2 SFF as a funding instrument
2.5 Research fields funded by the SFF scheme
The SFF scheme has funded a total of 44 centres (see appendix). As of 2020, 23 centres are in operation (SFF-III and SFF-IV). Of the 23 active centres, 22 are located at a host institution in the higher education sector (21 at the five oldest universities and one at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), a specialised university college) and only one at a research institute. However, the proportion of centres within the institute sector has previously been higher, particularly in SFF-I. The following analyses nevertheless uses higher education institutions (HEI) for the purpose of comparison.
The RCN classifies all funded projects according to a field classification system developed by Universities Norway (UHR). These classifications are reminiscent of OECD's classifications,26 but differ in some respects that are important to our analyses. Most notably, the RCN system does not use the broad level category Life Science but uses a category called Medicine and Health.27 Many aspects of biology are therefore classified as Natural Sciences.28
Figure 10 Percentage of centres per broad level R&D field. Percentage of centres in each SFF generation within each scientific field based on a field classification system developed by Universities Norway (UHR). 2017 Norwegian R&D expenditure in the HEIs is plotted to the right, for comparison.
There is a wide distribution and generational differences29 in the centres' broad level R&D field classifications (Figure 10 and Figure 11). For comparison, the 2017 Norwegian R&D expenditure in HEIs is shown to the right in Figure 10. It is clear from this comparison that a relatively large proportion of the centres have been within the Natural Sciences category (which, as noted above, includes biology).
26 Described in the Frascati Manual, 2015.
27 E code.
28 The RCN classification system also differs from the classification system used by NIFU in their sub-report Bibliometric analysis and career mapping of the SFF scheme.
29 Starting with SFF-III, it has been possible to use fractional classifications.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
SFF-I SFF-II SFF-III SFF-IV Norwegian HEI R&D
expenditure (2017)
Natural Sciences Medicine and Health Social Sciences
Humanities Technology Agriculture and Fisheries
28
Figure 11 SFF centres per broad level R&D field. The number of SFF centres per broad level R&D field (UHR) within each SFF generation (shades of blue represent different SFF generations ranging from dark blue (I) to light blue (IV). Since SFF-III, it has been possible to use fractional classifications. This explains why the number of centres per field are not necessarily whole numbers. Graph is based on the same data as in Figure 10.
In SFF-I, there were quite a few centres in the field of technology (Figure 10 and Figure 11). This has since decreased, perhaps related to the start-up of the SFI funding scheme, which draws applicants with more applied projects and closer ties to industry.
A closer look at the second-level R&D field classifications30 reveals that many of the SFF centres fall under geological sciences (Figure 12).
30 U codes.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Natural Sciences
Medicine and Health
Social Sciences Humanities Technology Agriculture and Fisheries
Number of centres
Broad level R&D field SFF-I SFF-II SFF-III SFF-IV
29
Figure 12 Number of centres per second-level R&D field classification. SFF centres are plotted based on second-level R&D field classification. Since SFF-III, SFF centres can be classified in multiple fields, adding up to 100%. The colours represent broad-level R&D classification, as in Figure 10.
The RCN classification system also contains calculations of expenditure relevant to each of the priorities in the government's long-term plan (LTP). These calculations are based on field designations and yearly expenditures and therefore reflect financial input into fields that may be relevant to prioritised areas (and not output/results). The thematic priorities in the LTP were recently revised somewhat to clarify the difference between overall objectives and areas of thematic priority, but the RCN’s classification system still relates to the previous LTP's thematic areas. We therefore have data for two of the three LTP objectives and four of the five current LTP thematic areas. Funds invested through the SFF scheme are naturally considered to contribute greatly to the objective of developing academic and research communities of outstanding quality, and less so to enhancing competitiveness and innovation capacity (Figure 13).
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Basic medical, dental and veterinary sciences Clinical medicine Health sciences Fisheries
Number of centres
Second-level R&D field classification
30
Figure 13 The SFF's contribution to two of the government's long-term plan (LTP) objectives. Funds (mill. NOK) invested through the SFF scheme to develop world-leading academic groups (left) and innovative and adaptable industry (right). Colour shading represents different SFF generations (light blue – I, medium light blue – I and II, medium dark blue – SFF-II and SFF-SFF-III, dark blue – SFF-SFF-III and SFF-IV).
The SFF scheme contributes as a whole to the four LTP areas of thematic priority we have data on (Figure 14). As expected, there are differences between SFF generations. In particular, there is a noticeable increase in the thematic area public sector renewal, better and more effective welfare, health and care services, starting in 2013. This is due to the large proportion of SFF-III centres that have relevance for health research.
Figure 14 The SFF's contribution to the long-term plan's prioritised thematic areas. The contribution of the SFF scheme (mill.
NOK) to four prioritised thematic areas of the LTP. The colour shading represents different SFF generations (light blue – SFF-I, medium light blue – SFF-I and SFF-ISFF-I, medium dark blue – SFF-II and SFF-IISFF-I, dark blue – SFF-III and SFF-IV).
Since 2011, the RCN has classified projects according to the Health Research Classification System’s (HRCS) categories. The increase in health-related research in SFF-III is also noticeable when looking at these categories (Figure 15). The SFF scheme has contributed substantial amounts of funding (NOK 147 mill. in 2018) to research relating to health. The centres tend to work predominantly on more fundamental issues, and hence the HRCS research activities Underpinning Research, Aetiology and Detection and diagnosis dominate.
World-leading academic groups Innovative and adaptable industry
Mill. NOK
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
0
Seas and oceans Climate, environment and clean energy
Enabling technologies
Mill. NOK
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
31
Figure 15 SFF funding per Health Research Classification System (HRCS) research activity (stacked area chart). SFF funding (mill. NOK) in the period 2011-2018 in health-related research categorised according to the HRCS (shown in different colours).
Research in the SFF centres has been relevant for several HRCS health categories – Cancer, Neurological, Mental Health, Reproductive Health And Childbirth, Inflammatory and Immune System and Generic Health Relevance (Figure 16).
Figure 16 SFF funding per HRCS health category (stacked area chart). SFF funding (mill. NOK) in the period 2011-2018 per HRCS health category (shown in different colours).
Projects funded by the RCN are also routinely classified according to whether the projects are considered to primarily be basic or applied research. Over the time span of the scheme, the SFF scheme has mostly funded basic science. Only 11% (on average, with a range of 9-17% per year) of the funding has been spent on applied science. A slight increase can be observed in the last five or six years and this coincides with the start of SFF-III.
The RCN classification system is not particularly well suited to assess the level of interdisciplinarity in the centres, but this topic is covered in NIFU's sub-reports Bibliometric analysis and career mapping of the SFF scheme and Impacts of the SFF scheme on the Norwegian research system.
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
mill. NOK
Year
1. Underpinning Research 2. Aetiology 3. Prevention 4. Detection and Diagnosis 5. Treatment Development 8. Health Services
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
mill. NOK
Year
Cancer Cardiovascular
Generic Health Relevance Inflammatory and Immune System
Mental Health Neurological
Reproductive Health and Childbirth
32