Academy of Finland Newsletter, October 2012
The Academy of Finland newsletter keeps you updated on leading-edge scientific research funded in Finland and on other news from the Finnish world of science and research. If you want 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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State of Finnish scientific research remains stable
The state of Finnish scientific research has remained relatively stable. This is one of the main findings of the report The State of Scientific Research in Finland 2012 published in Finnish by the Academy of Finland in early October. Public R&D funding in Finland accounts for some 1% of GDP in 2012. Public funding is clearly the most important source of funding in terms of scientific research and its societal impacts, as the business enterprise sector’s R&D investments are mainly directed to development activities. The report highlights scientific research, the pursuit of new knowledge and the versatile development of the knowledge base as key factors for Finland’s future success. Long-term research renews our intellectual capital and is a prerequisite for technological development and innovation. Basic research plays a key role even in solving unforeseeable grand challenges facing humankind and society.
Finland’s continued success highly depends on the Finnish institutions of higher education and research institutes; they must further develop the recruitment of both students and researchers. The report pays special attention to the recruitment of postdoctoral researchers and early-career professors. According to the Academy’s analysis, successful recruitment is an efficient way of reinforcing the international element of the Finnish research system.
As to the number of publications and citations, Finnish science is of good standard. In 2008–2010, Finnish researchers produced a total of 15,674 scientific publications. This figure is 6% higher than in the mid-2000s. The number of citations has remained stable. Between 2008 and 2010, Finnish researchers were cited 6% more than researchers around the world on average. The proportion of the highest-quality research can be analysed by studying all publications that are ranked among the roughly 10% of the most cited publications in the world. The proportion of Finnish publications of the world’s top publications in 2008–2010 was roughly as high as the world average.
A total of 366 researchers from Finnish universities and research institutes have contributed to compiling the report. The report analyses the impact of the Finnish research system, the discipline-specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as the state of scientific research in selected research fields that address the grand challenges facing humankind and society. The report also includes a number of recommendations.
The English-language report will be released in December 2012 and it will be available as a PDF download on the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/tieteentila2012 > English.
Government to make resolution on overhaul of state research institutes and research funding
An expert group has put forward a proposal for a comprehensive overhaul of state research institutes and research funding. The Finnish Government now requests opinions on the proposal so that it could make a resolution on the reform and related key measures in December.
According to the Government, research shall serve as a strategic resource for policy-making and the development of society. The aim is to implement a comprehensive overhaul of state research institutes and research funding in stages between 2014 and 2016. There are eight different means for this. Multidisciplinary, high-quality and societally relevant research will be strengthened. Research institutes will be fused into stronger units, in both operational and structural terms, taking into account the potential for raising the quality of activities. Research activities will be intensified and the relevance of research improved by freeing resources from established structures and support services of research.
In addition, part of the research funding will be accumulated and allocated through open research funding with a view to strengthening the relevance, demand-driven approach and multidisciplinarity of research. The aim is to fund problem-oriented, long-term and programme-based research aimed at finding solutions to significant societal challenges. National counterpart funding in EU projects will also be included. Research and investigation activities supporting decision-making by the Government will be strengthened by pooling research funding to be allocated in line with the Government’s strategies.
Collaboration between research institutes and universities will be intensified and developed. Stronger and bigger research institutes and marshalling strategically targeted research funding will facilitate the reallocation of resources in accordance with society’s changed needs.
Government discussed revision of its strategy for the Arctic region
The Finnish Government has discussed its Arctic policy and the revision of Finland’s strategy for the Arctic region. The strategy will be revised by April 2013. In the reviewed strategy, the government policies will be grouped under four priorities: Finland as an Arctic country; Finland has Arctic expertise; Finland respects the principle of sustainable cooperation and environmental considerations; and Finland is committed to international cooperation in Arctic issues. The priorities will be deepened through four themes: 1) education and research, 2) unleashing new business opportunities in the Arctic region, 3) the environment and comprehensive security, and 4) international cooperation.
Finland is an Arctic country. Finland’s climate, nature, geography, history and experiences have shaped the country’s Arctic identity. Finland is an Arctic nation: one-third of all people living in the area north of the 60th parallel are Finnish. The position of the Sami as Europe’s only indigenous people will be taken into consideration and their participation in the handling of affairs affecting their status as indigenous people will be ensured. Operational conditions in Finland’s northern parts must remain stable and safe.
Finland has Arctic expertise. The Arctic region is facing major changes. Finland has expertise and know-how that can be drawn upon in efforts to understand, adapt to and make use of the ongoing changes. It is particularly important to maintain and develop related expertise and research. Finland aims to become a model of Arctic expertise.
Finland respects the principle of sustainable development and environmental considerations. Themes related to the global impacts of climate change, sustainable use of natural resources in the Arctic region, and identification of environmental considerations in all Arctic activities lie at the heart of Finland’s Arctic policy.
