Academy of Finland Newsletter, November 2009
16.11.2009
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:
Academy publishes a review of current state and quality of scientific research in Finland
Finnish research and innovation system in need of radical reform
Professor Leena Peltonen receives honorary title of Academician of Science
Academy of Finland prepares a new Centre of Excellence programme
Finnish-Chinese cooperation in the field of jurisprudence off to a good start
Sustainable Energy Research Programme strengthens cooperation with Chinese researchers
Finnish-Indian research to develop diagnostics for cancer, diabetes and viral diseases
New Act on the Academy of Finland
EURAXESS Finland opened for researchers in motion
Professor Markku Kulmala to chair the international global change research project iLEAPS
Scroll down for more on these stories
ACADEMY PUBLISHES A REVIEW OF STATE AND QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FINLAND
Finnish science and research and the research system overall have ranked among the strongest performers in OECD comparisons for the past ten years. However, the Academy of Finland’s latest review of the state and quality of scientific research in Finland suggests that there has been some loss of momentum. Based on the results of the report, the Academy of Finland recommends that a ten-year national science strategy be developed and implemented with a view to improving the output and quality of scientific research in Finland.
The report draws attention to five aspects of the research system that stand out in a comparison of Finland with other advanced science nations. On the positive side, R&D expenditure as a proportion of GDP and business investment in R&D continue to remain at the same high level as in the early 2000s; cooperation between industry and academia is close and intensive; and the number of researchers and the number of publications per capita are both high. On the reverse side of the coin, there is growing concern about the scarcity of foreign funding for R&D.
The Academy’s report identifies some other worrying trends and signs on the horizon of Finnish science, too. It is pointed out that both the number of foreign visits by researchers and the number of scientific articles published have been on the decline. Most significantly, citation statistics, a key measure of scientific impact and quality, are falling. When measured on this indicator, the quality of scientific research in Finland is no higher than in the OECD countries on average, and in a Nordic comparison Finland comes last by a wide margin.
One possible explanation for the current trends, the report suggests, could lie in the heavy emphasis on applied research, both in actual research funding and in science and technology policy debate. Universities engage disproportionately in applied research and development at the expense of basic research. In recent years, the Finnish Government’s principal policy documents have focused heavily on technological and economic issues and largely ignored scientific research. Other possible factors may include the high proportion of doctoral students among research personnel, the erosion of the scientific infrastructure, the low level of international engagement in science and research, and shortcomings in research funding principles and in scientific leadership.
The report 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 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 cover all disciplines of science.
More than 400 experts contributed to compiling the 2009 report on the state and quality of scientific research in Finland. An English summary of the report is available on the Academy of Finland’s website at www.aka.fi/publications. A copy of the summary can also be ordered from viestinta(at)aka.fi. The full report will be published in English in early 2010. Main 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.
INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION PANEL: FINNISH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SYSTEM IN NEED OF RADICAL REFORM
According to an international panel, the Finnish research and innovation system is facing radical reform. In Finland, a new national innovation strategy, a university reform and a number of adjustments in the research and funding system are changing the direction of Finnish innovation and research policy, concludes the evaluation report. The report highlights problems that must be solved in order to secure a future research and innovation system. The panel suggests solutions and recommendations addressing the system as a whole. Rather than assessing individual organisations, the study focuses on the system and its operation.
The findings reveal a complicated and fragmented research and innovation system. The evaluation panel suggests the restructuring of the industrial policy, support and services, including the merger or discontinuation of some existing organisations. Finnish research and innovation seems to lack an international dimension. Finland has failed to attract foreign researchers, highly qualified experts, or knowledge-intensive overseas businesses and their research facilities. In effect, the mobility of researchers to and from Finland has decreased in recent years. The panel proposes strong incentives to increase the mobility of researchers and strengthen international partnerships in universities and research institutions. In the business sector, international links should be promoted more efficiently.
The evaluation panel finds the present university reform in Finland significant for the entire research and innovation system. While supporting other reforms currently underway, it also promotes the development targets set for the research and innovation system. The university reform should rapidly move on to the next stage: the restructuring of the higher education sector, creating clearer roles for polytechnics and decreasing the fragmentation of the higher education system.
