The analysis of the dynamics of Russian researchers’ age structure

The article presents the analysis of the dynamics of Russian researchers’ age structure with the purpose to find out whether current trends are positive or negative for the Russian scientific and technical sphere. The article provides an overview of foreign and Russian literature on the problems of the age structure of researchers, such as the relation between the productivity of researchers and their age, the extent and causes of decrease in the number of Russian researchers in the late 90-ies of the twentieth century and in the first decade of the twenty-first century. It presents the results of the comparative analysis of the age structure of researchers and its dynamics in Russia and in a number of technologically advanced countries. An overview of some measures of the government scientific and technical policy in the sphere of regulating the age structure of Russian researchers is done. The following conclusions are made. "Rejuvenation" of Russian science as the result of undertaken measures of government policy in the scientific and technical sphere, aimed at attraction and retention of scientific personnel, is a positive trend, leading to the increase in the number of researchers in their most productive. However, the decline in the share of researchers at the ages from 40 to 59 can be characterized as a negative trend, because in this age period, scientists have considerable experience and knowledge ready to use in new research and to transfer to the next generation of scientists. The authors conclude that the main purpose of the government policy in the sphere of labor resources of the national science should be the stimulation of growth in total number of researchers to achieve their share in the population comparable with this indicator in technologically developed countries.