The research bill is drawn up every four years and sets out the government's direction in research policy for the coming years. The Swedish National Union of Students is represented in the research committee, which is an advisory body for the development of the bill, through Linnéa Carlsson. She is the former chairperson of the SFS doctoral student committee and is currently a doctoral student at Högskolan Väst.
SFS has also submitted a written submission to the government, which you can read below. Here are some of our prompts:
- Promote the connection between education and research.
SFS urges the government to adopt a holistic perspective where research, innovation and education are treated in a unified approach. At system level in the university, however, there is an imbalance between education and research. Research and education at postgraduate level account for 58 percent of the costs in the higher education institutions' total activities, while education at first and second level makes up 42 percent. More researchers should be given the opportunity to teach, this will partly benefit the students, but also academic excellence in the long run. - Long-term financing
SFS proposes that the government opens up to allow the universities to redistribute funds from education to research and vice versa in the form of a combined grant. In addition, we propose that the number of research financiers decrease, and that the proportion of base grants increase. It would reduce bureaucracy and allow researchers to focus on their core mission. - Internationalization
Sweden needs to become more attractive as a country to attract young researchers and people with postgraduate training. SFS proposes an investigation with the task of elucidating, among other things, the reasons why international doctoral students and researchers are leaving Sweden to a large extent. The investigation should also propose measures to enable more research graduates to obtain permanent residence permits.
Tip! In the latest episode of Högskolepodden we discuss research policy with Professor Mats Benner.