The Finland Distinguished Professor Programme
FiDiPro - the Finland Distinguished Professor Programme enables distinguished researchers, both international and expatriates to work and team up with the 'best of the best' in Finnish academic research.
Led and financed by the Academy of Finland and Tekes, FiDiPro provides competitive grants to projects recruiting highly merited scientists, who are able to commit to long-term cooperation with a Finnish university or research institute.
Finnish universities and research institutes may propose FiDiPro Professors and FiDiPro Fellows from all disciplines.
The first FiDiPro researchers started their work at the beginning of 2007. At present, there are 75 FiDiPro Professors in Finland, 35 of whom receive funding from the Academy of Finland and 40 from Tekes. In 2009, Tekes launched FiDiPro Fellow funding with a view to attracting promising research talents who are at the early steps in their career to join Finnish research teams. So far, Tekes has funded 12 FiDiPro Fellow projects.
FiDiPro Professors and Fellows work at universities and research institutes in different parts of Finland. Their research projects, jointly carried out with Finnish researchers, cover a number of different disciplines, ranging from the humanities to medicine and technology research
FiDiPro Professors and Fellows at Aalto University are
FiDiPro Professors
| FiDiPro-professor | University | Host in Aalto | Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Aurell | KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden | Professor Pekka Orponen, School of Science | The advanced concepts and techniques developed in the field of statistical physics have in recent years been turned into powerful tools for the modelling and analysis of large, distributed systems also outside of the traditional domains of physics, for example in the study of information and communication networks and the models of systems biology. |
| Ari T. Friberg | KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden | Professor Matti Kaivola, School of Science | PAdvancements in optics and photonics are key drivers for technological innovations of the 21st century. In particular optical phenomena, components and devices in micro- and nano-scale dimensions will play an ever more important role. One of the goals is to make Finland stand as one of the leading centres of micro- and nano-optics research in Northern Europe. The research project is run jointly by the University of Joensuu and Aalto University School of Science. |
| Gregorz Glinka | University of Waterloo, Kanada | Professor Gary Marquis, School of Engineering |
Analytical and numerical studies necessary for the determination of required data influencing the fatigue |
| Sumi Helal | University of Florida, Yhdysvallat | Professor Marko Tuprpeinen, Helsinki Insitute of Information Technology | The aim of Smart Spaces is to produce intelligent environments that facilitate everyday practices, are more efficient with respect to resource and costs, create richer user experiences, and enhance users awareness of the local opportunities. This project will contribute to the Smart Spaces Thematic Action Line of EIT ICT Labs, where Aalto University and HIIT have a significant role together with other Finnish partners of EIT ICT Labs. |
| Leon Lefferts | Universty of Twente, Holland | Professor Outi Krause, School of Chemical Technology |
Biohydrogen, i.e. hydrogen from biomass, can be produced via several process routes. The objective of the project is to develop new process concepts to replace fossil fuel based hydrogen with biomass-based hydrogen. These process concepts utilize biomass, biomass-based intermediates and wastes, often formed in diluted water solutions, as raw materials. Aqueous-phase catalysis, micro(channel) reactors and (aqueous-phase) reforming are concepts to be combined in the research. |
| Sirkka Järvenpää | University of Texas at Austin, USA | Professor Riitta Smeds, School of Science | The project will develop the Virtual Value Space (VVS) concept to promote expertise in joint innovations made between companies. Furthermore, the project will empirically study immaterial rights in joint innovation processes. As a result it will generate new scientific data for the organisation and management of joint innovations. |
| János Kertész | Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary | Professor Kimmo Kaski, School of Science | The aim of the project is to carry out research on complex systems especially techno-social and ICT-based ones, as well as to strengthen the expertise and its training in this respect. Using data mining, data analysis, and modelling techniques and tools the plan is to explore the properties of these techno-social network systems for novel application development. |
| Josef Rauschecker | Georgetown University Washington DC, USA | Akademy Professor Mikko Sams, School of Science | The project explores key questions in systems neuroscience, such as how sensory features of objects are processed in parallel and combined across the senses to allow fast and effortless perception, and how the human brain can selectively attend certain objects over others. The project will make it possible to unravel mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying goal-directed multi-sensory perception and perceptual learning. |
| Stefan Winter | Technische Universität München, Germany | Professor Matti Kairi, School of Chemical Technology |
Energy saving goals and environmental aspects have made low-energy building interesting for industry and the construction sector. However, in Finland there is a lack of research for developing wooden low-energy houses in the sectors of technical specification, business concept development and standardization. Aalto University School of Chemical Technology is inviting Professor Stefan Winter to bring know how of wooden low-energy wooden construction that is common in Central Europe. |
| Hisao Yamauchi | Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan | Professor Maarit Karppinen, School of Chemical Technology | The project will research novel multifunctional oxide materials that are at the heart of current research into inorganic materials. Novel materials are needed for applications such as high-temperature supra-conductors, fuel cell and battery electrodes, thermoelectric devices and the commercial utilisation of spintronics/magnetoelectronics. This research will help improve energy efficiency and achieve developments such as CO2-free production of electric energy from waste heat. |
FiDiPro Fellow researchers
| Fidipro Fellow | University | Host in Aalto | Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koen Van Leemput | Haward University, USA | Professor Erkki Oja, School of Science | Brain diseases account for 35% of the overall disease burden in Europe, and their cost to society is expected to increase considerably due to aging of the European population. The aim of this ambitious project is to develop sophisticated computational modeling approaches and tools to enlarge the scope of quantitative brain MRI analysis from mere scientific studies of the human brain into real-world clinical applications. |
| Fa-Hsuan Lin | National Taiwan University, Taiwan ja Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA | Professor Risto Ilmoniemi, School of Science | The project will develop methods for ultra-low-field MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging ) in order to improve MR image resolution and shorten the measurement time to reach a level that will benefit brain research and allow new clinical applications. |
| Emma Master | University of Toronto, Canada | Professor Matti Leisola, School of Chemical Technology | The objective of this project is to create high-value and renewable materials from agricultural and forest fibre. By building composite materials that exploit the strength properties of cellulose micro fibrils and reactivity of xylan polymers, our research can generate new market opportunities for both forest and agricultural industries. |
| Orlando J. Rojas | North Carolina State University, USA | Professor Janne Laine, School of Chemical Technology | The general goal of this project is to use abundant renewable forest resources and by-products (cellulose and lignin) as precursors for the production of high performance materials and structures (and their functionalized versions) and also as substrates for a biologically inspired synthesis of catalysts for clean energy. The future economic viability of the forest cluster companies could be greatly enhanced by extending plant-based materials for new, high-value, high-volume products that can be effectively recycled. |
| Xiaohong Wang | Tsinghua University, China | Director Marja Toivonen, School of Science |
Modern tissue engineering - cell culture studies on digitally designed and manufactured 3D scaffolds |
See also