Iceland Should Fund Centres of Excellence

In a previous post, I promised to elaborate on one of my favourite hobby horses, namely differentiation in the type of funding that is presently available here in Iceland. I have already discussed the Canada Research Chairs programme, and argued that Iceland could do with a similar measure for strategic brain gain. This post is devoted to the funding of centres of excellence, and the importance that these centres have for research in other countries.

So far, Icelandic research funding is essentially based on one measure: the funding of research projects of tiny to medium size. (The so-called excellence grants do not really provide enough money to finance a largish project.) There is, however, no funding I am aware of that allows a sustained research effort to build international visibility in a whole area of research over a 5-10 year time frame.  I am talking about funding a group of researchers who have an excellent track record in research, who work in related areas, and who joined forces to create a critical mass of research activity that is likely to attract international attention, outstanding PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, and top-class visitors from abroad. In other countries, this type of research effort is usually supported via the establishment of centres of excellence.

Rather than discussing this funding measure in the abstract, let me present a concrete example of a funding agency whose mission is to select and fund centres of excellence, namely the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF). DNRF makes large-scale investment in basic research by establishing and funding centres of excellence. This programme started in 1991 and has committed itself to support Danish research by investing 3.8 billion DKK in the funding of such centres.  Each centre of excellence is funded for a period of 5-10 years at a rate of about 6 million DKK per year.

As you can easily imagine, the availablity of this type of funding makes it possible to create an outstanding environment for research. I was lucky enough to work in Aalborg at the heyday of BRICS, and I can tell you that it was highly enjoyable to be in an environment where one could hire postdocs and PhD students, fund long- or short-term visitors, organize thematic workshops and be able to support the speakers, and basically to be able to do whatever one's research called for without having to worry about every penny one spent---within reasonable limits of course

I understand that the OECD suggested that Iceland establish centres of excellence. So, why is this not done?  Wouldn't it be appropriate to add this item high on our "to lobby for" agenda? What do you say?

 

Athugasemdir

[Þekkingarsamfélagið, 27.2.2008 kl. 13:49]

This is indeed something that I believe will materilize within a few years... PHP

[Arnar Pálsson, 27.2.2008 kl. 15:20]

I agree entirely. We can not be good at everything, and need to channel some of the national research funds (perhaps 10-20%) into something resembling these excellence centers. Of course there will be tough decisions, and lively argument about which areas are indeed best, or most promising!