Bulgaria will spend €62m on science and research infrastructure in its 2027 budget, up from €35m this year, prime minister Rumen Radev said. He told scientists at the national Pythagoras awards at the Central Military Club, on the eve of Bulgarian Enlighteners' Day.
The grand prize for overall contribution to science went to Prof. Ivaylo L. Tarnev of Alexandrovska University Hospital and the Medical University of Sofia. Radev presented it to him.
Radev said the rise is not enough, but it is an important step and a clear signal that the state will keep backing all scientists. Effective ways of working together, beyond funding and organisation, will also be sought. He said the link between the INSAIT institute and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" works very well.
"If we say the state is in debt to Bulgarian scientists, it will not sound like a cliché," he said. In his view, science went underfunded for many years, and society and the state missed chances to develop faster and catch up with developed countries.
"Scientific work was undervalued, and sadly, the achievements of Bulgarian scientists very often won more recognition abroad than at home," he said.
Radev said Bulgarian science has held on, kept its traditions and still delivers world-class results, which gives reason for optimism. He said the strength of a nation today is measured mostly by its scientists and their achievements, not only by its natural resources, population, money and economy.
The prime minister added that working conditions for scientists also matter, as do money for young researchers, the link between education, science and business, and how fast discoveries reach the economy and people's lives. He said the most important thing is for young talents to stay in Bulgaria and make discoveries and create here, in an environment like the best laboratories in the world. Scientists give Bulgaria a real chance to be among the leaders, Radev said, and he called taking part in the ceremony a privilege.
Prof. Tarnev is among those whose work led to the world's first description of 15 hereditary diseases. He studies the genetic causes of rare diseases, and their early diagnosis and treatment. He has written more than 400 scientific publications and is one of the main drivers of the health mediators model in Bulgaria.
Tarnev called the prize the highest honour for a scientist. He said he is glad to have many followers and doctoral students, and that the most important thing, in his view, is to work with love for science and full dedication.
Education and science minister Prof. Georgi Valchev opened the ceremony, which the Ministry of Education and Science organised. The Pythagoras awards are held for the 18th year in a row and are seen as one of the most prestigious honours for scientific achievement in Bulgaria.
Updated (29.10, 19:42): The prize money for Prof. Ivaylo Tarnev is €8,000, and he also gets a statuette, BTA said. The Pythagoras competition is now in its 18th year in a row. The award for an established scientist in natural and engineering sciences went to a professor of engineering.