2025
New system of funding of excellent scientific outputs
The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Youth of the Slovak Republic has introduced a new system of funding of excellent scientific outputs from January 2025 , which will streamline the rewarding of public higher education institutions (HEIs) and authors of scientific papers and reduce the administrative burden on HEIs.
This mechanism aims to incentivise scientists through direct financial support. It is an immediate, automatic and ongoing system for rewarding outstanding scientific performance and innovation. The Ministry will check international databases and automatically pays HEIs a subsidy for their results three times a year (31 January, 31 May and 30 September). The rewards are linked to scientific outputs published in prestigious databases such as the Nature Index, citations in the Web of Science (WoS) or European and US patents of Slovak HEIs. The financial support will be paid in the same year in which these outputs are officially published.
HEIs are obliged to pay half of the subsidy directly to the authors of the excellent outputs and innovations, and half of the subsidy can be used for the development of the workplaces where the outputs were produced.
An overview of the subsidies paid is available on the website of the Ministry of Education.
National project Support for Entrepreneurial and Innovative Potential of Students
In February 2025, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Youth of the Slovak Republic introduced the national project Support for Entrepreneurial and Innovative Potential of Students (Národný projekt Podpora podnikateľského a inovačného potenciálu študentov), which aims to provide students with the knowledge needed to develop their entrepreneurial skills and implement their own innovative ideas and prepare them more for the needs of the labour market.
Under the project, higher education institutions can receive funding to develop courses aimed at increasing students' entrepreneurial and innovative potential. The curriculum innovation foresees an intensive link between academia and the business environment. Higher education institutions will cooperate with external lecturers who will be experts from practice. The plan also includes the involvement of students in the activities of incubators and accelerators at higher education institutions, as well as the organisation of trainings, workshops and career days, which will familiarise students with the issue of dealing with the results of creative intellectual activity or the creation of start-ups. These activities will also facilitate closer contact between students and their potential future employers.
A total of 9 million euro is earmarked for the project from European funds.
Project: "Support for Counseling and Improving Students' Mental Health"
The Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic has introduced the national project "Support for Counselling and Improving Pupils' Mental Health" (Národný projekt „Podpora poradenstva a zlepšovanie duševného zdravia študentov.“) This project aims to enhance the availability and quality of counselling and support services for university students, primarily by developing counselling services.
The project focuses on improving the staffing and efficiency of support services and counselling, as well as training university staff in key areas such as strengthening their competencies in providing support and guidance, mediation, and communication skills. It also includes support for the Buddy System and monitoring students' needs.
The project will be funded from the European Social Fund under the Programme Slovakia, with allocated EU funds amounting to €5,353,015.00.
2024
Amendment to the Higher Education Act
In September 2024, the amendment to the Higher Education Act (Act No. 170/2024 amending and supplementing Act No. 131/2002 on Higher Education) (Zákon č. 170/2024 ktorým sa mení a dopĺňa zákon č. 131/2002 Z. z. o vysokých školách) will come into effect, addressing the modification of curricula, study interruptions, and tuition fees for specific groups of students. The changes consider the specific needs of pregnant students and students with young children, contributing to the creation of an inclusive and supportive environment in higher education institutions.
Higher education institutions are required to create conditions for pregnant students and for students who permanently care for children under the age of three, without lowering the required academic standards. Higher education institutions must also create conditions for students who care for a child with a disability under the age of five. Rectors must waive tuition fees for this specific group of students for the first academic year exceeding the standard length of study due to pregnancy or permanent childcare.
Additionally, the amendment focuses on adjusting the number of hours through ECTS credits to ensure an equal workload for students in both full-time and part-time study formats.
Performance agreements
In January 2024, Directive no. 48/2023 on measurable indicators of agreements on subsidies to higher education institutions (Smernica č. 48/2023 o merateľných ukazovateľoch zmlúv o poskytnutí dotácie verejným vysokým školám) became effective. It introduces a new element into funding of higher education institutions – performance agreements. The change is introduced in compliance with component 8 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan reform as a new tool that supports priority defining and diversification of higher education institutions based on specific strengths and potential for development.
