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31-01-2012
About the MSI
The MSI finances the creation and development of Institutes and Nuclei
About Us
The Millennium Science Initiative (MSI) is a governmental entity under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning of Chile (Mideplan), whose main objective is to promote the development of cutting edge scientific and technological research in the country, as a key factor for sustainable, long-term economic and social development.
The MSI finances the creation and development of Centers of Research -Millennium Institutes and Nuclei- which are selected through public grant competitions for their scientific merits. The Program has shown several unique aspects within the national context of grant competitions in the area of science, technology and innovation. Among these include: the projects are evaluated by a Program Committee (See Organizational Structure and Program Flowchart) made up entirely of distinguished foreign scientists, supported by other foreign evaluators with expertise in the thematic areas of the projects presented; funds are given directly to the scientists; the first phase of the selection process consists of the presentation of preliminary projects, with an invitation to those pre- selected to present a complete project during the second phase, among others (in case of the Competition for Natural and Exact Sciences Centers).
The MSI Institutes and Nuclei carry out scientific research that can be compared to that done in more developed countries, in both the natural and exact sciences as well as the social sciences. They are primarily focused on developing four main components: cutting edge scientific and technological research, the training of young scientists, collaboration in networks with other centers of excellence in the region and in the world, and the outward projection of their results, particularly towards the sectors of education, industry, services and society in general, contributing in this way to the country’s development in several areas (See Results of the Productivity Evaluations).
The MSI Program is an important actor in the National Science, Technology and Innovation System. To date, the program has established agreements with the Innovation for Competitiveness Fund (FIC) to finance some of the Millennium Institutes and Nuclei, in this way strengthening the model and its results and recognizing the importance of this initiative for the development of Chile (See Opinions).
