Maja Bucar is a senior researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana.

In her research work she focuses on research, development and innovation strategies and policies at the global, European and national level. She has participated in numerous international, European, regional (Central and Eastern Europe, Western Balkan) and national research and consultancy projects in the area of science and technology policy, national and regional innovation system analyses as well as country assessment of the application of the EU cohesion funds. She has led a number of evaluations of the instruments and programmes both for Slovenian government as well as for EC. She was also engaged as an expert within EC Policy Support Facility for Slovenia, Montenegro and Malta.