Academy of Finland Newsletter, September 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.
Features:
Scroll down/Click on the links for more on these stories
Experts propose overhaul of state research institutes and research funding in Finland
An expert group has put forward a proposal for a comprehensive reform of state research institutes and research funding as of 2014. Appointed by the Research and Innovation Council, the group proposes that the structure of state research institutes be reformed by fusing research institutes into stronger units, in both operational and structural terms. Certain research institutes are proposed to be merged with the University of Helsinki.
According to the proposal, competed funding that supports social policy and society’s functions and services will be significantly expanded. A third pillar of funding subject to competition, a council for strategically targeted research, will be established alongside funding instruments for scientific research and innovation. The council will be located within the Academy of Finland and it will fund problem-oriented, long-term, programme-based research aimed at finding solutions to significant social challenges. Research funding subject to competition, supporting social policy and society’s functions and services, will be marshalled under the strategic research funding instrument so that the funds available for strategic research funding will amount to EUR 200 million in 2016. Such funding will be collected in stages between 2014 and 2016, from the state research institutes’ research appropriations (EUR 120 million), from the Academy’s programme-based research funding (EUR 20 million) and from Tekes’ innovation and research funding (EUR 60 million).
The expert group further proposes that cooperation between research institutes and universities be intensified and developed, to transform universities and research institutes into clusters of research, innovation and higher education that are key actors in producing research that supports society. Research institutes and universities will have common research equipment, laboratories and information resources, for instance.
Research and investigation activities supporting societal policy-making by the Government will be strengthened by accumulating funding in stages from state research institutes between 2014 and 2016, in order to pool EUR 30 million for the funding of non-earmarked research, answering the information needs of the Government and its ministries. Placed at the general disposal of the Government, such funds will be allocated to common projects, horizontal projects and research projects supporting policy-making within the ministries’ administrative branches. Research and investigation projects will be planned and coordinated through a Government plan for research that serves decision-making, to be confirmed by the Government.
Budget proposal: EUR 6.7 billion for administrative branch of Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
An appropriation of slightly under EUR 6.7 billion is proposed for the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in the state budget proposal for 2013. EUR 2.7 billion is proposed for the costs of higher education and research, and state funding for the activities of universities will be EUR 1,852 million. The proposed appropriation for the amount of funding to be allocated by the Academy of Finland is EUR 283 million.
The funding for universities will be reformed from the start of 2013. Of the core funding, 75 per cent will be determined based on the scope, quality and impact of the activities, and 25 per cent will be based on other goals of education and science policy. State funding will be directed particularly on the basis of degrees and credits obtained, scientific publications and competed research funding. The Ministry’s objective will be to promote broad utilisation of research results and competence. The instruments of science policy will be used to promote the formation and internationalisation of research clusters and their attachment to research and competence networks. Research funding will be used to strengthen research infrastructures, preconditions for high-quality research and, for example, clusters of high-level expertise.
Evaluation: Finland has potential to become world leader in biorefinery development
Finland has the potential to become a world leader in biorefinery development. This is thanks to high-quality expertise in the field and the availability of leading-edge researchers and multidisciplinary research teams. Finland also has abundant resources in forest-based raw materials and an advanced forest industry. These are some of the findings of a recent report by the Academy of Finland. The report presents the assessment of an international expert panel that evaluated the Academy’s Research Programme on Sustainable Production and Products (KETJU). Launched in 2006, the aim of the programme was to meet the major future challenges in basic research of chemical industries and process and production technologies. Within the programme, the Academy funded a total of 25 projects with more than EUR 10 million. The programme’s foreign partners were France and India.
According to the panel, the KETJU programme successfully implemented the goals set for it. The programme made a real contribution to strengthening basic research in process engineering and chemistry, which in turn created new areas of application and accelerated competitiveness in the field. The programme also established a number of highly successful multidisciplinary research teams and promoted collaboration between different teams and research fields. Researcher training within the programme was also active. The panel felt that a number of projects achieved excellent scientific results, in some cases even new breakthroughs. In addition, several projects demonstrated significant promise for industrial application. Key areas of excellence in Finnish research and industry highlighted by the panel include a sustainable mining industry, freshwater research and research on renewable energy sources, particularly in cooperation with international partners. 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.
Eight Finnish researchers receive ERC Starting Grants
The latest round of ERC Starting Grants from the European Research Council (ERC) saw eight Finnish grant winners. The researchers are from Aalto University, the University of Helsinki and the University of Jyväskylä. Many of the Finnish grant winners have also received funding from the Academy of Finland during their research career, such as Postdoctoral Researcher funding, research posts as Academy Research Fellow or project-based funding.
ERC Starting Grant funding amounts to a maximum of EUR 2 million per grant and it is awarded for five years. In this round, the ERC granted funding to 536 research projects, the total funding amount being nearly EUR 800 million. The ERC received applications from more than 4,700 researchers. Of the Nordic countries, Sweden was most successful with 22 grant winners, while Denmark had 13 and Norway six.
Special adviser to support collaboration between China and Finland
Cooperation in higher education and research between China and Finland has increased in recent years. In an effort to further strengthen this collaboration, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland have established a new special adviser post in Beijing. The special adviser is Mika Tirronen, PhD, who previously worked as a programme manager at the Academy of Finland and as a researcher at the University of Helsinki. At the Academy, Tirronen coordinated the Academy’s collaborations with China and was involved in developing research cooperation between the EU and China. In his new post, Tirronen will primarily support cooperation between the education and science ministries in Finland and China, and promote overall collaboration in higher education and science as well as Finnish universities’ joint strategic activities with China.
Academy Professor Laakso awarded the Claude Bernard Prize
The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) has announced Academy Professor Markku Laakso as the winner of the 2012 Claude Bernard Prize. Awarded for outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the field of diabetes, the Claude Bernard Prize is the most prestigious European award in diabetes. Academy Professor Laakso is a leading specialist in the genetics of type 2 diabetes. He applies a variety of approaches and methods that represent the cutting-edge of gene research. His work is based on numerous population datasets and at least three different animal models. Laakso applies state-of-the-art gene research methods in seeking to unravel the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. The population data collected by Laakso and his team are impressive by any international standards, and will help to shed light on the genetic background of type 2 diabetes. Laakso and his team have been exceptionally successful in linking population data with clinical patient studies and animal models. The information on the aetiology of type 2 diabetes is of great importance not only in scientific but also in public health terms, because this type of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. Laakso is based at the University of Eastern Finland and his current term as Academy Professor expires at the end of 2015. An Academy Professorship is the most distinguished research post funded by the Academy of Finland.
Academy telephone numbers will change
The Academy of Finland will adopt new telephone numbers on Wednesday 3 October 2012. Our new switchboard number is +358 29 533 5000 and the fax number is +358 29 533 5299. The new numbers of the President of the Academy are +358 29 533 5001 and +358 50 511 2913. The Vice President for Research can be reached at +358 29 533 5002 and +358 40 673 5060, and the Vice President for Administration at +358 29 533 5003 and +358 40 586 2135.
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