian Federation.
    Members of the Board of the Foundation shall be appointed for a four-year period on the suggestion of the chairperson of the Board of the Foundation in agreement with the federal executive power agency responsible for conducting a unified State science and technical policy.
23. The Foundation Board shall:
    1. determine strategic issues of the development of the Foundation, orientations of the Foundation in the implementation of the State scientific and technical policy, including its domestic regional and international aspects;
    2. submit for approval by the Government of the Russian Federation proposals on making changes in the Charter of the Foundation which shall be previously agreed with the federal executive power agency responsible for conducting a unified State science and technical policy.
    3. determine a list of areas in which the Foundation will conduct a competitive selection process with respect to research projects and shall adopt decisions on announcement of competitions and contests;
    4. approve:
       - a list of expert panels of the Foundation and their composition as well as a general list of experts of the Foundation;
       - distribution of funds for the holding of contests and competitions,
       - results of the competitive selection process for research projects and other events;
       - amount of funding for research projects and other events selected on a competitive basis as well as changes in the amount of funding;
       - annually the budget, the balance sheet and the report on the use of the funds of the Foundation;
       - the member composition of the Bureau of the Foundation Board – on the suggestion of the chairperson of the Foundation Board
    5. determine the amount of funds allocated for labor enumeration to the staff of the Foundation, the development of the material-and-technical and information base of the Foundation, the holding of expert evaluations;
    6. develop and approve documents governing the activity of the Foundation with respect to its competitive selection process;
    7. establish the number of the staff of the Foundation;
    8. effectuate control over the activity of the personnel of the Foundation, hear a report of the director of the Foundation concerning the activity of the Foundation staff, review and supervise compliance with the budget of the Foundation;
    9. adopt decisions on the opening of representative offices and on the creation of the branches of the Foundation;
    10. make other decisions on principal issues related to the activity of the Foundation.
24. All decisions of the Board of the Foundation shall be binding upon the staff of the Foundation.
25. The Board of the Foundation shall be empowered to adopt resolutions and decisions if more than 15 of its members are present at the meeting.
    Decisions on all questions, except on making changes in the Charter of the Foundation, shall be adopted by a simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie vote, the chairperson of the Foundation shall have a casting vote.
    Proposals for making changes in the Charter of the Foundation shall be adopted by a qualified majority of votes of the members of the Board of the Foundation.
26. Meetings of the Board of the Foundation shall be held biannually – in the months of February and November.
    Extraordinary meetings of the Board of the Foundation shall be convoked by the chairperson of the Foundation Board. The chairperson of the Board of the Foundation shall convoke an extraordinary meeting of the Board of the Foundation if at least 10 members of the Foundation Board demand it. The date and the agenda for an extraordinary meeting of the Board of the Foundation as well as all necessary documents and materials shall be made available to the members of the Foundation Board at least two weeks before its holding.
27. In between meetings of the Foundation Board held in accordance with this Charter, a bureau of the Foundation Board shall function and shall consist of not more than 7 members of the Foundation of the Board.
28. The Bureau of the Board of the Foundation shall:
    1. approve the results of the competitive selection process with respect to all current competitions and other current events;
    2. approve the amount of funding for current research projects and other current events selected on a competitive basis as well as other current activities of the Foundation;
    3. adopt in the event of necessity a decision on changes in the amount of funding of research projects and other events selected on a competitive basis and financed by the funds of the Foundation and submit such decision to the Board of the Foundation;
    4. exercise control over the implementation of decisions of the Board of the Foundation;
    5. make preparations for the holding of meetings of the Board of the Foundation;
    6. attend to other issues on the instructions of the Board of the Foundation.
29. All decisions made by the Bureau of the Foundation Board within its competence shall be binding on the administration personnel of the Foundation and shall be confirmed and affirmed at the next meeting of the Foundation Board.
    Meetings of the Bureau of the Foundation Board shall be held at least once a month.
30. The chairperson of the Board of the Foundation shall:
    1. manage the work of the Foundation and of the Board of the Foundation;
    2. chair meetings of the Board of the Foundation;
    3. ensure by the Foundation the attainment of its main objective in accordance with this Charter;
