More funds for research

The Education Ministry will be able to divide up to the equivalent of 110 billion crowns - or 4 billion euros (roughly 5 billion US dollars) - from EU funds mainly on development and research in 2007-13 according to Education Minister Petra Buzkova. Of the total more than 70 billion crowns is to be destined directly for science and research, and mainly for the development of institutions that do research applicable in practice. The position of Czech science is not as well off compared to other European states. The Czech Republic now supports research and development with about 1.3 percent of the GDP while the share is twice that on average in other advanced countries.