Academy of Finland 2013:
Advancing science and research
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R&D activities
About us
What we fund
Application procedure and processing of applications
Funding decisions
Public research funding in Finland
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R&D in Finland
• 80,800 people employed in R&D
• proportionally more than in any other country
• R&D funding €7.1 billion
• business sector accounts for nearly 70%
• Government R&D funding €2.0 billion
• R&D input 3.6% of GDP
• Public R&D spending 0.99% of GDP
• 14 universities and 25 polytechnics
• More than 1,600 doctoral graduates each year
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R&D expenditure in Finland 1991–2012, by sector
Total €7.1 billion
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Source: Statistics Finland 31 Oct 2012
Government research expenditure 2013
Total €2 billion
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Source: Statistics Finland 2013
R&D investment in selected OECD countries and
in China and Russia (% of GDP)
Source: OECD, Main Science and Technology Indicators, 23 Feb 2013; Statistics Finland 2013
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International scientific articles by Finnish researchers
1991–2012
Source: Thomson Reuters, Web of science databases: SCI, SSCI, A&HCI, 5 Feb 2013
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Academy of Finland
• Our tasks:
• to grant funding for scientific research, researcher training and the
development of research capacities (€317 million in 2013)
• to foster scientific research and its application
• to enhance international scientific cooperation
• to provide expertise in science policy and to undertake other science-policy
expert assignments.
• Four research councils, covering all scientific disciplines
• Each year, some 5,000 people benefit from Academy funding
• A staff of around 140
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Our strategy
To enhance the quality and impact of research, we
• promote research that is both of high quality and ethically sound
• are committed to putting to the best possible use, both in public policy-making
and in business and industry, the results and expertise from the research we
have funded
• enhance the contribution of research to development aimed at innovations
• facilitate Finnish researchers’ opportunities for international collaboration
• contribute to the renewal of science, multidisciplinary and new approaches and
breakthroughs
• foster the establishment of internationally attractive research environments
• monitor and assess the international progress of Finnish research
• cooperate with various actors with a view to renewing Finnish science and
research
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An expert in science and science policy
• Science policy strategies and statements,
engagement in public debates on science policy
• Review of applications
• Evaluation of research:
• research programmes
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science, research and scientific disciplines
• Science and research foresighting and impact analysis:
• science indicators
• Actively influencing European and Nordic science policy
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Evaluation and foresighting (1)
Review of the state of scientific research in Finland
• At regular intervals; next review due in late 2014 (drafted in cooperation with
the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture)
• Improvements to evaluation process; regular reviews facilitate long-term follow-up
of university research and disciplines, provide a basis for policy-making in science
policy
Development of impact assessment and indicators
• Cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, CSC – IT
Centre for Science, Statistics Finland and Tekes of key importance
International evaluation of the Academy
• Carried out by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture; due in 2013
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Evaluation and foresighting (2)
Evaluations of disciplines and fields of research
• state and quality of research in the field assessed by an international panel
• each year, a few evaluations of fields selected by the research councils
Evaluations of research programmes
• evaluations of completed programmes
Evaluation of Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation
• results published in spring 2013
Government Foresight 2030, Sustainable growth and wellbeing in Finland
• due to be submitted to Finnish Parliament in autumn 2013
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national foresight process: responsibility at the Prime Minister’s Office, other parties
include Academy of Finland, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Tekes and Ministry of
Employment and the Economy; online report in February 2013
evaluation of foresight process: partly funded by the Academy, due in summer
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Organisation
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Organisation
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Academy research funding
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Open competition, fixed-term funding
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Total value of funding decisions roughly €317 million (2013)
• some 3,700 applications for about €1.5 billion (2012)
• success rate less than 22%
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Funding granted to the best researchers and the most promising young researchers for
cutting-edge research
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Decisions based on
• science policy lines adopted by the Academy Board
• Academy document “Criteria for research funding decisions”
• independent and scientific peer review of the research plan and the applicant
• open and transparent decision-making: criteria, processes and decisions all public
• equal treatment of applicants
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Funding opportunities
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Funding at different stages of
the research career
Academy Professors
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comprehensive duties, the most demanding research and
teaching tasks
scientific and academic leaders in their fields
expected to contribute to the advancement of science within
their own discipline
funding for no more than five years at a time
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Academy Research Fellows
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fully-fledged professionals, well prepared to take on
academic leadership roles
expected to be able to work successfully at the highest level
funding for five years
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Postdoctoral Researchers
