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New Academy Projects to be launched in September

New Academy Projects funded by the Academy of Finland involve expertise from all six Aalto schools
Organ type of image with white "veins" and small bacteria dots in red background, original image by Valeria Azovskaya
Kuva Aalto-yliopisto, Valeria Azovskaya

The Academy of Finland has granted Aalto University a total of EUR 12.4 million in funding for 24 Academy Projects. Some of the Academy Projects are consortium projects, and the total number of funded Aalto subprojects is 29. The Academy Projects include a wide range of research projects in the fields of culture and society, science and technology, and biosciences, health and the environment.

The aim of the Academy Project funding offered to research groups is to promote scientific research of high international quality, enable scientific breakthroughs, and support research cooperation with top international groups.

Examples of the Academy Projects

In one of the Aalto University Academy Projects, Miina Rautiainen develops satellite technologies for mapping out boreal peatlands and measuring the properties of mire vegetation.

In their multidimensional study on circular economy, Rodrigo Serna and Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio explore the mechanical recycling of devices that store energy using lithium-ion batteries, the removal of surplus energy from the batteries, and the possible utilisation of that energy.

Mari Lundström and Jaana Vapaavuori study the recovery of under-consumed precious metals from hydrometallurgical process and waste solutions. The aim is to create new material alternatives for, for example, solar energy equipment and antibacterial surface materials.

In Anna Valtonen's research, design history is used to create a new understanding of design-driven transformation and change. The research material consists of the unprecedented design archive of thousands of documents and prototypes created at Nokia in 1995–2015.

Otto Toivanen is involved in a project aimed at producing information that will help to streamline the planning and enforcement of public procurements in the future. The project also supports the implementation of the new national public procurement strategy.

In his project, Clemens Icheln develops the electronics of an endoscopy capsule, i.e. a capsule-form camera that captures in-body images of the human bowel, to achieve better diagnostic quality.

Other Academy Projects also study drug development, superconductivity, and emotional game experiences.

Congratulations to all research funding recipients!

Academy Projects 1.9.2021–31.8.2025

Exploiting Lignin-Carbohydrate Complex through Artificial Intelligence (consortium)
Balakshin, Mikhail, Dept. of Bioproducts and Bioengineering, Aalto (350 386 e)
Rinke, Patrick, Dept. of Applied Physics, Aalto (300 128 e)
Xu, Chunlin, Åbo Akademi University (347 787 e)

Human-steered next-generation machine learning for reviving drug design (consortium)
Garg, Vikas, Dept. of Computer Sciences, Aalto (479 905 e)
Kaski, Samuel, Dept. of Computer Sciences, Aalto (479 905 e)

Hakonen, Pertti, Dept. of Applied Physics
Excitations and frustration in topologically restricted quantum systems (497 280 e)

Icheln, Clemens, Dept. of Electronics and Nanoengineering
Wireless capsule Endoscope electronics for Improved Reliability of Diagnosis in digestive tracts (525 040 e)

Jokinen, Ville, Dept. of Chemistry and Materials Science
Cell-Repellent Superhydrophobic Surfaces (437 817 e)

Optical and photophysical properties of luminescent coinage-metal compounds (consortium)
Karttunen, Antti, Dept. of Chemistry and Materials Science, Aalto (333 496 e)
Sundholm, Dage, University of Helsinki (331 801 e)
Valiev, Rashid, University of Helsinki (331 801 e)

Koskelainen Ari, Dept. of Applied Physics
A novel calcium-mediated negative feedback in phototransduction of mammalian photoreceptor cells, rods and cones (495 772 e)

High temperature chemistry of phosphorus – pathways to more effective recycling and utilization (consortium)
Lindberg, Daniel, Dept. of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Aalto (499 729 e)
Hupa, Leena, Åbo Akademi University (491 919 e)

