Strong results from the Research Council’s winter call
Aalto University researchers once again achieved excellent results in the Research Council of Finland’s 2026 winter call. The funding awarded to Aalto University by the Research Council strengthens the university’s research by 33.2 million euros. A total of 54 Aalto researchers received funding.
The overall result is Aalto University’s best since the call was renewed in 2022. Aalto researchers received more funding than before, particularly in the fields of natural sciences and engineering. Aalto University was awarded as much as 38 percent of all Academy Research Fellow funding in the natural sciences and engineering.
This autumn, 25 new Academy Research Fellows will begin at Aalto. The total funding awarded to Aalto University for these positions amounts to 17.2 million euros.
In addition, the university’s researchers are involved in 29 different Academy projects, for which Aalto University has been awarded a total of 16 million euros in funding.
Both Academy Research Fellow and Academy Project grants are for four years.
It is delighting to see that both Academy Research Fellow and Academy Project grants were secured in all six Schools of Aalto University. The research topics span from basic research to more applied research.
Congratulations to all grant recipients!
Below, you will find all new Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects at Aalto. In the listing, after the recipient, there are names of the department and project. Unfortunately, some of the project names are in Finnish or Swedish only.
Read more about the funding decisions in the Research Council of Finland's press releases and Research.fi portal:
Natural sciences and engineering – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
Biosciences, health and the environment – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
Social sciences and humanities – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
Academy Research Fellows 2026–2030
| Ali, Fida | Electronics and Nanoengineering | Moiré Engineered Quantum Phases for Advanced Nanoelectronics |
| Bordoloi, Sanandam | Civil Engineering | Climate-Adaptive Resilient Barriers for Optimal Near-surface mining Disposal (CARBON-D) |
| Chen, Qiming | Applied Physics | A superconducting platform for simulating strongly-correlated particles at non-equilibrium in a reconfigurable lattice (SPLUS) |
| Dai, Yawei | Electronics and Nanoengineering | Towards Airborne Hyperspectral LiDAR Based on High-performance Integrated Detectors |
| Dickson, Rofice | Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering | A Novel Multidimensional Approach for Sustainable Neutralization of Hard-to-Abate Sectors within Earth's Safe Limits |
| DSouza, Ransell | Chemistry and Materials Science | ELPH-ML: Electron-Phonon Interactions and Wannier-Based Hamiltonians for Functional Materials with machine learning |
| Flajšman, Lukáš | Applied Physics | Magnon-Enabled Quantum Interfaces |
| Huber, Christoph | Finance | Renewing Credibility in Finance: Establishing Reproducible Research at Scale |
| Jestilä, Joakim | Chemistry and Materials Science | Towards realistic atomic layer deposition reaction models aided by enhanced sampling and machine learning |
| Juvela, Lauri | lnformation and Communications Engineering | Content-based watermarking for AI-generated audio |
| Karasov, Oleksandr | Built Environment | Osallistava GIS 2.0 vastavuoroiseen osallistumiseen ja kulttuuristen ekosysteemipalvelujen suositteluun (RECIPRO-GIS) |
| Kim, Kwantae | Electronics and Nanoengineering | HolistIC: Analog-Digital-Algorithm Co-Optimized System-on-Chip for Intelligent Audio IoT Sensors |
| Kivinen, Oscar | Mathematics and System Analysis | Curve counting, knots, and automorphic forms |
| Larsson, Maria | Design | Interactive design-for-manufacturing tools that foster understanding and creativity |
| Lehtonen, Tuomo | Computer Science | Faithful justications for automated decision-making |
| Li, Zhengmao | Electrical Engineering and Automation | Smart, Economic, and Sustainable Energy Management of Green Maritime Industry via AI Approaches (SiGMA) |
| Martinelli, Julien | Computer Science | Biology-Informed Gaussian Processes (BIOLOGNESE ): Uncertainty-Driven Insights for Biological Dynamics |
| McNeale, Donna | Bioproducts and Biosystems | Design Principles for Protein-Nucleic Acid Hybrid Materials |
| Mäkinen, Tero | Applied Physics | Rapid design of durable biobased materials (BIODUR) |
| rabiee, hesamoddin | Chemistry and Materials Science | Integrated Liquid-Phase CO2 Capture-Conversion from Dilute Sources via Microtubular Electrolyzer Platform |
| Schätzler, Leah | Mathematics and System Analysis | Boundary behavior of nonlinear partial differential equations |
