Researchers from the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) are unhappy with the budget draft for next year that slashes funding for the institution by almost 17 percent on annual basis. As a result, scientists are planning to continue to denounce the budget, which they say may trigger the Institution’s collapse.
They are not ruling out organising protests either. SAV's chief scientist Albert Breier claims that some 17-20 percent of jobs would be jeopardised, and "all branches of science would be under threat". Scientists and researchers demand that the state treats science the way it is treated in other European countries and supports it with an increase in the budget that at least covers inflation. The Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry claims that the Government is expected to raise the ministry's budget for science by another €8 million. "What we need to do now is decide, along with the Academy’s leadership, as to how the individual projects will be funded”, stated the ministry’s spokesperson. According to her, the large concentration of excellent scientists at the Academy should help them secure extra funding through competitions.
