Research Grants to Members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences Spent for Personal Use
Quick Look
- Turkish Academy of Sciences, in the last three Court of Accounts reports, determined that payments received within the scope of research support were purchased for products such as mobile phones, smart watches, headphones and books for personal use.
- The Academy argued that these products were technological necessity, but the Court of Accounts auditors stated that the products were personal needs because they were concentrated on a specific brand and were not recorded in the inventory records.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Turkish Academy of Sciences makes payments to its members within the scope of research support. The Court of Accounts audits the use of these payments and checks whether they comply with the regulations.
In the last three Court of Accounts reports of the Turkish Academy of Sciences, it was stated that the payments made to academy members within the scope of research support were spent for personal purposes. In this context, the reports stated that products such as mobile phones, phone cases, smart watches, headphones, mini fans and desk calendars were purchased in violation of the regulation regarding the expenditure of support.
Against this determination of the Court of Accounts, the Academy argued that the products purchased were "a mandatory need in the light of technological developments".
MOBILE PHONE, SMART WATCH HEADPHONE...
Auditors of the Court of Accounts responded to this defense in the last published audit report of the institution and made the evaluation: "Considering that almost all of the mobile phones, smart watches and headphones acquired during the last three-year research period belong to a certain brand, it has been observed that these movables are personal needs rather than compulsory equipment needed by the members in their research, and these equipment are not included in the inventory records of the academy and are left to the property of the members."
A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOK WAS ALSO PURCHASED
On the other hand, in the same report, it was noted that the invoices for the books purchased by academy members were paid within the scope of support, regardless of their academic value. The report shared the following information: "During the investigations, it was determined that no criteria were observed for the books whose invoices were paid within the scope of research support, and that most of the books purchased were personal development books or classic story-novels that were unrelated to the field of research and did not have scientific quality. This issue was also included in the 2024 Court of Accounts Audit Report." In addition, the report stated that the institution also agreed with this finding and said, "In the response of the public administration, it is stated that our finding is agreed and the necessary sensitivity will be shown."
Open Questions
- What is the total cost of products purchased for personal use?
- What exactly is the list of products purchased by academy members?
- Will disciplines or legal processes be initiated regarding this situation?
