Government approved resolution on comprehensive reform of research institutes and research funding

The approved resolution specifies three packages of measures for the reform of research institutes and research funding and identifies the ministry responsible in each case. These three sets of measures comprise structural reforms, research funding reforms, and the implementation and follow-up of the reforms. The overall reform will be implemented in 2014–2017.

The objective of the overall reform is to strengthen multidisciplinary, high-level research of social significance. It will also seek to free up resources from research support services and fixed structures for redeployment in research activity and, by field of research, to organise research institutes into larger and stronger wholes. The aim of this is stronger multidisciplinary research organisations, capable of competing with other European research institutes for funding, and greater cooperation between research institutes and universities.

Through the overall reform, research and analysis work in support of decision-making by the government and its ministries will be strengthened by gathering together research funding for deployment in line with government policy. For this purpose, among other initiatives a strategic research funding instrument will be established. Research funding subject to competition, and disbursed in support of social policy and society's functions and services, will be assembled under this instrument.

This funding will be allocated to research aimed at finding solutions to the major challenges facing Finnish society and promoting imperatives such as the renewal of the country's economic base, the improvement of its competitiveness, the development of working life and the enhancement of the public sector. This will enable research to be focused on blind spots and sub-areas not currently covered by research institute activities.

Research and analysis activities supporting societal decision-making by the Government will also be strengthened by accumulating funding in stages from state research institutes' budget-funded research appropriations and placing it at the disposal of the government and its ministries.

The resolution was prepared within the Prime Minister's Office and preparations were directed by a ministerial working group. The Prime Minister's Office will establish a ministerial working group to monitor the resolution's implementation.

Press release 5.9.2013 Government Communications Department