Science funding in Latvia: criticism of state research programmes and fears of political attacks

Latvia will announce the results of the Fundamental and Applied Research Programme (FLPP) later than usual this year, at the end of November or the start of December. It is one of the country's two main science funding programmes. The delay stems from a record number of applications and a new step in the evaluation process. Scientists hope the change will protect competition winners from politicians re-assessing approved projects by their own standards.

A new evaluation step

The FLPP received 18 million euros this year. International reviewers approve only about ten percent of submitted projects, and researchers choose their own topics. Last year, after the results were published, Ilze Indriksone (National Alliance), then an opposition MP and now Minister of Education and Science, demanded in a parliamentary session that the results be reassessed. Politicians from the United List and Kaspars Gorkšs, now head of the State Chancellery, also questioned the value of some social and humanities studies. Anda Laķe, vice-rector for research at the Latvian Academy of Culture, fears a repeat. To address this, expert panel discussions have been introduced, in which international reviewers reconcile their assessments.

Problems in the State Research Programme

In the State Research Programme (VPP), the topic is set by the state or ministries. Oskars Teikmanis, chair of the Latvian Young Scientists' Association, says it sometimes funds the compilation of existing knowledge or product development, citing a project announced in spring on an artificial intelligence solution for filling in documents.

In 2018, 600 thousand euros were allocated under the VPP to demographic and migration challenges. A project led by University of Latvia professor Zaiga Krišjāne produced six documents with recommendations, including support for young families. Imants Parādnieks, who developed the national population renewal strategy, admitted he used the advice little or not at all.

Jānis Paiders, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science, said the use of results depends on the commissioning body and circumstances. The ministry recommends jointly defining the research problem at the outset. It is not known whether the government's announced spending cuts will affect science.