Within the PRISMA Program, Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia will finance 97 projects over the next three years, involving 898 researchers from 91 scientific research organizations. The total approved budget of the program is 24,999,824.72 euros.

Financing for the Program is provided by the Republic of Serbia (Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation), through a World Bank loan with implementation support, and the European Union, through a grant contribution. The activities are part of the “Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project” (SAIGE Project), dedicated to strengthening innovative entrepreneurship and scientific research.

A total of 6,226 researchers submitted 660 project proposals in response to the public call for the PRISMA Program. After the first stage of evaluation, where each project proposal was assessed by two independent foreign reviewers from the scientific fields of the proposed projects, 189 project proposals were advanced to the second stage of evaluation. The first stage of evaluation of project proposals was completed on August 22nd when principal investigators received notifications of the results and next steps for the projects that had advanced to the second stage of evaluation.

The second stage of project evaluation was conducted by the Program Board, consisting of foreign experts organized into six expert panels: (1) Natural Sciences and Mathematics; (2) Technical and Technological Sciences; (3) Biotechnical Sciences; (4) Biomedical Sciences; (5) Artificial Intelligence; and (6) Social Sciences and Humanities.

Based on the results of the second stage of evaluation, the Program Board made the proposal for the final ranking list, ensuring that the total budget required for all approved projects does not exceed the program’s overall budget, as defined by the PRISMA Program Act. The proposal for the final ranking list was reviewed by the Scientific Council of the Science Fund, and, following a procedural assessment, it was submitted to the Science Fund’s Executive Board. The decision to adopt the Final List of projects approved for funding was made by the Executive Board of the Science Fund.

The final list of projects approved for funding consists of 97 scientific research projects:

Natural Sciences and Mathematics: 32 projects with a total budget of 7,936,983.39 euros.

Technical and Technological Sciences: 21 projects with a total budget of 5,757,111.97 euros.

Biomedical Sciences: 14 projects with a total budget of 3,912,592.00 euros.

Biotechnical Sciences: 11 projects with a total budget of 2,906,440.14 euros.

Social Sciences and Humanities: 11 projects with a total budget of 2,403,454.86 euros.

Artificial Intelligence: 8 projects with a total budget of 2,083,242.36 euros.

Principal investigators come from research organizations in Belgrade (72), Novi Sad (17), Kragujevac (4), Nis (3), and Kraljevo (1). Research organizations from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac, Cacak, Bor, Krusevac, Novi Pazar, Zrenjanin, and Vrnjacka Banja participate as partners in the projects.

Out of the 97 projects approved for funding, 52 are led by women, while 45 are led by men.

A detailed analysis of the evaluation within the PRIZMA Program will be published in the coming period.

Principal investigators receive information about the results of the second stage of evaluation via email.

We congratulate to all research teams and research organizations whose projects have been approved and thank you all participants for their effort and interest in the PRISMA Program.

You can view the analysis of success rates by phases here.

You can view the geographical distribution of project proposals by the headquarters of participating research organizations here.

You can view the analysis of success rates by phases, subprograms, and gender of project leaders here.

A more detailed analysis of the PRIZMA Program evaluation will be published in the future.