Academy of Finland Newsletter, February 2010
The Academy of Finland newsletter will keep you updated on scientific 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 R&D funding grows by 155 million euros in 2010
Academy of Finland to evaluate plant science in Finland
Asia NORIA-net project completed
General research grants attracted interest in the Academy January call
Academy of Finland to provide two million euros in funding to major infrastructure projects
BONUS Day gathered researchers from around the Baltic Sea
Arja Kallio appointed Director of the Programme Unit at the Academy of Finland
Ilkka Turunen appointed Secretary General of the Research and Innovation Council
The full report on the state and quality of scientific research in Finland 2009 now published
Scroll down for more on these stories
GOVERNMENT R&D FUNDING GROWS BY 155 MILLION EUROS IN 2010
In the 2010 Government Budget, the total appropriations and outlays for research and development activities amount to 2,055 million euros in Finland. According to Statistics Finland, R&D funding increases by 155 million euros from the previous year. At the same time, the share of public R&D funding of GDP is estimated to rise to 1.17 per cent.
The Ministry of Education accounts for 45 per cent of government R&D funding and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy for 37 per cent. R&D funding under the Ministry of Education amounts to 933 million euros and that under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy to good 763 million euros. In 2010 R&D funding under the Ministry of Education goes up by some 95 million euros and that under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy by 40 million euros. The increase in funding under the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education is mainly due to growth in funding by the Academy of Finland.
R&D funding of the Academy of Finland increases by 75 million euros, mainly due to the change in the budgeting method. Funding by the Academy of Finland totals 384 million euros. The appropriations and outlays of Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) go up by 36 million euros, its R&D funding being 611 million euros. A total of 506 million euros, or 16 million euros more than in the year before, is recorded in statistics for universities. Funding of other research carried out mainly in ministries grows by 31 million euros to 218 million euros. By contrast, budget funding of R&D activities by government research institutes decreases somewhat in 2010.
ACADEMY OF FINLAND TO EVALUATE PLANT SCIENCE IN FINLAND
An international evaluation of plant science in Finland will be carried out by the Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Biosciences and Environment. The evaluation is to be completed by the end of April 2011. The Research Council has appointed a steering group for the evaluation, which is chaired by Professor Mari Walls, Director of the Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE. The evaluation panel consists of the following specialists: Professors Dorthea Bartels (chair) of the University of Bonn, Neil Baker of the University of Essex, Thomas Boller of the University of Basel, Maarten Koornneef of the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Alison Smith of the John Innes Centre and Eva Sundberg of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
ASIA NORIA-NET PROJECT COMPLETED
The Asia NORIA-net project (AsiaNORIA-net) coordinated by the Academy of Finland has been successfully completed. The results of the project will be presented on 2 March 2010 at the Academy. In addition to a presentation of the project results, there will also be an opportunity to discuss joint efforts and future prospects for Nordic-Asian cooperation.
The two-year-project ‘Nordic-Asian research funding cooperation NORIA-net’ was funded by NordForsk with the aim of identifying joint research needs and preparing a model for joint research funding activities to be implemented by the Nordic countries together with China and India, their Asian partner countries. The first task of the Asia NORIA-net was to identify potential Nordic actors for research funding cooperation with Chinese and Indian funding bodies. The second task was to identify the needs, interests and priorities of the Nordic actors with regard to cooperation with their Asian counterparts. Special emphasis was placed on future efforts, including possible models and themes for Nordic-Asian research cooperation.
ACADEMY OF FINLAND TO PROVIDE TWO MILLION EUROS IN FUNDING TO MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
The Academy of Finland has decided to provide two million euros worth of funding to two research infrastructure projects with considerable significance for Finland. The projects are ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observing System, and a joint project entity in the life sciences (EATRIS, BBMRI and ELIXIR). The two projects will receive one million euros each in funding. An international panel performed an evaluation of the projects last year and approved them for the national roadmap for research infrastructure projects, in a category of projects for which funding decisions are urgently needed. Both projects are also included in the European research infrastructure roadmap (ESFRI, European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures).
The Finnish Research and Innovation Council, chaired by Finland’s Prime Minister, has made improvement and better utilisation of national infrastructures one of the five foremost science policy objectives of the coming years. This will benefit Finnish researchers and Finland’s competitiveness.
The ICOS project is coordinated by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences of the Department of Physics at the University of Helsinki. ICOS is a new European Research Infrastructure for quantifying and understanding the greenhouse balance of the European continent and of adjacent regions. The ICOS infrastructure will integrate terrestrial and atmospheric observations at various sites in Europe into a single, coherent, highly precise dataset, and will also be in charge of monitoring the quality of observations, developing measuring techniques, and conducting research on the subject.
The actual ICOS ESFRI project will be launched in 2012 following an initial preparation project, and it will run until 2031. The infrastructure network will then measure greenhouse gases using a distributed network of about 30 atmospheric and 30 ecosystem sites located across Europe.
ICOS is one of only a few ESFRI projects in which Finland is involved as a key partner thanks to its expertise on the subject. Finland is well placed in the competition for coordination of the Europe-wide ESFRI project.
