YEREVAN, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Since the day of its establishment - August 20, 2007, the total amount of donations to the Science Development Fund of the RA National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has made 16.78 mln drams and 400 thousand dollars, the fund's director Hrant Matevosian said at the March 26 sitting of the RA NAS presidency. 16.78 mln drams was allocated as a primary sum by the RA NAS, 300 thousand dollars was received from businessman Gagik Tsarukian, member of the fund's board of trustees and 100 thousand dollars - from Ara Abrahamian, the president of the Union of Armenians of Russia. It was announced that 50 thousand dollars out of the sum donated by G. Tsarukian was distributed to socially vulnerable merited scientists. Another 50 thousand dollars was given to a specially created surgery fund - for cardiovascular and tumor operations. It is planned to use A. Abrahamian's donation for holding a contest of scientists. According to a press release of the RA NAS, the main directions of the fund's activities were discussed at the sitting. In particular, it was pointed out that the major sums earned should be used for commercialization of scientific studies, which will allow to increase resources of the fund and to make a profit.

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