This exclusive superior status is granted to universities for 10 years. During 4 years they will receive governmental financing up to 49.8 bln. rubles. Co-financing of the programs from extra-budgetary funds has to amount up to 45 bln. rubles. Two more Tomsk universities had applied for the category of the national research university — Siberian State Medical University (SibGMU) and Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radio Electronics (TUSUR). They were included in the list of 32 finalists, but did not have a chance to be on the top winners list.

Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) has become the first among Tomsk universities to attain in 2009 the status of the national research university. Now, there are two national research universities in Tomsk what moves us one step closer for Tomsk to become a federal center for education, research and development.