Academy of Finland Newsletter, 4/2009
The Academy of Finland newsletter will keep you updated on basic research funded in Finland and on other news from the Finnish world of science and research. In case you wish us to send this to someone else in your organisation or if you do not want to receive these newsletters in the future, please let us know at viestinta@aka.fi.
Features:
Government to fund R&D activity with EUR 1.9 billion in 2009
Professors Anna-Leena Siikala and Erkki Ruoslahti receive honorary title of Academician
Academy of Finland appoints 11 new Academy Professors
Report says: The level of internationalisation of Finnish science and research has risen
Evaluation proves: Finnish CoE programmes promote the development of research environments and researcher training
Evaluation says: Impact of water research can be improved through cooperation and planning
Evaluation recommends: Important to strengthen connection between art research and undergraduate studies at art universities
Results of research programme: Participation and evaluation play important role in management of environmental conflicts
Brain researcher Riitta Hari receives the Finnish Science Prize
International science prize to Academy Professors Kari Alitalo and Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
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GOVERNMENT TO FUND R&D ACTIVITY WITH EUR 1.9 BILLION IN 2009
The total funding for research and development in Finland goes up to EUR 1.9 billion in the 2009 Government Budget. According to the Statistics Finland, R&D funding increases by EUR 102 million on the previous year, which means nearly 6 per cent growth in nominal terms and 2 per cent growth in real terms. The proportion of funds allocated to R&D activities of overall government spending exclusive of debt servicing stands unchanged from the previous year at 4.4 per cent. The share of public R&D funding of GDP rises to 1.02 per cent.
The administrative branches of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy are receiving 82 per cent of the government R&D funding. R&D funding under the Ministry of Education increases by some EUR 60 million to a total of nearly EUR 840 million in 2009. R&D funding under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy increases by EUR 50 million. Of the administrative branches with significant R&D activity, R&D funding increases by just under EUR 6 million under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry but remains almost unchanged under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
The R&D funding share of the Academy of Finland, which is the organisation awarding funding on a competitive basis, is 16 per cent and its total funding amounts to EUR 309 million. The Academy operates in the administrative sector of the Ministry of Education. A total of EUR 490 million R&D funding, or EUR 38 million more than in the year before, is entered in statistics for universities in 2009. Budget funding for R&D activity by government research institutes also grows by over EUR 17 million. R&D funding for university hospitals and other R&D, i.e. research carried out in ministries and central agencies, decreases. R&D funding for Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, rises to EUR 575 million. Its share of public R&D funding is 30 per cent.
More information: http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/til/tkker/2009/tkker_2009_2009-02-19_tie_001_en.html.
PROFESSORS ANNA-LEENA SIIKALA AND ERKKI RUOSLAHTI RECEIVE HONORARY TITLE OF ACADEMICIAN
President of the Republic Tarja Halonen has granted the honorary title of Academician of Science to Professor Emerita Anna-Leena Siikala and the honorary title of Foreign Academician of Science to Professor Erkki Ruoslahti. The letters of appointment were presented by the President in Helsinki on 12 June 2009.
Based on nominations by the Academy, the President of the Republic of Finland may confer the honorary title of Academician to highly distinguished Finnish or foreign scientists and scholars. The title of Academician can be held by no more than twelve Finnish scientists and scholars at a time. There are no restrictions on the number of foreign Academicians.
Academician Anna-Leena Siikala has forged an impressive and well-respected career as a scholar of cultures. She has studied the religious customs of aboriginal populations in northern Eurasia, shamanism, mythical and historical interpretations of Kalevala-metre poems as well as methods of researching oral tradition. She has also studied how an ethnic minority group uses its mythology and tradition in seeking to revive and maintain its own language and way of life under the dominance of mainstream culture.
Academician Erkki Ruoslahti has built his research career primarily in the United States. The main focus of his work has been on basic research in the field of cell and molecular biology. He has clarified various key mechanisms of cell function and opened up completely new insights into the aetiology and progression of cancer and several other diseases. He is one of the world’s leading researchers in his field.
