Many medical institutions, alongside providing clinical services, are actively engaged in research activity. It is precisely for this area of work that they may obtain the status of a scientific organisation in the field of healthcare. A reform of the procedure for obtaining this status, together with a tightening of control over the productivity of medical institutions, is currently under way in Kazakhstan. What changes have taken place? How can medical organisations retain or obtain the status? What assessment criteria has the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan introduced? Read more about this in today's article.
What is the essence of the status of a scientific organisation in the field of healthcare?
The status of a scientific organisation in the field of healthcare – is an official status granted to institutions that conduct fundamental and applied medical, biomedical or pharmaceutical research. Such organisations are engaged in developing new methods of treatment, diagnosis and disease prevention, and their results are put into practical medical use.
It is granted by the Scientific Council under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan – an advisory body responsible for the development of medical and pharmaceutical science.
The status of a scientific organisation is not merely a formality but a significant advantage for medical institutions, as it:
- Grants access to state funding.
- Serves as a basis for the medical organisation's cooperation with universities and scientific institutions – both domestic and foreign.
- Grants the right to train scientific personnel.
- Enables the medical institution to be included in a transparent ranking of scientific organisations, formed on the basis of an objective assessment of productivity.
How has the procedure for granting the status changed following the signing of Order No. 41/2026?
On 6 April 2026, the Acting Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed Order No. 41, which introduced amendments to the Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Approval of the Rules for Granting and Reviewing the Status of a Scientific Organisation in the Field of Healthcare, and the Rules for Assessing the Effectiveness of Scientific, Scientific-Technical and Innovative Activity". This underlying document had defined the procedure for obtaining the status since 2020.
The key change that has taken place is a shift towards a new model of regulating the status. What exactly does this mean? The point is that previously the system for assessing scientific medical organisations was more stable: an organisation would obtain the status and would then, on the whole, operate within the framework of that already-established status.
Following the signing of the Order, the underlying logic of the process has changed: the status now becomes part of a continuous management cycle, within which the organisation is regularly assessed and may either confirm or lose its status. This entails systematic monitoring and the determination of whether the institution complies with clearly established criteria. If it fails to meet the minimum threshold of requirements, it loses or fails to obtain the status.
The state's approach to managing scientific medical organisations is becoming more consistent and results-oriented. It is no longer sufficient simply to meet the requirements at the moment of inspection – organisations must continually fulfil the established plans and indicators of scientific activity.
In the course of the assessment, the Scientific Council will take into account a range of indicators, including:
- the presence of scientific units and equipment for research activity within the medical organisation
- the percentage of personnel holding a scientific degree
- the number of publications, the Hirsch index and the level of citation of staff in international scientific journals
- the organisation's cooperation with universities and international healthcare organisations
Which organisations in Kazakhstan may apply for the status?
Organisations entitled to apply for the status may conventionally be divided into three key categories: scientific organisations of a clinical profile, scientific organisations of a non-clinical profile, and organisations of higher and (or) postgraduate education in the field of healthcare.
| Category | Who is included |
|---|---|
| Scientific organisations of a clinical profile | Scientific organisations that have clinical units (for example, research institutes and scientific centres that combine research activity with the provision of medical care to patients). |
| Scientific organisations of a non-clinical profile | Scientific organisations focused on medical, pharmaceutical activity or public health protection without their own clinical units. |
| Organisations of higher and (or) postgraduate education in the field of healthcare | Medical universities, academies and higher education institutions in the field of healthcare with scientific units, which provide training for medical personnel. |
Key stages in applying for the status of a scientific organisation in the field of healthcare
Despite the considerable number of requirements a medical organisation must meet in order to obtain the status of a scientific organisation, the application process itself does not involve a large number of stages. It may conventionally be divided into six main steps:
- Submission of the application – the organisation submits an application together with all the necessary documents to the authorised body (the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
- Registration – the authorised body accepts the application for consideration or rejects it on account of an incomplete package of documents.
- Expert assessment – the commission verifies compliance with the criteria and calculates the final performance indicators.
- Commission's conclusion – a final protocol is drawn up: to grant the status, to refuse it, or to request clarification.
- Order of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan – an order is issued granting the status or providing a reasoned refusal.
- Entry into the register – the information is published in the official register of scientific organisations on the authorised body's website.
Undoubtedly, the reform of the rules for granting the status of scientific organisations in the field of healthcare is an important step towards increasing the productivity of medical institutions and ensuring a transparent assessment of their activity. Going forward, this approach will be able to stimulate not only stable publication activity but also the development of innovative technologies in the field of medicine.
If your medical organisation requires publications in Scopus or Web of Science in order to obtain the status, get in touch with Scientific Publications. Our specialists will help determine how many articles you need to prepare in order to meet all the established requirements, and will support you at every stage of the process. Would you like a free consultation? Fill in the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Together towards new scientific achievements!
