Strategic research funding granted for research on the changing Arctic region and public mental health

The Strategic Research Council (SRC), an independent body established within the Research Council of Finland(RCF), has granted a total of 24 million euros for research that will explore changes in the Arctic region and mental health in Finnish society.

The eight funded research consortia will carry out long-term interdisciplinary research to solve these societal challenges.

The six-year SRC programmes, which are now getting under way, will continue until the autumn of 2032.

The SRC programme The Changing Arctic Region (ARCTIC) examines the ongoing, multi-layered changes in the Arctic region that result from climate change, geopolitical tensions and economic interests.

The four consortia selected for the programme will study the effects of changes in the Arctic region on, for example, Arctic security and the environment, community livelihoods, natural resources and their use, as well as culture and tourism. They will also engage in close dialogue and cooperation with regional actors such as local and Indigenous communities. The consortia involve ten research fields and twelve organisations.

The SRC programme Public Mental Health (MIND) focuses on building and promoting good mental health in Finnish society.

Four consortia were selected to the programme. They will explore, for example, the links between societal mechanisms and mental health challenges, the effects of environmental agency on mental health and ways to strengthen mental health and resilience among older people. In addition, the MIND consortia will study and develop digital solutions that support mental health and provide effective and accessible support and care. The consortia involve eleven research fields and thirteen organisations.

The SRC also selected a programme director for both programmes. Professor Tanja Joona from the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland was appointed programme director of the ARCTIC programme, and Adjunct Professor Maria Vaalavuo, Chief Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, was appointed programme director of the MIND programme.

The programme directors will assume their duties at the same time as the research projects are launched. Their task is to lead their programme and strengthen its societal impact in collaboration with the research projects. The aim is to make extensive use of the research produced in the programmes in both policy and practice.

The SRC stressed the ethical and responsible nature of research since the two programmes were being planned. In the ARCTIC programme, this means taking into account the rights of Indigenous peoples and the principles of research ethics in particular. Research topics in the MIND programme also require special ethical consideration.

Taking these perspectives into account has also been part of the international peer review of applications, and the importance of research ethics is emphasised as the projects progress toward practical research work.