The Academy of Finland has made the funding decisions to strengthen the research-related profiling of Finnish universities. The University of Turku was granted €6.8 million of the Profi 6 funding. The funding supports strategic, cross-disciplinary research of the University.
In the sixth round of profiling funding, the funding scheme was redesigned in close cooperation with the universities and taking into account the recommendations from previous review panels and evaluations of the scheme.
The University of Turku was granted funding of altogether €6.8 million for the term of 2021–2026. The funding is aimed at expediting the strategy-based research profiling of the University and at supporting the development of the quality of research.
– This funding allows us to advance the search for answers to the great challenges humankind faces. This work calls for new approaches, which can be developed utilising the diverse research activities of the University, says Vice Rector Kalle-Antti Suominen.
The profiling funding was granted for three different research entities which strengthen the thematic research and education profiles of the University’s strategy.
Social experiment and interventions hub (INVESThub) is linked to the INVEST flagship and connects to the University’s strategic research and education profile “Children, young people, and learning”. INVESThub will strengthen the experimental societal endeavours and interventions of the flagship and its collaborators as well as the societal impact of the research. The responsible researcher of INVESThub is Professor Jani Erola.
Early diagnostics, prevention and interventions of non-communicable diseases (LIFE) connects to the strategic research and education profile of “Health, diagnostics and drug development”. LIFE forms a network aiming at medical and technological breakthroughs that advance population health. The network also supports the research activities of the University’s InFLAMES flagship. The responsible researchers of LIFE are Professor Pekka Hänninen, Professor Markus Juonala, and Professor Juhani Knuuti.
Biodiversity and systemic transformation (BIODIFORM) aims at combining biodiversity research with business research to provide sustainable solutions for the future. BIODIFORM links to the strategic research and education profile “Biodiversity and sustainability” and its responsible researcher is Professor Ilari Sääksjärvi. In addition to the University’s Biodiversity Unit, the BIODIFORM also includes researchers from the Turku School of Economics of the University of Turku.
The funding granted by the Academy of Finland was decided on in two sets on 16 December 2020 and 13 January 2021. The total amount of profiling funding applied for by the universities was €178 M, and the Academy’s funding totals €100 M. The granted sums range from €750,000 to €28 M.
