Monitoring accountability
The Research Council of Finland’s work to support accountability and the SDGs is implemented in practice through our research funding. One of the science policy objectives that are factored in when we make funding decisions is how sustainable development is considered.
We work with the scientific community, other research funders and various actors in society to strengthen the conditions for science and research, promote the use of research knowledge and identify topical research themes and topics.
When selecting international partners and topics for calls for applications, we also take into account our value base concerning our internationalisation activities and our objectives for accountability and sustainable development.
From the research projects we fund, we require responsible conduct of research and consideration of the SDGs.
We have no role in measuring the footprint of the research or research infrastructures we fund; this is the responsibility of the research organisation, such as a university or research institute. We monitor the accountability of the funded research projects through data from the projects’ scientific reports.
In our renewed commitment to sustainable development, our stated objective is to put more emphasis on monitoring the impact of research funding from a sustainability perspective.
Accountability reporting
The Research Council of Finland produces an annual accountability report. The report describes our efforts to promote accountability and sustainable development. For us, accountability includes work to support responsible science, achieve the SDGs and produce accountability reports.
Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development
In June 2022, the Research Council of Finland renewed its societal commitment to sustainable development until the end of 2025. This third commitment addresses sustainable development and accountability in a more in-depth and systematic way than previous commitments.
Our latest commitment has three key objectives:
- increase and deepen the awareness of researchers, the Research Council and our stakeholders with respect to the principles of sustainable development and emphasise the importance of these principles in research and research funding in a cross-cutting manner
- more systematically examine the perspectives of sustainable development and accountability, integrating monitoring with the annual cycle of our operations
- raise the profile of research as a promoter of sustainable development and strengthen the profile of the Research Council as a responsible promoter of the principles of sustainable development.
