33 consortia selected to second call stage of strategic research programmes

The Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland has decided 11 March 2019 to invite 33 consortia to the second stage of the SRC programme call. Approximately 30 percent of submitted applications were invited to the second stage of the two-stage call. The selections are made based on the proposed projects’ societal relevance, impact and scientific quality.

The call included four new programmes which attracted a total of 108 letters of intent from 20 different organisations and 58 different field of research. The programme Innovative Materials and Services to Promote Resource Wisdom and Sustainable Development (IMPRES) received 28 applications, of which 8 are invited to the second call stage. The programme The Evolving Role of Public Authority and the Potential for Steering Society (STEER) received 32 applications, of which 9 are invited to the second call stage. The programme Culture in an Increasingly Technologically Driven Society (CULT) received 26 applications, of which 9 are invited to the second call stage. The programme Towards a Sustainable, Healthy and Climate-Neutral Food System (FOOD) received 22 applications, of which 7 are invited to the second call stage.

Programme-specific review panels assessed the letters of intent for their compatibility with the programme, their scientific quality and their societal impact. The panels consisted of both foreign and Finnish experts with extensive experience not only in science and research but also in research utilisation. The panels drafted on review report for each letter of intent. All applicants have received a written justification for the decision on their application.

“It’s incredibly interesting to get to read these applications for the first time. My first impression is that the letters of intent are of high quality, which is a positively pleasant surprise. I can see potential in many applications, even in those that are now screened out,” cays SRC’s new chair Kimmo Nuotio.

The consortia selected to the second call stage are multidisciplinary consortia whose letters of intent showed that the research matches the chosen programme and offers significant research-based solutions. The consortia also displayed a high scientific quality and presented convincingly drafted implementation plans.

The full applications will be reviewed in two different panels. One panel will focus on scientific quality, the other on societal impact. The SRC will make the final decisions on the projects to be included in the funding programmes in june 2019.

The applications that were selected are appended to this press release.