Measuring and communicating impact created by NordForsk funded research is one of our most important tasks. When we are documenting results and effects, we are also ensuring transparency and maintaining trust in Nordic research co-operation.
This second NordForsk impact report contains the same parameters and is built on the same self-reported numbers and data in Researchfish as last year’s report. However, the numbers cannot always be compared with last year’s numbers. We will later in the report explain why not.
We experienced that last year’s report was well received among our stakeholders, and we are convinced it is highly relevant continuing with reporting in this format. The format is easily accessible, and it gives a good picture of the various activities NordForsk has funded. The report has also inspired other institutions and other parts of the Nordic Council of Ministers to work with systems for identifying and reporting impact created within and by their organisations.
The “reason to be” for NordForsk is our ability to fund projects of high international quality which also create Nordic added value. Last year, we funded a research project at the University of Helsinki, studying Nordic added value in Nordic research co-operation. Tuire Liimatainen, who has written the report, stated that Nordic added value can today be defined as the positive effects of joint Nordic efforts that strengthen the Nordic region as a cultural and historical community, and as a locally and globally competitive and sustainable welfare society.
The project has given us an in-depth understanding on the use of the term Nordic added value in Nordic research co-operation. This impact report presents the most important Nordic added values created by the projects NordForsk has funded.
The report also shows that NordForsk funds research all across the Nordics and also in the Baltics. Taken the size of the populations in consideration, our investigations show that Swedish researchers are underrepresented compared with researchers in the other Nordic countries. We will try to find out why, and see if there is something we can do to increase the participation from Sweden in NordForsk funded projects.
I am very pleased that we can show the impact of the research we fund. This provides good insight and enables us to better assess what our research funding contributes back to society. This will be intensified in the coming years.
Arne Flåøyen, Director of NordForsk