The agreement on subsidies with each higher education institution contains measurable indicators for three years (2024-2026), which must be met for this part of the state subsidy to be provided. The measurable indicators are compiled in compliance with the methodology of the breakdown of subsidies from the state budget and according to thematic areas.
The detailed list of specific measurable indicators for 2024-2026 for each public higher education institution including all background data, as well as amounts for each measurable indicator are published on an interactive platform.
Action Plan for Open Science for 2024
In February 2024, the Slovak Government approved the Action Plan for Open Science for 2024 (Akčný plán pre otvorenú vedu na rok 2024), which represents the second stage of the implementation of the National Strategy for Open Science for 2021 – 2028. The action plan aims to continue implementing open science principles into Slovak research and development space in compliance with the long-term priorities of the National Strategy for Research, Development, and Innovation 2030.
The planned measures also include education in open science – open science as a part of lifelong learning of the academic and scientific community with emphasis on beginning staff and PhD students. In this area, the action plan wants to create a platform that provides online courses in open science for the academic and scientific community in the Slovak Republic. The platform will provide complex and publically accessible online education in open science across institutions and with nationwide reach. Scientists, academic staff, and students will acquire the knowledge required to implement open science principles in their daily work.
2023
National Strategy for Research, Development, and Innovation 2030
In May 2023, the Government‘s Research and Innovation Authority introduced the National Strategy for Research, Development, and Innovation 2030 (Národná stratégia výskumu, vývoja a inovácií 2030), which aims to increase the competitiveness of the economy and the quality of life through the support of research, innovation, and talent. The Action Plan for the National Strategy for Research, Development and Innovation 2030 (Akčný plán národnej stratégie výskumu, vývoja a inovácií 2030), which was published alongside the strategy, defines the schedule of tasks required to meet the goals of the national strategy in this area. The reform also includes measures focusing on the development of the educational system’s quality.
The action plan describes the following measures in higher education:
- Motivation of academic environment to engage in technology and knowledge transfer,
- Stable increase of institutional resources for higher education institutions,
- Transition to better indicators to measure the quality of results and the cooperation which will be used for the breakdown of subsidies to higher education institutions,
- Publication of VER results and their implementation into institutional funding of higher education institutions and Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) departments,
- Implementation of performance agreements,
- Introduction of support programmes for managing staff of higher education institutions and the Slovak Academy of Sciences,
- Ensuring that Slovak researchers can access international publication databases and research networks conveniently,
- Legislative change of the number and selection of the executive board members of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education,
- Active grant support of innovative educational programmes at higher education institutions,
- Support of practical interdisciplinary teaching projects at higher education institutions,
- Scholarships for PhD students,
- Scholarships for excellent researchers,
- Support of social and cultural integration of foreign higher education students,
- Creation of short tertiary programmes,
- Introduction of a master’s programme in technology and knowledge transfer and innovation management.
Long-term Intention in Education, Research, Development, Arts, and Other Creative Activities for the Area of Higher Education Institutions
In August 2023, the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic approved a new Long-term Intention in Education, Research, Development, Arts, and Other Creative Activities for the Area of Higher Education Institutions for 2023 – 2028 (Dlhodobý zámer vo vzdelávacej, výskumnej, vývojovej, umeleckej a ďalšej tvorivej činnosti pre oblasť vysokých škôl na roky 2023 – 2028). The ministry will focus on the following strategic goals:
- Support of diversification of higher education institutions in regards to the higher education institutions’ profiles and mission and the structure of their performance,
- Provision of sufficient, timely, and targeted support for all higher education students,
- Reform of the methodology of allocation of subsidies from the state budget to public higher education institutions, which reflects their diversification into specialisation,
- Support of the principles of open science, open education, and academic ethics at higher education institutions,
- Support of career development for higher-quality of research and education.
Long-term Intention in Education, Research, Development, Arts, and Other Creative Activity for the Area of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) also introduces a new element of funding of higher education institutions – performance agreements. Performance agreements will support the strategic intentions of individual higher education institutions, which will promote the diversification of the higher education environment with profession-oriented programmes (schools of applied research). The implementation is underway. The plan is to sign agreements with 90 % of HEIs by the end of 2023. The support of HEIs through performance agreements should also increase their atractivity and contribute towards increased interest in higher education study.