| Szyller, Sebastian | Computer Science | Algorithmic Verification and Auditing of Properties in Machine Learning Systems (AVA) |
| Tian, Haoye | Computer Science | A Trustworthy LLM-based Software Repair Approach |
| Vano, Viliam | Applied Physics | Creating a two-dimensional many-body quantum simulator |
| Zevenhoven, Koos | Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering | Transforming transcranial magnetic stimulation with dynamical coupling and superconductivity |
Academy Projects 2026–2030
| Foster, Adam | Applied Physics | Deep learning Scanning Probe Microscopy for molecular structure recognition and control |
| Holme, Petter | Computer Science | Social networking in the age of artificially intelligent agents |
| Hostikka, Simo | Civil Engineering | Non-gray models for heat radiation in two-phase systems |
| Ilmoniemi, Risto | Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering | Brain-state Biomarker Scanner |
| Jokinen, Ville | Chemistry and Materials Science | Liquid-like Coating Micro- and Nanoscale Lithographic Patterning |
| Jäntti, Riku | lnformation and Communications Engineering | Backscatter-Assisted Non-Line-of-Sight Positioning in Mobile Networks (BANLOS) |
| Kallio, Tanja | Chemistry and Materials Science | Exploring Non-noble Metal Electrocatalysts for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction |
| Korpi-Lagg, Maarit | Computer Science | The Population of Exoplanets around Active Suns (PEAS) Hosts star magnetic activity, detectability, space weather and habitability |
| Lai, Russell W. F. | Computer Science | Accelerating Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography |
| Laukkanen, Timo | Energy and Mechanical Engineering | Machine learning based optimal design and operation of economic, energy efficient, sustainable and flexible process industry |
| Leskelä, Lasse | Mathematics and System Analysis | Statistical Theory for High-Dimensional Structured Network Models |
| Liesiö, Juuso | Information and Service Management | Better Planning for an Uncertain Future with Scenario-based Portfolio Decision Analysis (PLAN4FUTURE) |
| Lin, Weiwei | Civil Engineering | Automated Bridge Health Assessment in Cold Regions through Drive-by Monitoring (AutoBridgeAssess) |
| Mladenovic, Milos | Built Environment | Societal and equity impacts of urban street space redistribution |
| Musharraf, Mashrura | Energy and Mechanical Engineering | Triadic Alignment (of system, human, and context) for calibrated trust in maritime automation (TRIALIGN) |
| Nieminen, Heikki | Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering | Towards healing acoustic black holes |
| Nordman, Maaria | Built Environment | Satellite and terrestrial Gravity data Fusion for Enhanced Postglacial Rebound Modelling |
| Paraoanu, Gheorghe-Sorin | Applied Physics | Circuit-QED experiments in synthetic dimensions |
| Puurunen, Riikka | Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering | Intensified catalysis through combined 3D printing and ALD |
| Ritvala, Tiina | Management Studies | Landmark buildings of the future: A place-making perspective (FUTULAND) |
| Salovaara, Antti | Design | Gaslit Futures: Speculative Enactments of Possible Futures of AI-Enabled Post-Truth Gaslighting |
| Schmidt, Jens | Industrial Engineering and Management | Ecosystem leadership – emergence and microfoundations |
| Uotinen, Lauri | Civil Engineering | Safety of high-pressure storage caverns in Finnish bedrock |
| Wallén, Henrik | Electronics and Nanoengineering | Vegetation Optical Depth as Biophysical Proxy: Retrieval, Validation, and Applications (VODBIO) |
| Vilaca, Pedro | Energy and Mechanical Engineering | Micromechanical investigation for a new concept of hydrogen resistant steel through multiphase and controlled trapping |
| Vuori, Timo | Industrial Engineering and Management | Emotions and Strategic Renewal under Global Disruption: Organizational Adaptation amid AI, Geopolitical Tensions, and Climate Change |
| Yang, Jiancheng | Electrical Engineering and Automation | Towards Clinical World Models: Modeling Unaligned Multimodal Medical Data via Generative Steering |
| Zasedatelev, Anton | Applied Physics | Bose-Einstein Condensation of Vibrations |
| Österberg, Monika | Bioproducts and Biosystems | Synergistic alder-based peatland restoration and nanochemistry for climate change mitigation |
Read more about the funding decisions in the Research Council of Finland's press releases and Research.fi portal
Natural sciences and engineering – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
Biosciences, health and the environment – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
Social sciences and humanities – Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
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