Government-Led Fund-Raising Practices and Approaches to Accounting for Extrabudgetary Funds in the Research and Development Sector

Abstract

Introduction. Analysis of indicators reflecting the research and development sector financing and their performance assessment demonstrated the need to improve the extrabudgetary fund-raising mechanisms for the domestic research and development sector, due to a significant gap between Russia and the leading countries of the world in this area. Methods. The assessment was carried out using the algorithm developed by the authors on the basis of a variety of regulatory legal acts of the Government of the Russian Federation. The regulatory elaboration coefficients calculation of extrabudgetary fund-raising mechanisms based on an integral scoring assessment provided for identifying the most effective and ineffective tools. The study was carried out using comparative analysis, economic and mathematical methods in the comparative analysis of countries and indicators, deductive and inductive analysis of the scientific literature on the topic under study, as well as using the generally accepted principles of statistical analysis and a systematic approach to the analysis of the issues involved, using analogy and aggregation of the obtained results. Results and Discussion. High dependence of R&D financing on budget allocations and scarcity of applicable mechanisms was revealed, inter alia, due to the insufficient development of the range of tools in a number of cases. The key risks and impediments to extrabudgetary fund-raising for the research and development sector: the mismatch of the mechanisms with the R&D life cycle and the low demand for scientific results by the real sector of the economy. We worded eight specific proposals to improve the extrabudgetary fund-raising and accounting mechanisms that make it possible to expand the range of tools used. Conclusion. The results of the study can be taken into account for when laying out approaches to developing the accounting mechanisms of extrabudgetary fund-raising sources in the R&D sector within the ongoing activities in government programs and projects aimed at the scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, as well as for new extrabudgetary fund-raising mechanisms for the research and development sector.