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required to have recently completed their doctorate
funding for three years
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Academy Projects
• Largest and most important funding opportunity
• Promote the quality and diversity of research and
its capacity for renewal by providing an
opportunity to take on scientifically ambitious
research
• The funding is granted to leading-edge researchers and research
teams:
• primarily teams comprising researchers with a doctorate
• salaries
• acquisition of material and equipment
• travel
• international cooperation
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Research programmes
Added value
• multidisciplinarity
• internationality
• cooperation
• impact
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Respond to topical issues in science and
the grand challenges faced by society
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Are clusters of research projects focused on a defined subject area or a
set of problems, funded for a fixed period, and operated under a
coordinated management
→ Greater added value than through normal project funding
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Provide cooperation platforms for researchers in different disciplines,
end-users of research knowledge and research funding bodies
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Promote international collaboration:
• international networking of programmes
• co-funded international research projects
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Research programmes 2013
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Climate Change, FICCA (2011–2014)
Computational Science, LASTU (2010–2015)
Nutrition, Food and Health, ELVIRA (2007–2014) *)
Photonics and Modern Imaging Techniques, PHOTONICS (2010–2013)
Programmable Materials, OMA (2012–2016)
Sustainable Governance of Aquatic Resources, AKVA (2012–2016)
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 (2010–2015)
The Human Mind, MIND (2012–2016)
*) international funding cooperation continues
In preparation and open for application :
• Arctic Research
• Energy Research
• Synthetic Biology (FinSynBio)
• The Future of Learning, Knowledge and Skills, TULOS
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Finnish Centres of Excellence
(CoE) in Research
Objectives:
• to raise the quality standards of research and
improve international competitiveness
• to increase the visibility and esteem of research
• to embed leading-edge research in research,
education and technology policy
• to develop top-level, innovative and efficient
research and researcher training environments
Premise:
• consist of one or more leading-edge research
teams
• are at or close to the international cutting edge of
research in their field
• have distinct and common research objectives
and a common management
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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)
Centres of Excellence Programme 2008–2013
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Centres of Excellence Programme 2012–2017
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Centres of Excellence Programme 2014–2019
Translational Cancer Biology
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease
Molecular Biology of Primary Producers
Atmospheric Science – From Molecular and
Biological
Laser Scanning Research
Analysis and Dynamics Research
Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid
Solar Long-Term Variability and Effects
Biomembrane Research: From Lipid-Protein
Interactions
Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions
Mitochondria, Metabolism and Disease
Relational and Territorial Politics of Bordering
Experimental and Computational
Developmental
Reason and Religious Recognition Research
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Nordic Centres of Excellence (NCoEs)
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Joint Nordic effort designed to enhance the standard, quality, efficiency and
visibility of Nordic research
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Funding from Nordic research councils, the Nordic Council of Ministers and
NordForsk (and the Academy of Finland)
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Upcoming NCoEs:
• NeGI (Nordic eScience Globalisation Initiative): NCoE within eScience in
Climate and Environmental Research (1–3 NCoEs)
• based on the Nordic eScience action plan drafted after eNoria
programme
• NCoE Education for Tomorrow (one NCoE)
• involves five research projects, and one research project on school
meals funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers
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Internationalisation and researcher mobility
Supported in all funding opportunities, such as:
• Academy Projects
• Research programmes and Centre of Excellence
Programmes: joint calls and networking
• Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro)
Programme
• Academy Research Fellows and Postdoctoral
Researchers
• ERA-NET calls
• Mobility based on agreements
• Joint project calls with foreign funding agencies
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Academy Professors and Academy Research Fellows
Academy Professors (41)
• top researchers contributing to the progress of research
within their field of research
• carry out their own research plan and lead their own
research team
• provide supervision to junior researchers and teaching
associated with the research
• funding for no more than five years at a time
Academy Research Fellows (289)
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fixed-term opportunity to qualify for advanced research tasks or other expert tasks
have been successfully engaged in scientific research and publication after earning their doctorate
granted funding for independent scientific work as laid down in the research plan
provide teaching and supervision associated with the research
funding for five years
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Postdoctoral Researchers
• Have recently earned their doctorate,
are gaining qualifications as professional
researchers
• Eligibility: no more than four years after
the doctorate
• Carry out their own research plan, provide supervision of thesis and
dissertation writers and teaching
• Funding for salary and research costs
• Funding for three years
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Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) Programme
• Joint Academy-Tekes funding programme for recruiting
foreign or expatriate Finnish top researchers to Finland
• Objectives:
• to strengthen Finnish scientific and technological knowledge and
know-how
• to bring a more international element to the Finnish research system
• to support research-driven profiling of universities and research
institutes.
