Funding for four research infrastructures

Four infrastructures from Aalto University were funded.  

The funding was open for application in three separate calls in 2016 that attracted a total of 138 applications associated with just over 60 different research infrastructures. The three calls were targeted at research infrastructures where Finland is a member state, research infrastructures included in Finland’s research infrastructure roadmap, and new research infrastructure initiatives or non-roadmap infrastructures.

The following infrastructures were granted funding:

• Professor Jukka Seppälä, BIOECONOMY Alliance for excellence in sustainable biomass refining
• Professor Keijo Heljanko, Finnish Grid and Cloud Infrastructure (FGCI) Stage 2 : enabling data sciences
• Professor Kirsi Virrantaus, Open Geospatial Information Infrastructure for Research
• Academy Professor Jukka Pekola, Otaniemi research infrastructure for micro- and nanotechnologies (OtaNano)

The aim of the research infrastructure funding scheme is to upgrade the quality and improve the renewal, competitiveness and interdisciplinary approach of Finnish research. In making the funding decisions, the FIRI Committee considered the extent to which the infrastructures can facilitate excellent science. In addition, the Committee took into account factors such as open access, usage policies, nationally extensive and important user communities, feasibility, sustainability, and international significance.

The Academy of Finland’s next call for research infrastructure projects will open in April 2018.

Read more:
Academy of Finland awards €27m in funding for research infrastructures (www.aka.fi)