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Published online 26 August 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.866
News: Q&A
Sweden outlines its research ambitions
Research minister Tobias Krantz talks to Nature about the nation's vision for science.
It is a busy time for science in Sweden. Last year, the government committed to its largest-ever investment in research, with plans to increase annual funding from 25 billion kronor (US$3.
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I am very glad for this initiative in Sweden. I was working as a scientist and physician for almost 20 years and had faced extremely big change how science was discouraged for the years. It is difficult to understand that country with so high income per capita has/had so rigid administrative system of financial support. Unfortunately Sweden was always considered as a relay station for the PhD students on their journey to the West. For the very small amount of money PhD students produced a very good work but without any hope to continue in the science (generally speaking). Not mentioning foreign PhD students, many of my Swedish colleagues found job in the Swedish groceries or in the schools as the teachers. Bright ideas and creativity just disappeared. Moreover if you are foreign specialist or expert, you may not ever reach the top as somebody may expect but rather certain level that ultimately leads to frustration. Financial support was concentrated to the big, “mastodontialâ€, “well-proofed†grants (usually related to the big names) and youngsters could not an passant those “giants†to start their own research group. Swedish scientific system does not support young people. As classical example is that associate professors, that are usually the main motors of new and fresh scientific ideas, are not paid (as somebody should expect) by Government for scientific work and teaching duties. Everything depends if your “boss†accepts you or not. An associate professor in Sweden is only an honour as it is stated in the most prestigious Institute, Karolinska Institutet. So I really hope and wish that new financial structure will change scientific landscape that shifts “honour†to “paid labourâ€.