Background and objectives

The funding for clinical research is aimed at strengthening clinical research and facilitating the implementation of ambitious clinical research projects. The aim is also to improve the preconditions for clinical research after the transition phases of the restructuring of the social and health care service system. The clinical research project to be funded shall be built around a scientifically high-quality research plan, implemented by a consortium of research teams.

The projects shall generate new research knowledge to support social welfare and healthcare, disease treatment, diagnostics, prevention, or business activity. The research projects are therefore expected to generate broad societal impact. To this end, it is important to interact with the key actors involved in the utilisation of research results at different stages of the research project lifecycle.

The funding will encourage researchers working in wellbeing services counties to collaborate with researchers at universities, research institutes and universities of applied sciences. Therefore, applications are invited from consortia only, and the site of research of the consortium PI must be a wellbeing services county (incl. City of Helsinki and HUS Group). Other subprojects in the consortium may be carried out at other organisations, but consortia are encouraged to include researchers from different organisations. The consortium should bring clear added value to the implementation of the research project and increase collaboration.

The funding can be applied for to hire research teams, cover research costs incurred in the project and manage the research project. A maximum of 1 million euros can be awarded to a single consortium over four years.