Electrochemically-assisted Aqueous Reduction of Waste Streams for Metals Recovery and Functional Surfaces (Consortium)
Lundström, Mari, Dept. of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Aalto (346 053 e)
Vapaavuori, Jaana, Dept. of Chemistry and Materials Science, Aalto (297 048 e)

Mekler, Elisa, Dept. of Computer Science
Establishing a Model of Aesthetic Game Experience (507 631 e)

Pulsating Surfaces: Ultrasonic Dynamics of Submerged Superhydrophobic Surfaces (consortium)
Nieminen, Heikki, Dept. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto (449 266 e)
Ras, Robin, Dept. of Applied Physics, Aalto (450 062 e)

Oksanen, Jani, Dept. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering
From thermodynamics of light to optical refrigerators and thermal trampolines (599 489 e)

Mastering the Next Industrial Revolution: From product-service solutions to Autonomous Systems (Consortium) (project period 1.9.2021–31.8.2024)
Rajala Risto, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management, Aalto (221 575 e)
Kohtamäki Marko, University of Vaasa (198 425 e)

Rautiainen Miina, Dept. of Built Environment
Boreal peatlands from space: towards a new era of spectral characterization (460 532 e)

Rautkari, Lauri, Dept. of Bioproducts and Bioengineering
Water vapour sorption behaviour of wood under load (581 224 e)

Machine Learning for Systems Pharmacology (consortium)
Rousu, Juho, Dept. of Computer Science, Aalto (322 386 e)
Airola, Antti, University of Turku (165 673 e)
Aittokallio, Tero, University of Helsinki (333 409 e)
Pahikkala, Tapio, University of Turku (164 268 e)

Multidimensional engineering for the circular economy of energy storage devices (consortium)
Santasalo-Aarnio, Annukka, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Aalto (426 181 e)
Serna Guerrero, Rodrigo, Dept. of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Aalto (459 329 e)

Elimination of contact losses in semiconductors through atomic-scale interface research and engineering (consortium)
Savin, Hele, Dept. of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto (404 508 e)
Laukkanen, Pekka, University of Turku (443 875 e)

Enhancing competition and efficiency in public procurements (consortium)
Toivanen Otto, Dept. of Economics, Aalto (175 950 e)
Tukiainen Janne, University of Turku (219 895 e)
Halonen Kirsi-Maria Hannele, University of Lapland (220 028 e)
Hyytinen Ari, Hanken School of Economics (280 224 e)

Timonen, Jaakko, Dept. of Applied Physics
Electrical Charging of Nanoparticles in Nonpolar Liquids: From Fundamentals to Emergent Phenomena (559 247 e)

Constellations of Correspondence: Relational Study of Large and Small Networks of Epistolary Exchange in the Grand Duchy of Finland (consortium)
Tuominen Jouni, Dept. of Computer Science, Aalto (279 209 e)
Pikkanen Ilona, Finnish Literature Society (279 003 e)
Koho Mikko, University of Helsinki (279 998 e)

Valtonen Anna, Dept. of Design
The Nokia Design archive - exploring unseen concepts of design and opportunities of design-driven transformation and change (478 480 e)

Vehtari, Aki, Dept. of Computer Science
Safe iterative Bayesian model building (531 066 e)

Wichman, Risto, Dept. of Signal Processing and Acoustics
Integrated low earth orbit satellite and terrestrial networks (413 710 e)

Further information on the funding decisions from the Academy of Finland website.

Get to know our new Academy Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Researchers (below).

Photo Aalto-yliopisto / Valeria Azovskaya

Nearly 20 million euros for research

The Academy of Finland funding brings nine new posts as Academy Research Fellow, 15 new Postdoctoral Researchers and 24 new Academy Projects to Aalto University.

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New Academy projects will investigate drug development, superconductivity and emotional game experience

There are altogether 12 new Academy of Finland projects at the Aalto School of Science. Funding was received from all the three Academy of Finland Research Councils: Biosciences, Health and the Environment, Culture and Society and Natural Sciences and Engineering.

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