OLLE’S COMMENTS. Recently the country’s seven medical faculties sent a joint five-point program to the government regarding next year’s research propositions. In his chronicle, Olle Larkö notes that there is strong consensus on what changes are needed.
This unanimity among the medical faculties in Sweden is entirely unique. When we deans met at the beginning of this past spring to discuss the new national ALF Agreement, we realized just how unanimous we were with respect to the problem description and the solutions we would like to see. At the end of October, the university medical deans of Gothenburg, Linköping, Umeå, Uppsala and Örebro, and the Dean of research at the Karolinska Institute sent identical texts to the Minister of Research.
Direct funding of medical research must increase
That it was so easy to agree says something about how close Sweden’s medical faculties are to each other. As I see it, we have put aside nearly all competition and are more interested in cooperating and improving the conditions in health science research in Sweden. Several of our proposals in the proposition concern facilitating joint research between our higher education institutions and our hospitals.
Direct funding of medical research must increase – that is our most vital message in the proposition. Today, less than half of our research funding comes from direct funding, which forces researchers to spend far too much time writing grant proposals and bringing in external funding. An increase in direct funding should not be done at the expense of funds allocated by research financiers, but we would willingly abstain from future strategic investments. Directed research is seldom truly creative, and if we are to offer the best conditions for unexpected and significant discoveries, research must be given free rein.
Higher level positions should always be advertised and competitively awarded
The academic career system is another matter that is dear to me. I am unequivocally for permanent and secure employment, but I do not believe that advancement should be a given right. Higher level positions should always be advertised and competitively awarded. We have not gone quite so far in the government’s research proposition, but we do propose that the Higher Education Ordinance be changed so that we can employ promising researchers for six-year qualified positions, instead of the current four. A longer employment form with a tenure track that more clearly specifies what is required for the position to be converted to a permanent position, benefits everyone.
Helene Hellmark Knutsson has previously stated that she wants a ten-year perspective in the proposition in order to attain long-termism in research. The proposition being currently devised will govern conditions for the universities for a long time to come. As a basis, the Minister for Higher Education and Research received approximately 250 propositions, but ours, with all of the medical faculties behind it, should carry more weight.
Olle Larkö
Footnote: You can read the proposition (available in Swedish only) submitted by the seven medical faculties to the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Helene Hellmark Knutsson at: https://gubox.box.com/s/90nl39r99i8a9zy1p32ndj0j2a5bnzmj
Fotnot: Här kan du läsa det inspel som de sju medicinska fakulteterna sänt in till högre utbildnings- och forskningsminister Helene Hellmark Knutsson: https://gubox.box.com/s/90nl39r99i8a9zy1p32ndj0j2a5bnzmj