Despite the targets, the reform of sectoral research has been slow. The panel suggests transferring basic sectoral research to universities and dividing the remaining research among 4–5 institutions instead of the current 18.
For more information, please see the press release of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and the Ministry of Education (Front page > Innovations > Press releases: Innovations). To view the complete reference material, visit www.evaluation.fi.
PROFESSOR LEENA PELTONEN RECEIVES HONORARY TITLE OF ACADEMICIAN OF SCIENCE
Professor Leena Peltonen, MD, was awarded the honorary title of Academician of Science in October. Based on nominations by the Academy of Finland, the President of the Republic of Finland may confer the honorary title of Academician on 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.
Academician Leena Peltonen is one of the world’s foremost experts in gene research. She has conducted pioneering work in the field of human gene research, with special focus on disease genes. Her research serves as an excellent example of how basic molecular biology can be combined with medicine to gain a better understanding of different diseases. Her research results have shed valuable new light on the basic mechanisms of several diseases. In her research, Academician Peltonen has made successful use of the Finnish genotype and population datasets. Her team have identified genetic mutations associated with dyslipidemias, lactose intolerance, MS disease, schizophrenia, obesity and heart diseases. The team have also established how these mutations mechanistically lead to the actual onset of disease. Their efforts have paved the way to new diagnostic tests and to screenings for disease carriers.
Academician Peltonen has held several professorships and other significant positions at research organisations both at home and abroad. She was a Professor at the National Public Health Institute in 1991–1994 and at the National Public Health Institute and the University of Helsinki in 1995–1998 and again in 2002–2003. In 1998 she moved to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to establish a major genetic research centre. After nine years in the United States, she was invited to become Head of Human Genetics at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Europe’s leading genome research centre. In addition to her work at the Sanger Institute in the UK, Academician Peltonen is currently Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and at the National Institute for Health and Welfare as well as Visiting Professor at Broad Institute, Boston. She is also a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine.
ACADEMY OF FINLAND PREPARES A NEW CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME
The Academy of Finland is preparing the next Centre of Excellence (CoE) programme, which will run from 2012 to 2017. The programme call will be open in January-February 2010. The CoE programme offers an excellent opportunity for research teams and consortia to carry out research of a high international standard with six-year funding. At present, there are two ongoing CoE programmes, within which the Academy funds a total of 41 Centres of Excellence.
In the evaluation of applications for Centres of Excellence, key criteria will include the scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan and the proposed unit is requested to be at the international cutting edge in its field. Applications for the CoE programme will be subjected to international peer review. In the evaluation, units from different fields will not be directly compared with each other. Read more about the Centre of Excellence programme at www.aka.fi/coe.
COOPERATION IN JURISPRUDENCE BETWEEN FINLAND AND CHINA OFF TO A GOOD START
A seminar arranged in Beijing on 13–14 October 2009 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Academy of Finland showed that Finland and China have good potential for collaboration in the field of jurisprudence. The Chinese are interested in Nordic and Finnish law, particularly in human rights, fundamental rights and constitutional rights, constitutional state, criminal law and penal policy, social law, medical law and consumer protection, as well as collaboration in doctoral education.
“This will open up a good opportunity for open dialogue and exchange of information. The cooperation we have initiated may have long-term impacts on researcher mobility, researcher training and scientific comparative law between the two countries,” say Programme Managers Petteri Pietikäinen and Mikko Ylikangas from the Academy of Finland.
