The Slovenian Research Agency informs applicants of bilateral cooperation activities and applicants of bilateral research projects that in 2023, in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Scientific Research and Innovation Activities, a change in the evaluation procedure of the two above mentioned instruments has been adopted.

Quantitative evaluation of the Slovenian part of the bilateral cooperation activities or the Slovenian part of the bilateral research project used in the past is replaced by a set of qualitative evaluation criteria defined in the aforementioned legal bases. A further novelty being introduced is the evaluation process of the Slovenian part of the application, which will now be led by an external expert panel. The decision on the selection of (co)financing of bilateral cooperation activities as well as (co)financing of bilateral research projects remains within the jurisdiction of the joint bilateral Steering Committee.

The set of criteria for evaluation of the bilateral cooperation activities and bilateral research projects reasonably follow the criteria for evaluation defined in Horizon Europe and are supplemented in segments related to the international nature of the instruments and the provisions of the Act on Scientific Research and Innovation Activities.

The first public call published under the aforementioned novelties will be the Public Call for (co)financing scientific research cooperation between the Republic of Slovenia and the French Republic within the framework of the PROTEUS Program in the years 2024-2025. Its publication is scheduled for January 27th, 2023.