ACADEMY OF FINLAND APPOINTS 11 NEW ACADEMY PROFESSORS
The Board of the Academy of Finland has appointed 11 new Academy Professors. They are professors Kari Enqvist (theoretical physics, University of Helsinki), Riitta Hari (psychology and neuroscience, TKK), Elina Ikonen (cell and developmental biology, University of Helsinki), Jukka Jernvall (evolutionary developmental biology, University of Helsinki), Heikki Joensuu (clinical medicine, University of Helsinki), Visa Koivunen (signal processing, TKK), Pekka Koskela (mathematics, University of Jyväskylä), Anne Kovalainen (social sciences and economics, Turku School of Economics), Erno Lehtinen (pedagogics, University of Turku) and Terttu Nevalainen (linguistics, University of Helsinki), and Research Professor Kaisa Poutanen (food technology and nutrition sciences, VTT Finland and University of Kuopio Food and Health Research Centre). One of the professorships is in the area of women’s studies: the Minna Canth professorship was awarded to Anne Kovalainen.
As at the beginning of June, the Academy had a total of 41 professorships. Persons appointed to the position of Academy Professor shall have demonstrated their skills as high-calibre researchers, and they are expected to promote the advancement of science within their field. The Academy of Finland has two types of research posts: Academy Professors and Academy Research Fellows. Academy Professors work at universities, research institutes and other organisations.
REPORT SAYS: THE LEVEL OF INTERNATIONALISATION OF FINNISH SCIENCE AND RESEARCH HAS RISEN
Finnish science and research have become increasingly international over the past few decades. This is the conclusion of a recent report on the internationalisation of Finnish research. Internationalisation has always been of great importance in Finnish research and in Finnish scientific community but it is Finland’s membership in the European Union that has had a crucial impact on the internationalisation of Finnish research.
The report studies internationalisation in terms of scientific publishing, mobility, research funding and cooperation. According to the report, the forms and methods of internationalisation vary widely from one field of science to the next. This is largely a consequence of the differences between the nature, core contents and objectives of different fields of science.
International scientific publishing by Finnish researchers has developed at the same pace as that of other advanced science countries. International publishing has been highest in engineering and medicine and health sciences. As of 1994, the sharpest increase has been recorded in the social sciences, engineering and the humanities. On the other hand, the work of Finnish researchers abroad and the number and length of foreign researchers’ and teachers’ stays in Finland have fallen. The number of foreign postdoctoral students in Finland has been growing. Research funding received by universities from abroad has increased considerably.
The number of foreign researchers working in Finland is highest in the fields of social sciences and engineering, while the number of Finnish researchers working abroad is highest in multidisciplinary research units and in natural sciences. Multidisciplinary and natural science research units also hire more foreign researchers than other units. The results indicate that the added value generated by internationalisation is greatest in new fields of science.
The report Internationalisation of Finnish scientific research focuses on the development of the internationalisation of Finnish scientific research and changes in it during 1990–2007 and in what way the available data and indicators describe internationalisation. The report has been published in English in the Academy of Finland publication series (www.aka.fi/Publications). The report consists of two parts: Scientific research in Finland: Recent trends of internationalisation; and Internationalisation of university research: Practices and problems.
EVALUATION PROVES: FINNISH CoE PROGRAMMES PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS AND RESEARCHER TRAINING
The societal impact of Finnish Centre of Excellence (CoE) programmes has been evaluated. The evaluation found that CoE programmes have been highly successful in achieving their goals, particularly in terms of creating more stimulating research environments and improving researcher training. The evaluation was commissioned by the Academy of Finland.
The assessment covered two CoE programmes, 2000–2005 and 2002–2007. The aim was to establish how far the programmes had succeeded in promoting the CoE strategy’s societal objectives and the practical impacts of research. The evaluation was focused on assessing the societal impacts of the CoE programmes. The scientific quality of the CoEs was excluded from the evaluation because scientific quality was a criterion for a unit to be designated a CoE in the first place.
