SRC decided on the projects to be funded in 2019

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) at the Academy of Finland decided on 19 June 2019 on the funding of new consortia. The granted funding amounts to approximately 51 million euros within four programmes. SRC selected a total of twelve consortia to be included in the programmes. Long-term research that is aimed at identifying solutions to major societal challenges was emphasised in the selected projects.

Three consortia were selected within each of these programmes:

• Innovative Materials and Services to Promote Resource Wisdom and Sustainable Development (IMPRES)
• The Evolving Role of Public Authority and the Potential for Steering Society (STEER)
• Culture in an Increasingly Technologically Driven Society (CULT)
• Towards a Sustainable, Healthy and Climate-Neutral Food System (FOOD)

Each programme is new and will be active until 2025.

The consortia funded in the two-stage programme call were selected among the consortia that were invited to the second stage.

In the second stage, each application was processed in two different panels. One of the panels concentrated on the applications’ scientific quality, while the other focused on their social impact. The Council's overall review was based on the panel’s review reports and the programme’s objectives. Decision criteria included the quality, social significance and impact of the resesarch.

The consortia applications invited to the second stage were of high scientific quality. According to Kimmo Nuotio, the Strategic Research Council Chair, all the projects were also societally significant.“The Council has reviewed the applications submitted to four different programmes and decided to grant funding to three consortia within each programme. The funded consortia are of high quality and together comprise a meaningful set of programmes”, says Nuotio. The new Council, which started at the beginning of the year, is especially pleased that the projects are so multidisciplinary.