External assessment report suggests the creation of a stable and sustainable structure for the INVEST Research Flagship Centre
INVEST (“Inequalities, Interventions and the New Welfare State”) Research Flagship Centre must have a new organisational structure in place by spring 2026, the external assessment report suggests. As INVEST has grown into an ecosystem of around 250 people, it needs a more stable and sustainable organisational structure and a secure share of basic funding. At the same time, INVEST should develop a stronger core mission to reflect the much-expanded scope of research. “The INVEST is too big to fall in terms of staff, research output, and, arguably, the prestige, some creative solutions are certainly needed to solidify this success and avoid unfortunate pitfalls”, evaluators say.
INVEST is hosted by the University of Turku and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and funded by the Research Council of Finland Flagship Programme, the host institutions and various other external research funders. According to its research task defined in the initial flagship grant application, INVEST aims to provide a new model for the welfare state that is more equal, better targeted to problem groups, more anticipatory, and economically and socially sustainable.
The initial flagship grant period continues until the end of 2026. However, since its beginning, the centre has grown five-fold; a large majority of the funding already comes from other sources, and most other grants continue beyond 2026. The directors of INVEST wanted to have an external assessment of the best options for continuation. In December 2024 the reviewers were asked to give recommendations on what kind of entity or organisational unit INVEST should and could be by the end of 2026 in terms of content and structure. The assessment was also expected to give experts’ views on the strengths of INVEST flagship and what kind of actions were needed to improve further.
Juho Saari from the University of Tampere was invited as chair, Professor Tina Malti from the University of Toronto/Leipzig University and Professor Stefan Svallfors Institute for Future Studies/Swedish Research Council were members, PhD Mari Riipinen from CSC/University of Turku acted as manager of the steering group.
INVEST have many opportunities to continue its success story
In the report, the group reminds us that the aim of the Finnish flagships is to challenge and innovate the scientific system.
“The INVEST Flagship has successfully embodied this goal by transforming approaches in social and health sciences through groundbreaking research and impactful societal contributions. As a scientific honey pot, it has also attracted brilliant researchers and additional external funding”, the report states.
In the report release event Professor Juho Saari pointed out that in order to flourish in 2030’s, INVEST needs more stable, independent organisational structure and enough basic funding, and an official agreement between the University of Turku and THL. In the release event Piia Aarnisalo, director of Healthcare and social welfare department at Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, told that the work for official agreement has already been started.
Assessment group identified strengths of INVEST
In their report, the group named several strengths of INVEST. They describe INVEST as a multidisciplinary and international research community with a strong identity. It excels in fostering collaboration across various disciplines leading to comprehensive research processes and outcomes that address complex societal challenges.
“INVEST has gained significant international recognition through its high-quality research outputs and active participation in global research networks”, the report says and continues: “INVEST offers rigorous training and development programs for early career researchers, contributing to the cultivation of the next generation of research leaders.“
Regarding research and its impact, the group emphasised INVEST’s influential publications, active outreach, and open science Initiatives.
“INVEST is committed to disseminating its research findings through various channels, including academic publications, public lectures, and policy briefs, ensuring wide accessibility and impact. INVEST’s research directly informs public policy, contributing to evidence-based decisions that enhance societal welfare and reduce inequalities”, the report says.
The evaluators also pointed out that the centre supports open access to research, promoting the free exchange of knowledge and collaboration across the global research community.
“The centre enhances FAIR principles in data management and has established an innovative and systematic data repository system to have reusable data”, the report says.
INVEST has a strong identity
The assessment group was provided with substantial background data that included qualitative and quantitative material. In mid-June, the group made a site visit to INVEST flagship and met the management of the University of Turku, Faculties of Social Sciences and Medicine, and THL as well as the INVEST research area directors, tenure tracks, associate professors, PhD researchers, post-docs, researchers and administrative team.
“INVEST has been able to build an excellent environment where people help each other and have an identity that is connected to INVEST. INVEST identity can be described to be filled with enthusiasm and international exchanges. This unique identity should be preserved and strengthened”, the report says.
