Opportunities for research infrastructure development

Representatives of the scientific community of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy participated, on February 13, 2026, in the information session dedicated to the call for research infrastructure subprojects. The competition is launched by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova jointly with the National Agency for Research and Development (ANCD) under the "Moldova Higher Education" Project.

The call was presented by Anatolie Topala, representative of the "Moldova Higher Education" Project, and Natalia Bolocan, representative of ANCD, who provided an overview of the objectives and opportunities of the competition.

"The aim of the call is to create a state-of-the-art research infrastructure in priority areas of national importance, which will allow universities in the Republic of Moldova to carry out high-quality, internationally competitive research activities," Anatolie Topala mentioned.

The subprojects will be oriented towards the priority areas established in the National Smart Specialization Program for 2024-2027 "SMART Moldova". This strategic direction aims to strengthen sectors with high potential for innovation and competitiveness, stimulate applied research and create platforms that would facilitate interdisciplinary and international collaborations. Within the competition, priority will be given to subproject proposals that demonstrate interdisciplinary activity of the infrastructure and openness to new areas, such as personalized medicine and biopharmaceuticals, sustainable agriculture, electronic engineering nanomaterials, alternative energy, etc.

Anatolie Topala emphasized that subproject proposals can be submitted under two funding lines: the first provides for the creation of a national research infrastructure that may include the development, construction or investment in state-of-the-art research infrastructures, while the second aims to improve or expand existing research facilities. For the first funding line, 9 million euros are allocated, with a maximum value of 900 thousand euros per project. For the second line, 0.5 million euros are provided, with funding of up to 250 thousand euros for each project submitted by the university.

During the session, Jana Chihai, vice-rector for research and innovation, Nicolae Testemitanu University, noted the increased interest from the scientific community in consolidating and modernizing the research infrastructure, but also in enhancing institutional competitiveness at national and international level. "We are open to the opportunities offered by this call, in the context of the need for strategic investments to support the development of research and the expansion of scientific collaborations," the vice-rector emphasized.

The event was attended by heads of departments, chairs and laboratories, as well as researchers who were familiar with the conditions for participating in the competition.

Universities may request research infrastructures that include facilities, resources and services such as major scientific equipment or instrument sets; knowledge resources such as collections, archives or structures for scientific information; ICT infrastructures, as well as any other means required to achieve an excellence level in research.

The deadline for submitting subproject proposals is May 31, 2026.