Support for Young Researchers: Foreign Practices and the Possibility of their Application in Russia

Abstract

Introduction. In the era of globalization and the development of the digital economy, the key resource for the development of the state is human resources, that is why all developed countries have engaged in competition to attract talented young researchers. The purpose of the article is to analyze successful foreign practices of countries that are leaders in innovative development (USA, China, South Korea, Great Britain, France) to support young researchers and formulate, on the basis of this analysis, recommendations for their use in Russia. Materials and Methods. The study used scientometric methods, in particular, statistical, content analysis, thesaurus, as well as graphical analysis and mathematical methods for processing structured and unstructured big data. Results. The analysis of tools for identifying and supporting young researchers from foreign countries – leaders of innovative development, including activities implemented by government, scientific foundations, universities, associations and research agencies, councils of scientific societies and other institutions is presented. A large number of support tools was considered at all stages of building a career in the field of science, from identifying talented youth to financial and social support for young doctors of science. Recommendations on expanding the range of such tools in Russian practice were formulated. Discussion and Conclusion. The study is of interest to Russian scientific foundations willing to emulate the best foreign practices, as well as to federal executive bodies in order to make effective decisions on the way of improving the system of scientific funding.