New evaluation of Swedish basic medical research shows both strengths and development areas

An international expert panel has evaluated basic medical research at seven universities. They employed the Swedish Research Council’s evaluation model, assessing scientific quality based on top publications and bibliometric statistics, and evaluating the research's impact outside academia through case studies.

“The evaluation shows that some basic medical research in Sweden is not only of very high quality, but also ground-breaking. When analysing how often Swedish research is cited, Sweden is roughly at the same level as the world average, but it varies across research subjects and universities,” says Karla Anaya-Carlsson, Analyst at the Swedish Research Council.

The case studies show that there is research that is of great importance to society and to a high degree contributes to innovative solutions for human health.

“However, many of the case studies are only showing potential so far. It is too early to fully assess the impact,” says Karla Anaya-Carlsson.

Collaboration and research infrastructure lead to success

Sweden’s citation impact is generally in line with the world average in basic medical research. International collaboration increases the impact considerably, with more countries involved leading to more citations. Karolinska Institutet has the highest overall citation impact, but Gothenburg, Uppsala and Lund universities also have great impact in certain subjects.

The evaluation underscores the strength of Swedish universities in jointly developing and utilising research infrastructures. This has led to researchers in Sweden becoming pioneers in various innovative technologies. The panel specifically highlights SciLifeLab’s crucial role in Sweden’s prominent research and its importance for innovation in basic medical research.

Recommendations from the evaluation:

• Safeguard stable funding of basic medical research and research infrastructures.
• Address the gender imbalance among professors.
• Support researchers early on in their careers.
• Protect the openness of the Swedish research system.
• Promote international collaboration.
• Foster cross-disciplinary work to tackle future challenges.
• Recruit researchers with key competences, especially in emerging technologies.
• Specifically for smaller universities: Identify and prioritise areas of strength to achieve greater impact.

The Swedish Research Council concurs with the expert panel’s recommendation, Karla Anaya-Carlsson explains.

“These measures are necessary for the continued development of basic medicine and for universities to deliver ground-breaking research and innovative solutions to societal challenges,” says Karla Anaya-Carlsson.

Read the report Quality and impact of research in basic medicine in Sweden