    4. approve in accordance with decisions of the Foundation, the Board of the Foundation and in accordance with this Charter budget estimates of incomes and expenses of the Foundation;
    5. represent the Foundation before government agencies and bodies as well as before other organizations;
    6. bear personal responsibility for the activity of the Foundation.
31. The administration staff of the Foundation shall:
    1. comply with and carry out decisions of the Board of the Foundation and of the Bureau of the Foundation Board;
    2. provide within the powers granted by the Board of the Foundation ongoing funding to research projects and other current events selected on a competitive basis as well as other activities of the Foundation;
    3. organize the holding of expert evaluation and examination of research projects and other events in accordance with approved guidelines;
    4. exercise control over the appropriate use by entities and persons carrying out research projects and other activities of the funds provided by the Foundation;
    5. prepare reporting documents and statements of the Foundation;
    6. prepare materials for meetings of the Bureau of the Foundation Board and of the Foundation Board;
    7. develop proposals for the improvement of the control system of the Foundation and its information support system.
32. The administration staff of the Foundation shall be headed by the director of the Foundation. The director of the Foundation shall be appointed for a four-year period and may be released from his or her duties by the chairperson of the Board of the Foundation in agreement with the federal executive power agency responsible for conducting a unified State science and technical policy, with subsequent approval of such appointment or dismissal by the Government of the Russian Federation.
33. The director of the Foundation shall:
    1. manage and guide the activities of the administration personnel of the Foundation;
    2. represent the Foundation in government agencies and bodies as well as in other organizations with respect to all questions relegated to his or her competence in accordance with this Charter;
    3. issue executive orders binding upon the administration personnel of the Foundation.
    4. approve the structure and personnel numbers of the administration of the Foundation;
    5. approve directives and guideline documents governing the activity of the staff of the Foundation;
    6. appoint employees of the administration of the Foundation to their positions and release them from their duties in accordance with the labor laws of the Russian Federation;
    7. submit for approval by the chairperson of the Foundation draft budget estimates of incomes and expenses of the Foundation;
    8. submit to the Board of the Foundation and the Bureau of the Board of the Foundation materials requiring approval in accordance with this Charter;
    9. regularly attest and certify employees of the administration of the Foundation;
    10. attend to current issues of providing material and technical support to the activity of the Foundation;
    11. manage the current financial activity of the Foundation within the competence relegated to him or her by the Board of the Foundation and shall be personally responsible therefor.
34. The chairperson of the Board of the Foundation, the deputy chairperson and the director of the Foundation shall not hold their respective positions for more than two successive four-year periods.
    Members of the Board of the Foundation may not be members of the Board of the Foundation for more than two successive four-year periods.
    Members of the Board of the Foundation shall engage in their activity on a voluntary basis.
    The Foundation shall be the main place of work for the chairperson of the Foundation, the deputy chairperson and for the director of the Foundation.
35. The conditions for labor remuneration of the chairperson of the Board of the Foundation, the deputy chairperson, the director of the Foundation and of the administration personnel of the Foundation shall be determined in a procedure established by the Government of the Russian Federation.

V. Accounts and Reports of the Foundation

36. The accounts and reporting statements of the Foundation shall be maintained in the procedure established by the laws of the Russian Federation.
37. Based on the results of each financial year which shall correspond to the calendar year, the Foundation shall submit an annual statement on its activity to the Government of the Russian Federation and to the executive power agency responsible for the implementation of a unified State scientific and technical policy.
    The Foundation shall annually publish its reports, including those concerning distribution of financial means with respect to different orientations of its activity. The activity of the Foundation shall not constitute commercial secrets.

VI. International Relations of the Foundation

38. The Foundation shall develop and intensify its relations with international and foreign organizations and funds providing research support.
    For these purposes, the Foundation shall make respective agreements on cooperation with such organizations, including those on the joint holding of competitions and on the formation of joint panels of experts on mutually agreed conditions.

VII. Reorganization and Termination of the Foundation

39. The reorganization of the Foundation may be effected by decision of the Government of the Russian Federation.
40. The activity of the Foundation may be terminated in the procedure established by the laws of the Russian Federation.

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