Academy of Finland 2012: Research knows no boundaries

1 © ACADEMY OF FINLAND

Academy of Finland 2012: Research knows no boundaries

Tiina Kotti PhD, Programme Manager, Programme Unit


Public research funding in Finland


Government R&D expenditure 2012

Total €2.065 billion Source: Statistics Finland 2012


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Academy of Finland: Vision

Our vision:

• the country᾽s leading source of funding for scientific research

• active and major force in the Finnish research and innovation system

• strong voice in influencing international science policy.


Academy of Finland

The Academy promotes scientific research and its application by:

• awarding funding for scientific research and researcher training

• advancing and engaging in international scientific collaboration

• providing expertise in science policy


Academy of Finland strategyEnhancing the quality and impact of researchThe Academy promotes:

• high international quality and ethically sound research

• new scientific breakthroughs

Strengthening the position of scientific research The Academy is committed to:

• new innovations

• strengthening welfare, education, culture and economic competitiveness

Strengthening the international position and impact of Finnish scienceThe Academy:

• emphasizes the role of scientific research in resolving the grand challenges faced by society

• contributes actively to the building of the European Research Area

• provides opportunities for international collaboration


Organisation


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Organisation


Academy funding opportunities


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Academy research funding decisions 2011

Total €341 million


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Academy funding for research career

Academy Professors (40):• are top researchers who contribute to the progress of research

within their field of research• are granted funding for a maximum of five years at a time

Academy Research Fellows (296):• are granted funding for independent scientific work as laid down

in the research plan• are granted funding for a maximum of five years

Postdoctoral Researchers (600)• A maximum of four years after gaining the doctorate• Are granted for three years


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Centres of Excellence (CoE) in ResearchObjectives:• to raise the quality standards of research and improve international competitiveness • to increase visibility and esteem• to embed leading-edge research in research, education and technology policy• to develop top-level, innovative and efficient research and researcher trainingenvironments

Finnish CoE programmes since 2000:• 2000–2005 (26 CoEs)• 2002–2007 (16 CoEs)• 2006–2011 (23 CoEs)• 2008–2013 (18 CoEs)• 2012–2017 (15 CoEs)• 2014–2019 (open for application)


Research programmes in 2012• Climate Change, FICCA (2011–2014)• Computational Science, LASTU (2010–2015)• Nutrition, Food and Health, ELVIRA (2006–2014)

• Photonics and Modern Imaging Techniques (2010–2013)• Responding to Public Health Challenges, SALVE (2009–2012)• Sustainable Energy, SusEn (2008–2012)

• Sustainable Production and Products, KETJU (2006–2013) • The Future of Living and Housing, ASU-LIVE (2011–2015) • The Health and Welfare of Children and Young People, SKIDI-KIDS (2010–2014)• Ubiquitous Computing and Diversity of Communication, MOTIVE (2009–2012)

•Programmable Materials, OMA (2012-2016)•Sustainable Governance of Aquatic Resources, AKVA (2012-2016)

Open for application: •Synthetic biology, FinSynbio•The Human Mind, MIND


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Research programmes

• Clusters of research projects focused on a defined subject area or a set of problems

• funded for a fixed period • operated under a coordinated management

• Have a number of science-policy objectives, such as:• to raise the scientific standard of a research field relevant to science or society• to develop a field of research or a scientific discipline• to piece together scattered research capacities• to promote multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity• to increase cooperation between researchers, funding agencies and

end-users of research results. • Promote international collaboration through:

• international networking of programmes• co-funded international programmes.


Evaluation activities


Review of applications: criteria

• Scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan

• Competence of the applicant/research team• Feasibility of the research plan

• Quality of the research environment and its strengthening

• International and national research collaboration and researcher mobility

• Significance of the project for the promotion of professional careers in research and for researcher training

• Other research-policy objectives adopted by the Academy


Application success rate (case: general research grants 2000–2011, %)


Internationalisation and researcher mobility

Supported in all funding opportunities, such as:

• Academy Projects• Research programmes and Centre of Excellence Programmes:

joint calls and networking• Academy Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Researchers

• Finland Distinguished Professor Programme, FiDiPro

• ERA-NET calls

• International joint calls with foreign funding agencies


Collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF):

• Nordic Research Opportunity for NSF Graduate Research Fellows: Since 2008, the Academy has offered cooperation opportunities for the Fellows within projects run by the Academy’s Centers of Excellence and Academy Professors. The aim is to enable researchers to build international contacts at an early stage of their careers.

• Virtual Center SAVI (Science Across Virtual Institutes):

• WiFiUS (Wireless Innovation between Finland and US established 2011, projects funded together with Tekes and NSF

• WiFiUS 2, 2012

• Innovations on learning and education, 2012

Cooperation with USA


More information

• Academy of Finland: www.aka.fi/eng• Finnish science policy: www.research.fi/en• For mobile researchers: www.euraxess.fi

Thank you!

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Academy of Finland 2012: Research knows no boundaries