Minister Rejects University Appeals, Halves Research Funding

Finnish Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman has denied three appeals from the University of Jyväskylä concerning research funding. These appeals were related to nine research projects that were initially denied funding by Rydman. In a move that went against official recommendations, Rydman decided to cut the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's (STM) social work research funding for the current year by half, reducing it to four million euros. The university had sought reconsideration, arguing that the original eight million euro allocation was intended as a maximum sum and that neither social welfare law nor the state budget obligated the ministry to disburse the entire amount. However, Rydman's decisions, dated Tuesday, upheld the initial rejections. All research projects at the University of Jyväskylä that were denied funding have now received negative responses to their appeals. It remains unclear whether research projects at other universities that also lost out on funding have had their appeals decided.

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Similarly, the regulation does not set criteria for granting funding that would entitle one to funding if the legal requirements are met.