Research & Art
Our research focuses on seven key areas combining four core competences in the fields of ICT, materials, arts, design and business together with three grand challenges related to energy, living environment, and health.
Aalto Handbook
Management of research and art
Research and art activities at Aalto University are conducted by faculty and staff based in the departments. The role of the university management is to ensure the long-term preconditions for conducting high-quality and high-impact research and art.
Aalto University is committed to high quality research, art and creative practices of scientific and societal impact by securing their long-term funding base and by creating career systems optimised to sustain their academic and professional excellence. In this way, Aalto provides a strong foundation for teaching, learning and innovation.
The university's strategic objective is to become an internationally recognised, multidisciplinary research university, where research and education are promoted hand-in-hand. The university selects its research initiatives and projects carefully based on factors such as: scientific level and relevance, societal impact, global competition, and cooperation with international and domestic research and industrial partners.
The Vice President for Research leads and coordinates the development of the University's research and artistic activities across the Schools and represents the University in the development of research nationally and internationally. The work is supported by the Research Steering Group ReSG, Doctoral education working group DEWG and research services (RES).
The tasks of universities as defined in the Universities Act are to conduct free research and offer the highest quality education based on research, and use the results for the benefit of society. Societal benefits are achieved via research results, innovations, open access publishing, and by optimal use of research data. According to the Aalto University strategy, research activities focus not only on strong basic research in the fields represented by the university, but also on collaboration with top companies in their respective fields, as well as development of a vibrant innovation ecosystem around the university's research, artistic and educational activities. Key principles guiding our operations include open science and research, research ethics and research integrity and sustainability. We support multidisciplinarity and new collaboration across fields via Aalto Networking Platform whose mission is to facilitate matchmaking and networking of joint multidisciplinary activities leading to bigger research initiatives and solutions for grand challenges.
The actors, roles and responsibilities of research and artistic activities
| University-level actor | Roles and responsibilities |
| President |
Makes decisions on the allocation of professorships. Allocates funding to the schools. Allocates professorships to the schools at the Deans' proposals, based on annual strategy dialogues with the schools. |
| Provost | Oversees the academic activities and makes proposals to the President regarding major investments in faculty (new professorships), strategic initiatives and infrastructure. |
| Vice President for Research |
Coordinates and facilitates multidisciplinary research at Aalto University. Monitors and develops KPIs and other quality measures to increase research quality. Approves funding applications other than those approved by heads of departments or the Deans; prioritises funding applications when requested by the funding body. Leads the Research services to provide cost-efficient and high-quality services for the research faculty, university leadership and external stakeholders. Provides guidelines on research processes including art-based research, open science, digitalization, sustainability and research ethics. |
| University Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) |
Promotes high quality in research and decides on general regulations regarding research Appoints bodies required for organising research and teaching, and issues the regulations governing their activities The AAC has transferred its mandate in part to the schools' academic committees |
| Research Steering Group (ReSG) | Supports the management and preparation of research-related matters. Chaired by Vice President for Research. |
| Doctoral education working group (DEWG) |
Develops the university’s doctoral education and prepares the university guidelines. Supports the School level doctoral programmes. |
| Research services (RES) |
Serves Aalto’s researchers, departments and management during the entire lifecycle of research projects. Provides support in research-related policies and procedures, multidisciplinary collaboration, open science and research ethics, and other topics in Vice President for Research's mandate. |
| School-level actor | Role and responsibility |
| Dean |
Leads the process of developing the school's strategic plan for research and focus areas in compliance with university strategy Makes budget proposals, including new professorships, to the President Leads recruitment of new faculty at the school Allocates resources to the departments Approves funding proposals in line with the school’s strategic plan Ensures positive development in research quality Ensures the quality of the research infrastructure and the functionality of quality assurance processes at the school |
| Vice Dean (Research) | Coordinates research-related matters as delegated by the Dean |
| Head of Department |
Leads recruitment of new faculty in the department Makes budget proposals, including new professorships, to the Dean Allocates resources according to the principles and guidelines approved by the Dean Approves funding proposals in line with the department and school strategies Leads the development of the department action plan in compliance with school’s strategic plan and university strategy Ensures the functionality of the quality assurance processes in the department |
| Professor |
Leads research projects Recruits research staff for his/her own research group Acquires external funding for research and acts as the manager responsible for externally funded projects Conducts research and publishes research results Instructs and supervises doctoral students Reports to the Head of Department |
| Research faculty and staff |
Ensures that research is conducted in conformity with the law, with the funder’s contractual terms and conditions, and with ethical practices and research policies, and publishes research results Reports to the Head of Department. |
Aalto University's research and art, key research areas, and policies guiding the research are described in more detail in the page below.
The strategic plans for research have been carried out for the following four years, 2022-2025. In accordance with the principle of a living strategy, we look at our choices regularly. Plans are updated annually as part of our annual planning process, University Dialogue.
The university invests in the maintenance and support of state-of-the-art research infrastructures. Significant research infrastructures have clearly identified objectives and development plans, user interfaces, user statistics and other performance indicators. Agreements between the university and the schools and departments commit each party to a shared funding scheme. New infrastructures for the scheme are considered annually as part of the strategy dialogues.
Research and learning infrastructures
Our research and teaching infrastructures are a prerequisite for world-class, cutting edge research. They offer opportunities for collaboration and foster the local innovation ecosystem growth. The large infrastructures are open for all Aalto and external users.
The quality and merits of research activities are assessed through peer review using criteria relevant to the field in question.Peer review is carried out through regular research evaluation, during which an international panel assesses the research quality. At the school level, development is also monitored by a Scientific Advisory Board or Scientific and Artistic Advisory Board (S(A)AB). Research Steering Group (ReSG) coordinates the planning and monitoring processes of research activities.
Research assessments
Aalto University regularly assess the quality of its research and artistic activities, and its societal impact. The assessment is based on internationally agreed best practices and peer review.
Scientific and Artistic Advisory Boards (SAB, SAAB)
The Scientific (and Artistic) Advisory Boards (SAB / SAAB) of our schools have an important function in supporting the development of the university.
Doctoral education is an integral part of research activities. It is described in more detail in the following page.
Doctoral programmes
Our six doctoral programmes offer high quality doctoral education within a multidisciplinary international research community. They prepare doctoral students for demanding academic careers and experts positions, and for working as entrepreneurs or independent artists.
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