International Arctic cooperation. It is in Finland’s interest to strengthen the country’s Arctic position, widen international cooperation and maintain stability in the Arctic region.
EUR 2.5 million to Antarctic research
The Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering has decided to fund Antarctic research with a total of EUR 2.5 million. The projects to be funded will be carried out as international collaborations. Finland is a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty, which requires substantial scientific research in Antarctica or research related to material from Antarctica. The funding granted by the Academy will secure Finland’s significant contribution to Antarctic research.
Academy funding was granted to researchers who are researching topics such as the interaction between the atmosphere, snow, ice and the ocean, and the variation of Antarctic sea ice thickness and its effect on the load level of ice navigating.
Work to update Finland’s national roadmap for research infrastructures underway
The Finnish Research Infrastructure Committee has started its work to update the national roadmap for research infrastructures. The aim is to compile information on projects that should be maintained or included in the new national roadmap for research infrastructures. A total of 20 research infrastructures were accepted for the inclusion in the first national-level roadmap in 2009. However, since then, the field of national research infrastructures has changed in many ways, and consequently, the old roadmap will be wholly revised.
The research infrastructure roadmap is a plan for new research infrastructures needed in the next 10–15 years or research infrastructures under construction or major renewal of present research infrastructures. The roadmap will also include Finnish participation in new international projects as well as major renewal or expansion of projects involving international collaboration.
Increased application numbers in the Academy’s September call
The Academy of Finland received a total of 3,150 applications within its September 2012 call. The figure is slightly higher than in the September 2011 call. The Academy has annually two main application rounds.
Most applications (1,195) were submitted for Academy Project funding. Academy Project funding is the Academy’s key funding opportunity, designed to promote the quality and diversity of research and its capacity for renewal. The funding provides researchers with an opportunity to carry out scientifically ambitious research, to achieve new breakthroughs and to engage in high-risk research. Among the Academy’s four Research Councils, the Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering received most applications (1,078), followed by the Research Council for Culture and Society (879).
The Academy will make the funding decisions within the September 2012 call in April-June 2013.
Evaluation: Research Programme on Business Know-how achieved good scientific results
The Academy of Finland’s Research Programme on Business Know-how (LIIKE2) achieved good scientific results and promoted researcher training. The projects involved in the programme showed evidence of innovation in terms of their focus and interdisciplinary nature, and the methods they employed were both qualitatively and quantitatively successful. These are some of the findings of a recent report by the Academy of Finland. The report presents the results of an international evaluation of the LIIKE2 research programme.
LIIKE2 explored different aspects of business know-how considered important to the Finnish economy. A key question was: In what way do Finnish and Finnish-based companies improve national competitiveness through their own actions? The Academy funded the programme with a total of EUR 3.5 million. Other funding agencies were the Finnish Work Environment Fund and the Russian Foundation for the Humanities.
Collaboration and networking was actively carried out at the programme and project level both internationally and nationally. LIIKE2 produced in all 71 degrees, 43 of which were doctoral degrees. This is a substantial achievement and represents a major contribution to Finland’s expertise base in the field. In some respects, the programme’s actual impact on the academic and business community is difficult to assess, as much of the output from LIIKE2 has wider impacts across the Finnish economy and society at large.
The English-language evaluation report is part of the Academy of Finland publication series and is available as a PDF download at www.aka.fi/publications > Publication series.
Seppo Ylä-Herttuala elected President of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy
Academy Professor Seppo Ylä-Herttuala has been elected President of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) for the next two-year term. Ylä-Herttuala works at the A.I. Virtanen Institute of the University of Eastern Finland. He has actively served on the ESGCT Board and several committees for over ten years. The ESGCT’s mission is to promote research in gene and cell therapies in Europe and to disseminate information on new treatment methods among researchers and the general public.
The Academy of Finland has appointed Ylä-Herttuala as Academy Professor for the period of 2011–2015. At present, there are in all 40 Academy Professors in Finland. Research posts as Academy Professor are available to top-level, highly talented researchers who can be regarded as contributing to the progress of research within their field of research.
Anssi Mälkki appointed Secretary General of the Research and Innovation Council
Academy of Finland Programme Manager Anssi Mälkki, PhD, has been appointed Secretary General of the Research and Innovation Council. Mälkki has previously worked as research manager and as a research scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. He has also conducted research at the European Space Agency in the Netherlands and worked as an assistant at the University of Helsinki.
The Research and Innovation Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, advises the Government and its ministries in important matters concerning research, technology, innovation and their utilisation and evaluation. The Council is responsible for the strategic development and coordination of Finnish science and technology policy and it also prepares strategies and proposals.
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. In 2012, the Academy will make decisions on research funding worth EUR 327 million. For more information, go to www.aka.fi/eng or send a message to maj-lis.tanner@aka.fi.