The Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Financing Working Group was established to enhance collaboration among government agencies, funds, and other financial organizations in BRICS countries. In this regard, the group coordinates, organizes, and maintains a joint secretariat to carry out multilateral calls for scientific and technological research projects among BRICS members. The secretariat is located in Russia.
The working group holds regular online meetings throughout the year to discuss ongoing activities, developments, and urgent issues. To date, more than 15 official meetings have been conducted, both in-person and online. The most recent session took place on September 24–25, 2024, in Moscow, which was a special meeting as it included representatives from new BRICS members for the first time.
Representatives from Iran, including the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, the National Science Foundation of Iran, and a representative from Egypt as the Science, Technology, and Innovation Financing Authority (STDF), attended this event. Participants discussed expanding the scope of BRICS members’ activities, including proposed calls for joint projects.
New areas were incorporated into the BRICS STI Framework Program, extending its authority and were officially approved.
Membership of BRICS countries in the framework program and the financing working group was expanded.
This framework serves as the primary tool for financing joint calls for scientific and technological research projects among BRICS countries, requiring participation of at least three national teams per project. Currently, 17 organizations are part of the program.
The approval of the Terms of Reference (ToR) was another significant achievement of the meeting. The document aims to establish a long-term and stable legal framework for further program development and replaces the 2016 operational arrangements, which had expired. The ToR was approved after thorough review and discussion among members.