All in all, the CoE programmes have been a definite success. Their greatest added value has come from the development of stimulating environments for cutting-edge research and from researcher training. The report recommends that CoE programmes be continued and that future appointments continue to be made first and foremost on grounds of scientific quality.
The evaluation concludes that the development of research infrastructure policy and research careers are central to promoting research at the cutting edge. However, the stand is that there are currently too many CoEs in Finland for the size of the country. CoE funding per unit has remained inadequate at the same time as the focus has been to create permanent structures. Indeed, future CoE programmes should aim to incorporate a smaller number of units while increasing the amount of public funding per unit.
CoE programmes have been launched in line with Finland's national strategy for Centres of Excellence in research, with a view to promoting creative research environments where internationally competitive research is combined with top-level researcher training. Finland has had in place a network of Centres of Excellence in research since the 1990s, appointed by the Academy of Finland.
The evaluation report Impact Evaluation of Finnish Programmes for Centres of Excellence in Research 2000–2005 and 2002–2007 is available in English in pdf format on the Academy of Finland’s website at www.aka.fi/Publications.
EVALUATION SAYS: IMPACT OF WATER RESEARCH CAN BE IMPROVED THROUGH COOPERATION AND PLANNING
The impact of water research could be improved by developing the networks within the research community and between it and the end-users of knowledge, and through planning research collaboration projects. These are among the conclusions of the evaluation of the societal impacts of Finnish water research commissioned by the Academy of Finland.
The evaluation of the societal impacts of Finnish water research examines cooperation between researchers and end-users of research knowledge, its content, challenges and results. The research teams that were included in the international evaluation of water research were included in the present evaluation with their partners that utilise research and expertise in the field. A total of 17 research organisations and their key partners were covered by the evaluation.
The collaboration between the research organisations and their partners is characterised by certain fundamental values, multiple objectives and a networked structure. All partners are united in an aim to protect the environment and promote well-being, and operations in the entire water research sector are characterised by networked cooperation. The networks are light and build on the fact that the people involved know and trust each other. Networks have often emerged on an ad hoc basis. More permanent structures for collaboration that might organise operations are generally absent, and this may be something of a weakness in terms of potential impact, the evaluation suggests. The absence of a shared ‘language’ between researchers and end-users of research knowledge is often felt to be an obstacle to collaboration, especially in the early stages.
The evaluation report Veden tutkimuksen yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttavuus includes an English summary. It is available in pdf format at www.aka.fi/Publications > Publication series.
EVALUATION RECOMMENDS: IMPORTANT TO STRENGTHEN CONNECTION BETWEEN ART RESEARCH AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AT ART UNIVERSITIES
The quantitative need for doctoral degrees in art should be assessed as it is important to proportion the number of doctoral students in the art sector to the actual need for such doctorates. It would also be important to strengthen the connection between art research and undergraduate studies at Finnish art universities.
These are among the conclusions of the evaluation panel assessing the art research in Finland. The evaluation focused on research and doctoral education at all four Finnish art universities and the University of Lapland’s Faculty of Art and Design in 2003–2007. In its evaluation, the panel examined doctoral education in art in Finland, noting that the Finnish doctoral school system is good and efficient. However, the panel found the excessively high ratio of students to teachers a practical problem that affects the quality of doctoral degrees in art. Attention should also be given to how the career path of young PhDs in arts and design can be organized at different universities so as to be rewarding for both the institutions and their students and for the PhDs themselves. The panel suggested that the art universities should further develop their research strategies with regard to the position of research activities in relation to the development of art and art practice and its societal relevance. The panel underlined as a general observation that art and design play an important role in the development of innovations.
The evaluation report Research in Art and Design in Finnish Universities is available in English in pdf format at www.aka.fi/Publications > Publication series.
