Academy of Finland Newsletter, August 2010
The Academy of Finland newsletter will keep you updated on high-quality 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.
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Academy of Finland steps up funding to tackle grand challenges facing the global community
The Board of the Academy of Finland wants to allocate more Academy funding to research fields that are vital to tackling the major challenges facing the global community. These ‘Grand Challenges’ that are incorporated in the building of the European Research Area (ERA) include climate change, environmental problems and ageing, among others.
According to the Academy Board, Finnish researchers can significantly contribute to tackling grand challenges, and they should therefore be provided with the best possible resources to conduct research in these fields. Finnish researchers must also more actively engage in European research collaboration in these fields. Later this autumn, the Academy will decide on those grand challenges and funding opportunities that will be given increased allocations.
The grand challenges that will receive a national focus should also be included in a national science strategy. The Academy Board recommends that such a strategy be drafted. The national science strategy should also include strategies for specific research fields. For instance, a national strategy for health research would be well justified.
Finnish universities outline science and education policy
Universities Finland (Unifi), which represents all Finnish universities, has published its joint science and education policy strategies for the next Government. Finland will receive a new Government after the parliamentary elections in 2011.
The universities propose that Finland invest in basic research and allocate sufficient core funding to universities. It is not possible to achieve a high level of education and cutting-edge research without substantial investments. Systematic and coordinated support to research infrastructures is also one of the keys to Finland’s success.
According to Unifi, higher education is also of fundamental importance to Finland’s success. Finland is known worldwide for its education and scientific research. The vitality of Finnish universities will contribute directly to the success of Finnish society.
State Budget 2011 brings additional money to research
Professor Markku Mattila, President of the Academy of Finland, says that considering the current economic situation, the Government’s budget proposal for 2011 is quite favourable in terms of research appropriations. The research appropriations allocated in the budget proposal to the Academy of Finland come to EUR 315.6 million, that is, some EUR 17 million more compared to 2010.
“The favourable development in the funding for scientific research continues. The level of funding both this year and next year, however, leads to a situation where a significant number of research projects that have been rated in international reviews as excellent or very good will not receive funding. Thus, much of our best research potential remains untapped. This is an untenable situation for Finnish science and research,” Mattila says.
“The economic recession would be just the right moment to invest for the future. Investments in scientific research are a long-term effort that cannot follow economic cycles.”
In its budget justifications, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture proposes that the quality of research be upgraded and the creation, profiling and international success of creative research environments be supported. The application of research knowledge and the science-policy knowledge base for the benefit of the economy, employment and social development will be promoted. Further, the research career will be developed in close cooperation with universities and the Academy. The Academy of Finland operates within the administrative sector of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
Centre of Excellence call attracts great interest
The Academy of Finland is launching a new Finnish Programme for Centres of Excellence in Research, running from 2012 through to 2017. At the first stage of the Centre of Excellence call, the Academy received a total of 135 letters of intent from research teams, of which 36 teams were requested to submit full applications. The plans selected to go through to the second stage cover research fields of natural sciences, medicine, the humanities and social sciences, and biosciences.
The Academy Board will make decisions on the units to be selected to the Centre of Excellence programme 2012‒2017 in June 2011. Centres of Excellence in Research have been created for purposes of reforming scientific research and expertise. They involve research teams and consortia conducting research at the highest level. A Centre of Excellence is a creative and goal-oriented research environment that encourages cutting-edge research and provides support for academic research careers throughout the career trajectory.
Besides the Academy of Finland, universities and research institutes, other funding bodies, foundations and companies will also contribute to contractual funding of Centres of Excellence. There are currently two ongoing Finnish Programmes for Centres of Excellence (2006‒2011 and 2008‒2013), in which funding is provided to 41 Centres of Excellence.
Research Data project groups proposes publicly funded research data be made widely accessible
Enhancing the accessibility and availability of research data is an important national objective that requires tangible technical, cultural, attitudinal and structural changes. The current challenges are related to scattered data storage and organisation, legislation, practices, terms of data use, payments and services that support the use of the data. These are the conclusions of the Research Data project group that has delivered its intermediate report to the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The report was drafted by CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd and a group of experts. The steering group of the Research Data project will operate until the end of 2010.
According to the report, publicly produced and funded research data is an important national resource, which is currently only partly accessible. Making research data and the e-services that deliver such data easily and widely accessible would increase the impact of research and innovation and make new findings possible and facilitate the use of data in unforeseen ways and in new contexts.
The report makes clear suggestions for required actions. The data policy governing research data needs to be clear and requires implementation at ministerial level and right down to unit level. The roles of different actors must be defined keeping in mind the big picture. Immediate action should be taken to draw up a national data infrastructure and build it to provide modular e-services. The report also suggests that current legislation be amended to better support the role of research and innovation in the information society and ensure that data is available legally.
The steering group will propose more detailed actions based on the recommendations included in the report. Some of the recommendations in the report are of such an urgent nature that their implementation could be started immediately.
Two Anders Jahre science prizes to the University of Helsinki
Academy Professor Kari Alitalo from the University of Helsinki has been awarded the prestigious Anders Jahre Senior Medical Prize 2010 and Professor Mikko Niemi from the University of Helsinki the Anders Jahre Prize for Young Scientists 2010. The Anders Jahre Medical Prizes are awarded for outstanding scientific achievement or research results in basic or clinical research.
Professor Alitalo receives the prize as recognition of his long-term and pioneering research on the development and formation of lymphatic vessels. He has demonstrated that the development of blood and lymph vessels play a decisive role in the growth and spread of cancer. His research has led to the development of new, promising methods of cancer and metastases treatment. The Anders Jahre Senior Award is worth NOK 1 million.
The Anders Jahre Prize for Young Scientists, worth NOK 400,000, is shared between Mikko Niemi, Professor in Pharmacogenetics, and Professor Robert Fenton from Aarhus University, Denmark. Professor Niemi studies the effect of genes on the efficiency and safety of pharmaceutical products. Niemi’s aim is to develop individual medical treatments so that each patient would get the best possible impact with as few side effects as possible.
Academy of Finland at a glance
The Academy’s objective is to promote scientific research of a high standard through long-term quality-based research funding, research and science policy expertise, and efforts to strengthen the position of science and scientific research. The Academy makes decisions on research funding worth EUR 314 million. Each year about 5,000 people benefit from Academy research funding. For more information, go to www.aka.fi/eng or send a message to maj-lis.tanner@aka.fi.