Performance-related pay in the Russian r&d sector

Strengthening the motivation, quality and efficiency of researchers’ work is a pressing issue in all countries pursuing active science, technology and innovation policies. One way to address this challenge is by introducing f lexible remuneration mechanisms which are countryspecific yet still share certain basic principles such as a relationship between compensation and research productivity. Improving R&D workers’ remuneration is particularly urgent now in Russia given researchers’ low salaries in many areas of science (particularly considering the complexity of their work). To address the problem of compensation for researchers, new policy measures have been adopted since 2012. This paper presents new evidence from Russia’s scientific community — researchers, managers of R&D organisations, and government representatives — collected via a survey and focus group discussions on the desirability and efficiency of the current remuneration policy. Although most members of Russia’s scientific community do not question the necessity and relevance of the government’s ‘efficient contract’ initiative in the R&D sector, its implementation has had a more mixed response. The authors analyse the reasons and effects of this controversy.