RESULTS OF RESEARCH PROGRAMME: PARTICIPATION AND EVALUATION PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS
The management of environmental conflicts focuses particularly on strengthening participation and evaluation of environmental impact. The nature of environmental conflicts is constantly changing. At present, debate focuses on matters such as planning permission for shopping malls, mining projects, and individual species such as the wolf or the Saimaa ringed seal. Future environmental conflicts are likely to centre on themes such as the climate, energy and natural resources. These were among the conclusions of the Academy of Finland’s four-year Environment and Law Research Programme. The programme generated new knowledge on the nature of conflicts concerning the environment and natural resources and ways of managing such conflicts.
The Environment and Law Research Programme was funded by the Academy of Finland to a total of 2.5 million euros. The programme period was four years, 2005–2008. Projects within the programme employed researchers from a wide range of different disciplines, such as environmental law, private law, environmental economics, environmental policy, environmental sociology, environmental philosophy and forestry. Shared themes for the research projects comprised the effectiveness of environmental instruments, changing instruments of environmental governance, public participation in environmental decision-making and management of environmental conflicts. The aims of the Environment and Law Research Programme were to strengthen research on the legal and social systems and practices concerning the environment and natural resources, and to promote cooperation among researchers in law and other disciplines.
BRAIN RESEARCHER RIITTA HARI RECEIVES THE FINNISH SCIENCE PRIZE
The Finnish Science Prize 2009 was awarded to Professor Riitta Hari. Professor Hari is head of the Brain Research Unit of the Low Temperature Laboratory at Helsinki University of Technology. The Finnish Science Prize is awarded every other year in recognition of high-standard and internationally significant scientific research. The prize sum is 85,000 euros.
Professor Hari works in brain research. Together with her research team, she has developed non-invasive imaging methods for the brain, which permit imaging of brain activity with an accuracy of milliseconds in connection with activities such as movement, social interaction or speech. In addition to being used for basic research in neuroscience, magnetoencephalography (MEG) can be used in clinical applications of neurology and neurosurgery, for instance in the identification of tumours, in psychiatry and in audiology. The Brain Research Unit has built up a unique expertise in experimental and theoretical neuromagnetism.
Professor Hari has held Academy of Finland research posts and been a visiting researcher in Japan and France.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PRIZE TO ACADEMY PROFESSORS KARI ALITALO AND SEPPO YLÄ-HERTTUALA
Academy Professors Kari Alitalo of the University of Helsinki and Seppo Ylä-Herttuala of the University of Kuopio have been awarded the international InBev-Baillet Latour International Health Prize 2009. The Prize, of 200,000 euros, was awarded for pioneering research that has contributed to a better understanding of the influence of angiogenesis (the generation of blood vessels) and lymphangiogenesis (the generation of the lymphatic system) on the development of cardiovascular disorders, and also cancer. Academy Professors Alitalo and Ylä-Herttuala have been conducting close and fruitful cooperation in this field for many years.
Academy Professor Kari Alitalo is Director of the Academy of Finland’s Centre of Excellence in Cancer Biology, which is part of the Molecular Cancer Biology Program of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki. Academy Professor Alitalo is known particularly for his pioneering research on the generation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) and lymph vessels (lymphangiogenesis). The work of his research team has resulted in the development of a number of new types of cancer medication; research conducted at his laboratory has also created potential for developing new effective treatments for cardiovascular and lymphatic conditions for which no effective treatment has been available hitherto.
Academy Professor Seppo Ylä-Herttuala works at the A.I. Virtanen Institute at the University of Kuopio and is Director of the Academy of Finland’s Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes Research. Academy Professor Ylä-Herttuala is a pioneer in the field of gene therapy for cardiovascular diseases and brain cancer and in the field of gene transfer technology; in 1996, his research team was the first to successfully transfer a gene into human arteries using adenoviruses. Multiple phase I and II clinical trials in patients have since shown that gene therapy improved blood circulation in ischemic extremities and in the myocardium.
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