Academy of Finland 2015: Research
funding for basic science
Tiina Jokela PhD, Senior Science Adviser, Strategic Research
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Public research funding in Finland
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R&D in Finland
• 80,800 people 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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Government research funding 2014
Source: Statistics Finland 2014
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Academy of Finland research funding 2000–2013
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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
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Academy of Finland
• Four research councils, covering all scientific disciplines
• Strategic research council
• Committee for infrastructure
• Funding for scientific research, researcher training and the development of
research capacities (€310 million in 2014)
• Each year, some 8,000 people benefit from Academy funding
• A staff of around 130
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Organisation
Government
The Board of the Academy Finland
Research
Council for
Biosciences and
Environment
Research
Council for
Culture and
Society
Research
Council for
Natural Sciences
and Engineering
Research
Council for
Health
Themes
Research
Infrastructure
Committee
Academy’s Administration Office
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Strategic
Research
Council
Academy funding opportunities
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Academy of Finland funding in 2013
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Our funding opportunities
2013
General Research Funding
75%
• Centre of Excellences
• Academy Projects and Targeted Academy Projects
• For Researchers:
• Academy Professors
• Academy Research Fellows
• Postdoctoral Researchers
• FidiPro
Thematic Research Funding
7,5%
• Academy Programmes
• Strategic Research Funding
Funding for Infrastructures
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7%
Open for application in September 2014
Funding for projects
Funding for
researchers
Programmes
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• Academy Project
• Targeted Academy Project
- development research
- international joint projects
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Postdoctoral Researcher
Academy Research Fellow
Academy Professor
Clinical researcher
Mobility funding
• Academy Programme
- Mineral Resources and Material
Substitution
- Personalized health  From Genes to
Society
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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Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) Programme
• Joint Academy-Tekes funding programme for recruiting
foreign or expatriate Finnish top researchers to Finland
• Recruited to scientifically, technologically and
industrially relevant fields
• Applicant is a Finnish university or research institute
• Competition-based and fixed-term funding, highly flexible
• The Academy has funded 35 FiDiPro Professors,
Tekes 52 FiDiPro Professors and 14 FiDiPro Fellows
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FiDiPro funding
• Funding is awarded to research projects for a fixed term with
a funding period of 2 to 5 years.
• Funding may cover expenses such as:
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salary and travel of the visiting top researcher
costs of a possible research team to be set up
expenses of accompanying family members
FiDiPro researchers may bring along a key member or key members
of their own research team, whose expenses may also be partially
covered.
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Research programmes in 2012
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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)
The Human Mind, MIND
Synthetic Biology (FinSynBio)
The Future of Learning, Knowledge and Skills, TULOS
Arctic Research
Energy Research
Personalized health
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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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Evaluation activities
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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 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
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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
• Academy Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Researchers
• Finland Distinguished Professor Programme, FiDiPro
• ERA-NET calls
• International joint calls with foreign funding agencies
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Cooperation with USA
Collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF):
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Graduate Research Opportunity Worldwide (GROW) for NSF Graduate
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.
Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE)
Virtual Center SAVI (Science Across Virtual Institutes):
• Projects funded together with The Academy of Finland, Tekes and NSF
• WiFiUS (Wireless Innovation between Finland and US established 2011,
• WiFiUS 1-3
• Innovations in learning and education, 2012
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Academy of Finland: Advancing science and research
More information:
• Academy of Finland: www.aka.fi/eng
• Finnish science policy: www.research.fi/en
• Finnish science and research Academy newsletter
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