Development of impact assessment

One of the Academy’s most important missions is the assessment of scientific impact and the development of these assessments. Ultimately, the purpose of the impact assessments conducted by the Academy is to develop and improve the Finnish research and innovation system as well as the Academy’s own performance and funding instruments. The Academy works closely with a number of different partners to develop appropriate methods and procedures for assessing the impacts of research funding.

Impact assessments are a key way in which the Academy demonstrates the impact and effectiveness of the work it does in terms of the benefits to society at large. The Academy is keen to integrate impact assessments as a more integral part of its operation, and particularly as part of its funding instruments. In this way the results of evaluations would have a greater influence on key functions than can be achieved by periodic evaluations. In working to strengthen the impact of its research funding, the Academy makes use of both evaluations of earlier developments and the methods of foresighting.

By assignment of the Science and Technology Policy Council of Finland, the Academy of Finland and Tekes have launched an impact assessment project to develop a comprehensive and unified framework for describing the impact of science, technology and innovation. In addition, the project will compile a report that uses various indicators to describe the changes that have happened in knowledge and competencies as well as their impact in Finland. The first version of this framework for describing Finnish science, technology and innovation will be completed by the end of August 2008. The report is due for publication at the beginning of 2009.

Development of methods:

TECHNOPOLIS, Can We Measure the Socio-economic Effects of Basic Science?  Contribution to an Academy of Finland Seminar, Erik Arnold, 12 November 2001 (pdf)

Impact Evaluation of Research - from Theory to Practice. Seminar on 12 October 2005.

Kanninen S & Lemola T: Methods for Evaluating the Impact of Basic Research Funding: An analysis of Recent International Evaluation Activity. Advansis Oy. Publications of the Academy of Finland 9/2006. (pdf)