The beginning of a traditional new year eve meeting of the JINR Science and Technology Council, which was held for the 8th time this year, was unusual. It took place in the International Conference Hall on 26 December 2018; its participants met the report by Director of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions S.N. Dmitriev with applause as far as FLNR Director informed the audience that on that day the first beam of accelerated heavy ions at the DC-280 cyclotron was produced. The further course of the meeting corresponded to the agenda. Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department D.V. Kamanin made a report on broadening the horizons of international cooperation of JINR that was positively evaluated in reports of participants of the meeting.

JINR Vice-Director B.Yu. Sharkov informed members of STC about a special competition for young scientists that had been discussed at the STC meeting on 25 October 2018. A decree on a JINR specialized international competition for outstanding young scientists adopted on the basis of the order by the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiary Representatives (November 2017) was affirmed on 3 December 2018. An expert consultative body under the JINR Directorate, the Personnel Advisory Committee, was established chaired by V.A. Matveev, Deputy Chairman – B.Yu. Sharkov. Leading scientists of JINR representing major fields of the Institute’s activities were included in the Committee. According to the Rules of the competition, JINR laboratories submit applications approved by the laboratories’ STCs to the Personnel Advisory Committee in order to a position to be opened at a special competition. Applications should specify particular disciplines, research topics and work profile in accordance with the Topical Plan of JINR. Laboratories are offered to launch the process of submitting applications.

STC Chairman R.V. Jolos introduced to participants of the meeting a draft solution for the issue of innovation activities that had been also discussed on 25 October 2018. Having heard the reports by A.V. Ruzaev and A.E. Belomestnova at the October meeting, the STC noted the importance of the presented analysis of possible ways of making innovative technologies out of JINR technical developments. A.E. Belomestnova in her report gave examples of technical solutions that were found at various times in JINR and that got innovative development:

• radiation; proton therapy (DLNP);
• track membranes (FLNR);
• radiation resistance of electronic components of the space equipment (FLNR, VBLHEP);
• Radioisotopes for nuclear medicine and radioecology (FLNR, DLNP);
• Radiation monitors and complexes (FLNP, RPC “Aspect”);
• OOO “DViN”;
• Factory of superconducting magnets for the NICA and FAIR projects (VBLHEP).

The STC recommended to the JINR Directorate to continue development of the concept of innovative activity, to create in JINR the system stimulating interest of the Institute’s staff in innovative developments and supporting work on the results gained in fundamental research and that are important for innovative activities. The STC offered to establish a committee under JINR Chief Engineer for consideration of developments presented by the laboratories with innovation prospects. Moreover, it was proposed to create a group in the JINR Directorate, for example, based on the Licensing and Intellectual Property Department, the major aim of which would be support and promotion of innovative projects of the Institute to the technology markets of the JINR Member States. In the course of the discussion with representatives of the Member States on the issues of industry return, it was proposed to include working out of possibilities of application of laboratories’ innovative proposals and other bodies of JINR into the agreements.

JINR Director V.A. Matveev made a traditional new year eve report on the milestones of the expiring year. The highlights of the final report were published in the previous issue of the JINR Weekly Newspaper following the materials of the press conference of Director for the city mass media.

Evgeny Molchanov, JINR Weekly Newspaper