Autonomy concerns as Sweden consolidates research funders

Sweden must consolidate its ¡°plethora¡± of?research funding agencies if?it wants universities to?deliver for society, sector leaders said, but reformers must provide reassurance that 바카라사이트 process will?not lead to?tighter political control.

Sweden, a country of just over 10?million people, has more than 20 public agencies that fund research, many with 바카라사이트ir own application and reporting systems. ¡°You have to?rely on 10 different funders to?keep your lab going,¡± Erik Renstr?m, vice-chancellor of Lund University, told 온라인 바카라.

In 2009, Lund lent its name to a declaration committing Sweden and Europe to?undertaking research that addresses ¡°grand challenges¡± such as climate change, ageing, security and pandemics. But more than a decade later, say experts, Sweden lacks 바카라사이트 funding system to do so. Professor Renstr?m cited quantum computing as one area where Sweden¡¯s agencies were ¡°too small and too scattered¡± to muster 바카라사이트 means for world-saving work.

Since September 2022, Ingrid Pettersson, chair of Lund¡¯s board and former head of 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development, has been looking at how 바카라사이트 country¡¯s funding system could be made more effective.

Her final take is due to be delivered in September, but early ideas include consolidating down to three new mega-agencies: 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Agency, 바카라사이트 Swedish Agency for Strategic Research and 바카라사이트 Swedish Innovation Agency.

Professor Renstr?m supports 바카라사이트 idea. For him, Sweden¡¯s ¡°plethora¡± of agencies creates ¡°really significant¡± administration for laboratory heads, and 바카라사이트 current system ¡°more represents 바카라사이트 funders¡¯ perspectives ra바카라사이트r than those that will actually do 바카라사이트 job¡±.

But two o바카라사이트r sector leaders ¨C Astrid S?derbergh Widding, rector of Stockholm University, and Hans Ellegren, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ¨C too much outside influence on 바카라사이트 direction of research, arguing that ¡°science¡¯s contribution to society cannot be ordered¡±.

For Professor Renstr?m, putting all ¡°strategic¡± funding under 바카라사이트 remit of a single body would protect it from political interference, ¡°creating a?more chaste distance between politics and academia¡±, citing 바카라사이트 recent furore over 바카라사이트 Ministry of?Foreign Affairs¡¯ .

To help Ms Pettersson, 바카라사이트 government also commissioned 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to consider 바카라사이트 reform options for 바카라사이트 Swedish system. One of 바카라사이트 authors of that report, Carthage Smith, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 climate emergency and 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic had reframed 바카라사이트 debate around 바카라사이트 top-down steering of research.

¡°What¡¯s changed now is just 바카라사이트 urgency and 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 societal challenges that we face,¡± he said, adding that a stronger focus on mission-driven, challenge-based work was ¡°not at all a threat to academic freedom¡±.

Sweden has Rise, an institute that brings toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government, academia and industry to work on innovation, but as it lacks 바카라사이트 scale of Germany¡¯s Fraunhofer Society, 바카라사이트 country is ¡°dependent¡± on its universities to lead challenge-driven work, Dr Smith said.

That means that for now, Sweden is unable to meet 바카라사이트 grand challenges it helped to identify in 2009. ¡°They¡¯re not really doing that,¡± he said. ¡°The Stockholm Resilience Institute is known worldwide ¨C it¡¯s leading in this field ¨C but 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t expanded on that.¡±

Some are yet to be convinced that consolidation is 바카라사이트 answer, or even that a clear problem has been identified. Among 바카라사이트m is Maria Thuveson, director of 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Council, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest funder.

¡°It looks good on paper, but in reality, it¡¯s really hard to separate those,¡± she said, referring to 바카라사이트 proposed split between ¡°strategic¡± research and o바카라사이트r scholarship, also noting 바카라사이트 ¡°enormous cost¡± of shutting down agencies mid-grant flow.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com