The seminar was attended by 75 people. The ten-member Finnish delegation was composed of researchers and representatives of the Academy of Finland. The seminar was a continuation in the field of research to the long-term legal cooperation between Finland and China.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY RESEARCH PROGRAMME STRENGTHENS COOPERATION WITH CHINESE RESEARCHERS
The Finnish-Chinese researcher seminar on renewable energy arranged in Beijing in September discussed topical energy research projects and their results. The seminar was attended by two Finnish projects from the Sustainable Energy Research Programme. These were a project from the Technical Research Centre Finland (VTT) investigating novel methods for co-combustion of biomass and coal, and a project from Helsinki University of Technology focusing on flexible dye-sensitized solar cells. The seminar was arranged by the Academy of Finland together with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
The key objective of the Sustainable Energy Research Programme, which is of topical interest both in Finland and abroad, is to generate new and innovative scientific knowledge in energy technology, the operation of energy systems and energy efficiency. The challenges faced by energy research include specifically harmonisation of environmental effects and economic edge conditions. The thematic areas of the programme are new technologies for energy production, effective energy systems and energy efficiency. In addition to research funding agencies from Europe, the four-year research programme involves funding agencies from Chile, Brazil and China. The programme’s international engagement is a result of a programme cooperation initiative launched by the Academy of Finland and Norway’s Nordic Energy Research (NER).
FINNISH-INDIAN RESEARCH TO DEVELOP DIAGNOSTICS FOR CANCER, DIABETES AND VIRAL DISEASES
The Academy of Finland, Tekes and the Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have decided on the funding of Finnish-Indian research projects in the field of medical diagnostics. The joint projects will focus on the development of diagnostics for diseases such as type I diabetes, cancer and dengue fever.
The Academy will fund five research projects and Tekes one project. Both the Academy and Tekes will provide about one million euros for research. The Academy and Tekes will fund the Finnish partners and the DBT the Indian partners within the joint projects. The projects are funded up to three years. The aim is to promote Finnish-Indian research cooperation and support long-term collaboration and to establish and strengthen networks between Finland and India.
NEW ACT ON THE ACADEMY OF FINLAND
Finnish Parliament has passed a new Act on the Academy of Finland that will change the Academy’s operations to some extent. The foremost amendment involved applies to the Academy’s research posts (i.e. Academy Professorships and Academy Research Fellows), which will be terminated. From now on, those who hold an Academy research post will be employed in contractual relationships with the organisations where their research posts are based, that is, mainly universities. It has generally been considered an advantage of the Academy research posts that those who hold such posts have had the opportunity of independently focusing on their own research during their term without other obligations.
The Academy of Finland will make new funding decisions regarding the salaries of persons transferring from Academy research posts. The employment relationships will be subject to the relevant Finnish legislation and the terms of employment at the sites of research.
According to the new Act, the President of the Academy cannot act as the chair of the Academy Board, as is the case at present. At government agencies and other public bodies, the chair of the board usually comes from outside the staff.
EURAXESS FINLAND OPENED FOR RESEARCHERS IN MOTION
The Academy of Finland has opened a new EURAXESS Finland portal that provides information for researchers in motion. The portal is designed to serve foreign researchers who come to Finland or are already staying in Finland, as well as for Finnish researchers going abroad. The portal contains information on issues such as immigration legislation, social security, Finnish research environments and job vacancies. Personal assistance to researchers is provided directly by universities and research institutes.
EURAXESS Finland is part of the European EURAXESS portal that facilitates researcher mobility. The European EURAXESS main portal involves national researcher services and all information regarding the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, as well as job vacancies. EURAXESS provides employers with an opportunity to recruit the best possible researchers through an open international call.
EURAXESS is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the 35 countries participating in the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research. The Academy of Finland acts as the national EURAXESS bridgehead organisation. For more information, go to www.aka.fi/euraxess, www.aka.fi/eracareers and ec.europa.eu/euraxess.
PROFESSOR MARKKU KULMALA TO CHAIR INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROJECT iLEAPS
Professor Markku Kulmala of the University of Helsinki has been appointed chair of the international global change research project iLEAPS. He will chair the iLEAPS Scientific Steering Board in 2010–2012. The scientific goal of iLEAPS is to provide understanding how interacting physical, chemical and biological processes transport and transform energy and matter through the land-atmosphere interface. ILEAPS is also committed to promoting international research collaboration. The iLEAPS project office is located at the Institute of Physics of the University of Helsinki.
Professor Markku Kulmala heads the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Meteorology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change. Professor Kulmala is one of the leading aerosol scientists in the world.
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Academy of Finland in brief: 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 about 300 million euros. Each year about 5,000 people benefit from Academy research funding. For more information, go to www.aka.fi or send a message to maj-lis.tanner@aka.fi.