The joint project entity in the life sciences is made up of three ESFRI projects: the BBMRI project (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure), the EATRIS project (European Advanced Translational Research Infrastructure in Medicine) and the ELIXIR project (European life science infrastructure for biological information). The projects are coordinated by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and the IT Center for Science Ltd (CSC).
Finland’s contribution to the three Europe-wide ESFRI projects BBMRI, EATRIS and ELIXIR focuses on infrastructure development, analysis, processing and utilisation of genetic data obtained from biobanks. More specifically, work will begin on national biobank operations and development of IT solutions and analysis infrastructure for sample data. The area of research as such is one of the recognised strengths of Finnish science. Expected results include new biomarkers that predict the onset and progress of various diseases, new diagnostic methods, services for researchers and business opportunities for Finnish companies in the field.
GENERAL RESEARCH GRANTS ATTRACTED INTEREST IN THE ACADEMY’S JANUARY CALL
The number of applications submitted in the Academy of Finland’s January 2010 call was about the same as in 2009. The Academy received a total of 2,496 applications by the deadline. The majority of applications (955) were submitted to the Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering, followed by the Research Council for Culture and Society with 589 applications.
As before, the Academy’s general research grants were the most attractive funding opportunity, drawing a total of 1,252 applications, 10 per cent more than in 2009. The majority of these applications were submitted to the Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering. General research grants also involve targeted funding from the Research Councils. A total of 738 applications were submitted for funding for Postdoctoral Researcher’s projects, an increase of 10 per cent on 2009. Funding for researcher mobility attracted more than 200 applications. The Finnish Research Programme on Climate Change received 64 applications.
BONUS DAY GATHERED RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE BALTIC SEA
BONUS Day, held in Helsinki on 9 February 2010, gathered together researchers, end-users of research knowledge and representatives of the administrative authorities from the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The aim was to provide answers to several questions for the Baltic Sea Action Summit to be held the following day. The questions concerned the most urgent issues concerning the Baltic Sea that need solving: what measures based on research knowledge can best protect the Baltic Sea and ensure that it can be preserved for coming generations, and how can decision-makers be encouraged to make a commitment to these justified measures?
The results of an online survey conducted in autumn 2009 were published in connection with BONUS Day. Distinguished experts provided promising solutions and feasible visions to help save the Baltic Sea. The purpose of the online survey was to identify best practices for boosting the societal impact of research on the Baltic Sea, and to generally invite the respondents to suggest ways of prompting the use of research findings in different sectors of society. According to the results, the experts felt that the most promising measures to improve the state of the Baltic Sea might be the rapid application in practice of new research results, together with effective communications and intensified cooperation in regional planning. Influencing public opinion and science policy debate were also considered important factors in saving the Baltic. The respondents to the survey were a total of 315 people active in research, administration or NGOs. A summary of the survey results is available on the BONUS website on www.bonusday.fi > Interviews and news.
ARJA KALLIO APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRAMME UNIT AT THE ACADEMY OF FINLAND
Arja Kallio, PhD and adjunct professor, has been appointed Director of the Programme Unit at the Academy of Finland until the end of January 2012. Her previous merits include the position as head of the Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LESC) unit at the European Science Foundation in Strasbourg. She also has previous experience of the Academy of Finland, having been Director of the Academy’s Biosciences and Environment Research Unit prior to her work at the ESF. Dr Kallio’s phone number at the Academy is +358 9 7748 8483.
The Programme Unit is responsible for preparing, presenting, executing as well as monitoring the Academy’s research programmes and the Finnish programmes for Centres of Excellence in research in cooperation with the Research Councils and other Units at the Academy’s Administration Office. The Unit also answers for the implementation of the strategies regarding programme activities as well as for the coordination, development and evaluation of the research programmes.
The Programme Unit’s previous Director, Dr Ritva Dammert, has been granted leave of absence for a position at the Aalto University.
ILKKA TURUNEN APPOINTED SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION COUNCIL
Ilkka Turunen (M.Soc.Sc.) has been appointed as Secretary General of the Research and Innovation Council. His term of office begins on 1 February 2010. Turunen has previously held positions at the Ministry of Education, the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the OECD in Paris and Finland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
The Council advises the Government and ministries on important matters concerning research, technology, innovation and their utilisation and evaluation. It is responsible for the strategic development and coordination of Finnish science and technology policy and prepares plans and proposals related to it.
THE FULL REPORT ON THE STATE AND QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FINLAND 2009 NOW PUBLISHED
The Academy of Finland’s full report on the state and quality of scientific research in Finland 2009 provides an analysis of scientific research and the research system in Finland within a broader European and global context, offers an assessment of their state and quality on the basis of various indicators and comparisons, and outlines future directions for the development of scientific research in Finland and for the national research system. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to science are discussed separately by each of the Academy of Finland’s four Research Councils, which together cover all disciplines of science. The summary of the report was published in 2009.
More than 400 experts contributed to compiling the 2009 report. An English summary of the report and the full report, which comes to 285 pages and is available in English and Finnish, are available on the Academy of Finland’s website at www.aka.fi/publications. Figures shown in the report are available on the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/eng > Science in society > Evaluation of research > The state and quality of scientific research in Finland. Additional copies may be ordered from viestinta(at)aka.fi.
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