Academy of Finland Newsletter, September 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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New Finnish study into international trends in science policy
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has conducted an international comparative survey into the trends and directions of science policy in nine countries from the late 1990s to the 2000s. The countries involved are Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Ireland and Canada. All these countries have been active in developing their science policies and research systems in the 2000s and thus provide good examples of current science policy trends in Europe and in the Nordic countries. Separate national analyses will also shed light on current science policy strategies and how they have changed.
The international comparison focuses on four sets of issues that reflect key aspects of science policy in the 2000s. The first issue concerns the new aims of European science policy in promoting science and related national initiatives. The study examines the position of science policy in global and national innovation policies and describes the key tenets of innovation policy and justifications for the knowledge-based economy. Secondly, the analysis explores the central science policy objectives and guidelines in the countries under study. Particular interest is focused on the problem areas of science policy as well as on the guidelines and instruments put in place to tackle the issues. The third key dimension of the research looks at institutional changes in the research systems, with particular focus on ministerial structures, advisory bodies and changes in university structures. The fourth issue concerns the resources of research and their allocation, i.e. changes in research funding systems and the development of research investments in different countries.
Key areas of focus for science policy in the early 2000s are the promotion of European research, responding to the challenges of globalisation and related research needs. Globalisation has changed and will continue to change European science and innovation policies. In this regard, European science is looking forward to a revival, and the countries under study are committed to invest in “world-class research”. This has given further incentive to realign research priorities and strengthened the position of strategic research.
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture would keep Finnish R&D funding at 4% of GDP
The Finnish Ministry of Education, Science and Culture considers it important that national R&D funding does not drop below its current level of 4 per cent of GDP. This target is stated in the Ministry’s latest outlook report, which reviews the challenges that lie ahead in building the country’s vitality, success and well-being over the coming decade and which outlines the perspectives and measures that will be applied in tackling these challenges.
In the case of R&D funding, the Ministry is keen to highlight the key importance of basic research and research infrastructures. It is crucial that Finland actively contributes to shaping European education, research and innovation policies and works to integrate itself more closely with the European Research Area. The country should also take a stronger and more prominent role in various research, development and innovation bodies. Furthermore, adequate funding must be made available for Finnish involvement in international research infrastructures. Finland shall strengthen its role in the education and research policies of the EU and other global bodies by contributing to the decision-making of major networks and agencies. Procedures shall be established for joint decision-making on Finnish involvement in joint European programming.
The Ministry is also encouraging greater mobility among researchers and other experts by developing national researcher mobility programmes from as well as to Finland. To promote the implementation of universities’ internationalisation strategies, the Ministry would offer incentives and guidance and allocate funding through universities, research institutes and the Academy of Finland to support ERA initiatives in particular (e.g. Joint Programming, ESFRI research infrastructures and international actions).
The Ministry’s outlook report expects that with advancing digitalisation, ways of doing science will continue to change. New research methods and research environments will evolve. Questions around access to electronic research data, data storage and utilisation will gain increasing prominence. This will require a new kind of scientific thinking, but also additional resources for the creation of an electronic infrastructure and further efforts to develop e-science.
New research forecasts demand for doctorates in Finland in the 2020s
A recent forecast survey by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture shows that the current annual number of around 1,600 new doctoral graduates in Finland is well in balance with projections for labour market demand, assuming that the employment trends of the past few years continue into the 2020s. If the strong placement trends begin to slow or stagnate, however, it is possible that doctoral unemployment may begin to rise in some branches, or that increasing numbers of doctoral graduates may begin to move out of the country.
There are a few fields of study where it is necessary to review the need for an increase in the number of doctoral graduates: these are law, chemistry, process, chemical and materials engineering and medicine. All of the demand scenarios created in the project predict a strong demand for doctorates in these fields of study. On the other hand, labour market trends suggest that there may be a reduced demand for doctorates in the fields of cultural and arts research, business, commerce and administration, computing and software, electrical and automation engineering, and in the health sector.
The Ministry concludes that it is necessary to assess the numerical demand for doctorates by fields of study and more broadly in relation to demands for workplace skills and knowledge. One of the new contributions of this Ministry survey was to combine long-term projections (10–15 years) for the demand for doctorates on the labour market with forecasts of the supply of doctoral degrees. This balance between the demand and supply of doctoral workforce is assessed in the survey via three different demand scenarios.
Academy backs research in biosciences and the environment with EUR 31 million
The latest research funding decisions by the Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Biosciences and Environment come to a total EUR 31 million. Funding was granted to 32 research projects and 27 Postdoctoral Researcher’s projects. In addition, the Research Council will target close to EUR 3 million to research on the functional mechanisms of new proteins.
The funding decisions were made after reviewing 191 applications for general research grants and 149 applications for Postdoctoral Researcher’s projects. As regards general research grants, 17 per cent of the reviewed applications were granted funding. For Postdoctoral Researcher’s projects, the percentage was 18 per cent. The average amount of funding granted to a research project was EUR 620,000, and EUR 300,000 for Postdoctoral Researcher’s projects. In the targeted call, funding was granted to 18 per cent of applicants and the average amount of funding was EUR 550,000.
The Research Council for Biosciences and Environment is one of four Research Councils at the Academy of Finland.
Academy awards 49 million euros for natural science and engineering research
The Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering has awarded EUR 49 million in support to research projects and postdoctoral researchers. EUR 2.4 million of this sum was allocated to energy efficiency research. A large proportion of the total amount of project funding, EUR 16 million, went to consortia of several research teams.
Almost half of the research project funding was awarded to projects whose principal investigator is 45 years or under. The proportion of younger scholars among funding recipients has been increasing in recent years, and the success they have enjoyed in scientific reviews is a good indication of the great capacity for renewal in the research community. In addition to the grant funds allocated to support research projects, the Research Council awarded EUR 14 million to support young researchers looking to upgrade their qualifications by providing funding for 51 three-year postdoctoral positions.
Support from Japan and Finland to housing research
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Academy of Finland are moving to develop closer ties of cooperation between the two countries in the funding of housing research. The Academy has earmarked EUR 1 million to support four research projects in the field, while funding for the Japanese partners in these projects will come from JSPS. These projects come under the Academy’s new Research Programme on the Future of Housing and Living, which is due to start up at the beginning of next year.
“A lot of interesting and high-quality research is being done in Japan in the housing field, and Japanese researchers are interested in the same subjects as their colleagues in Finland. Common areas of interest include the demands placed by population ageing on housing, the development of sustainable energy solutions and transport infrastructure,” says Programme Manager Petteri Pietikäinen from the Academy of Finland.
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 2010, the total value of Academy funding decisions will come to EUR 340 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.