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Mission, Goals, Principles
CONNECTIVITY, COOPERABILITY, CREATIVITY – C3
Mission
(i) To unite scientific and professional potential in Croatia and Diaspora in development of the knowledge based society.
Goals
(i) Unity through Knowledge Fund accomplishes its mission through following goals:
• Supporting research that is competitive on international level.
The Fund encourages basic and applied scientific research that creates new knowledge and exhibits potential to compete on an international level. Two project types will be financed: those that attract experts and investments into Croatia will be financed and those that enable the cooperationleading of European and other international projects that are in accordance to Croatian Scientific and Technological Policy.
• Fostering research that creates new values in Croatian economy.
The Fund supports projects that directly and indirectly strengthen the Croatian economy. The development of innovations, patents, commercial and other application of scientific results will be financed. In particular, support will be given to the investments made by the business sector into scientific projects. With the use of the resources of scientific and professional Diaspora, companies that apply new knowledge will be supported.
• Supporting projects that help the development of research infrastructure in Croatia.
The Fund supports all initiatives that contribute to the development of scientific system in Croatia through the cooperation with Diaspora. UKF supports and encourages the development that results in competitiveness on international level, supports education and scientific excellence in order to make Croatia a desirable place for top scientists from abroad (including those from Diaspora). Projects that are in accordance to the mission of UKF through the work in admini strative, infrastructural and managing segment of science and technology will be financed.
Rationale and Concept
(i) The phenomenon of migration of skilled and qualified workers to developed countries has been for nearly four decades negative for Croatian economy and has come to be seen as “brain drain”. Many “human capital donor” countries have been adversely affected by the shortages of highly qualified personnel in time of critical progress. They have used a number of strategies to reverse the ‘brain drain’ with varying degrees of success.
(ii) A number of talented Croatian scientists are scattered around the globe. An onset of improved and organized communication with scientists “at home” will be stimulated to initiate various ideas for cooperation. Some scientists abroad could be invited to return home to work towards the economic development of Croatia when the working conditions were appropriate. A plan to attract these scientists and their projects, which will rely on recent reforms, modernization and policy initiatives, is being undertaken in order to enhance Croatia’s competitiveness.
(iii) The program motto is: CONNECTIVITY – COOPERABILITY – CREATIVITY (C3)
The motto indicates the motives by which this program should be conducted.
CONNECTIVITY is a complex task of connecting people, as it has to be carried out by relying on existing Croatian institutions, themes and projects or by establishing new enterprises.
COOPERABILITY could be achieved by appointing scientists or experts from the Croatian Diaspora as leaders of research teams in the country, as an efficient knowledge transfer and a preparation for the actual return.
CREATIVITY is final step of the process because it should add news values to Croatian economy. Creativity should be an incentive for new endeavors in science, business and society.
Principles
(i) Operational principles of the Fund help in the realization of the mission, forming a solid set of criteria for evaluating the Fund's activities.
1. Excellence
The Fund recognises and supports scientific, technological and managerial excellence at the highest level.
2. Transparency
The Fund's activities, decision-making and financing are fully transparent and public.
3. Equality
All project proposals are equally and justly evaluated during evaluation, and objectively and anonymously assessed.
4. Measurability
Impact and results of the financed projects must be measurable at least at the capacity adequate for evaluation.
5. Competence
The Fund's decisions are brought about solely on basis of objective and professional arguments.
6. Individual approach
The Fund fosters individual approach towards persons, projects and ideas and insists on individual responsibility of project leaders.
7. Care for projects
The Fund fosters a “motherly” approach towards projects, evaluates projects and looks after their success.
8. Finality
Decisions made by managing bodies of the Fund, according to prescribed procedures, are final and cannot be changed retrospectively.
8. Avoiding conflicts of interest
All operations and decisions will be performed by avoiding direct or indirect conflict of interest of all persons involved in procedures.
9. Ethical and other good practice in research
The Fund supports ethical and other good research practice in the sense of The European Charter for Research and subject to approval of Consent of project leader to ensure responsible conduct of research and scientific integrity.
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