The Challenges of Funding and Conducting Scientific Research in PostCOVID-19 Georgia (Case of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main scientific challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia. The facts are based on the: statistics of budget allocation to science promotion and grant financing by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG). The major obstacles faced by the scientific community due to the pandemic are also described below. As expected, grants for scientific research were reduced during the pandemic. It is obvious that as well as financial problems, the pandemic has caused many other scientific obstacles. It is important to identify these problems and consider the SRNSFG’s approach to reducing them. By conducting research on this issue, the author of this report concludes that the pandemic caused both financial and logistical problems in the scientific community of Georgia. Regardless of the circumstances, the measures implemented in the Georgian education system have been positively evaluated by some international organisations, such as: Microsoft, UNICEF, and the OECD.