• Recruited to scientifically, technologically and
industrially relevant fields
• Applicant is a Finnish university or research institute
• Competition-based and fixed-term funding
• The Academy has funded 35 FiDiPro Professors,
Tekes 52 FiDiPro Professors and 14 FiDiPro Fellows
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Research infrastructures
• A reserve of research facilities, equipment, materials and services facilitating
research and development at different stages of innovation
• Strategy and updated roadmap of European research infrastructures (ESFRI 2010)
• Finnish roadmap in 2009, update in 2013
• FIRI committee and FIRI subcommittee
• Funding:
• €11.1 million in 2010: targeted calls for Finnish ESFRI nodes and Finnish universities
• €15 million in 2011: targeted calls for Finnish universities and Finnish ESFRI nodes
• €10.14 million in 2012: targeted calls for Finnish ESFRI nodes and Finnish ESFRI
nodes/roadmap and CERN experiment
• €15 million in 2013: open call (FIRI 2013) and targeted call for Finnish ESFRI nodes
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Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation
• We support leading-edge scientific research relevant to strategic centres with all funding
opportunities
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2012: some €52 million in Academy funding to research within the thematic areas of or related
to strategic centres; of this, some €23 million to projects directly affiliated with strategic
centres
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Targeted call in 2012: €8 million in Academy funding to projects affiliated with strategic
centres; themes prepared in cooperation with the centres:
• Novel control methods and user interfaces, New bioeconomy chemicals, materials and
production technologies based on innovative forest biomass use
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International evaluation of the strategic centres (implemented in cooperation with Tekes)
published in February 2013
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Cooperation with Tekes with a view to developing, funding and monitoring the operations of
the centres; involved in the work of the secretariat of the executive group appointed by the
Ministry of Employment and the Economy
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Review and evaluation
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Application processing – Who does what?
Processes the application
Prepare a scientific review (report)
on the application; an international panel
Makes the funding decision on the
application; panel report of key importance
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Review of applications: criteria
• Scientific quality and innovativeness of
the research plan
• Competence of the applicant/research team
• Feasibility of the research plan
• Quality and strengthening of the research environment
• International and national collaborative contacts as well as
researcher mobility
• Relevance to the promotion of professional careers in research and to
researcher training
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Factors influencing funding decisions
• Scientific quality
• The Academy’s research policy objectives:
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to contribute to the internationalisation of research
to foster multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in research
to implement larger research clusters
to advance the research careers of women and young people
to promote gender equality in research
to boost research that has relevance to Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and
Innovation
• Instrument-specific objectives:
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to consider special objectives of research programmes
to support Centres of Excellence in research
• Other factors:
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funding received from the Academy or from other sources
the applicant’s ability to manage research funds
good scientific practice (incl. ethical aspects) and IPR issues
risk-taking in Academy funding
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Academy funding 1997–2012
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Academy funding 1997–2012, by research council domain
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Academy funding 2012, by research council domain
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Academy funding 2012, by site of research
Yhteensä 327 milj. euroa
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Academy funding 2012
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Academy funding 2012
Total €327 million
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Academy funding 2010–2012 *, by university
* Ten universities that received most funding (2012)
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Academy of Finland: Advancing science and research
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