RCF updates its core values
On 8 April 2026, the Board of the Research Council of Finland (RCF) decided on an update of the RCF’s values. The aim of the update was to highlight the importance of scientific freedom and responsible science.
The updated value statement is as follows: The RCF upholds and strengthens scientific freedom and responsible science. The values that underpin our work are transparency and reliability, and we also work to promote equality and nondiscrimination.
In addition to the emphasis on scientific freedom, the RCF Board also wanted to underscore the importance of responsible science. Responsible science includes, for example, responsible researcher assessment, research integrity, open science and research security. The RCF’s values were updated to reflect changes in the RCF’s operating environment.
Professor Kimmo Nuotio, Chair of the RCF Board, said: “Scientific freedom and responsible science are, in our view, crucial values not only for the RCF, but also for the research we fund. We wanted to place new emphasis on the freedom of science, because it cannot be taken for granted in Europe today. Without scientific freedom, there can be no true science. It's crucial that our values be more than grand words; we must turn them into real action.”
