Statement by the Finnish Union of University Professors on the multiannual plan for the use of government R&D funding

In the view of the Finnish Union of University Professors, the multiannual plan for the use of government R&D funding and its policies includes many issues essential for R&D activities. However, the plan does not address the core funding of universities at all. Yet, raising the level of ambition of innovations and securing high-quality research are key reasons for increasing the core funding of universities.

The plan rightly states that the level of ambition of R&D activities in Finland should be raised. The plan also recognises that successful R&D is built on knowledge and skilled people. About 70% of university teaching and research staff are in fixed-term or temporary employment. The growing number of tendered fixed-term project funding will increase the number of fixed-term personnel. The uncertainty of fixed-term contracts hampers international and long-term R&D activities in particular and is likely to increase the brain drain and hamper the recruitment of researchers.