SRC preparing new themes for strategic research, seeks proposals for new programme themes
The Strategic Research Council (SRC) established within the Research Council of Finland is opening an online survey to collect proposals on themes for strategic research programmes to be launched in 2026.
Strategic research refers to long-term and scientifically high-level research aimed at finding solutions to major challenges facing Finnish society. It also supports social policymaking and the development of societal functions and services.
The theme survey is open from 24 October to 14 November 2024.
What makes a good theme?
The goal of the survey is to identify themes that
- address key challenges for the future of Finland
- require multidisciplinary research to generate new knowledge
- are horizontal, cover different sectors of society broadly and serve both the development of work and the public sector and economic renewal
- are sufficiently distinct in relation to previous themes.
The aim is also to develop new, forward-looking combinations of know-how and research as well as long-term approaches that will carry through the whole six-year programme period.
The survey does not seek individual research topics but multidisciplinary wholes that meet the above characteristics of a good theme. It is also good to take into account the types of research questions that have already been funded under previous SRC programmes.
The theme preparation is also a foresighting exercise. The aim is to identify long-term information needs and themes in society where new multidisciplinary and impactful research is needed in order to build a better future.
Submit your proposal by 14 November
Proposals on themes for the strategic research programmes to be launched in 2026 can be submitted by 14 November through the Viima survey platform.
Viima enables respondents not only to submit their own proposals but also to comment on and discuss other proposals. Ideally, the discussion will lead to proposals that identify future challenges and open-mindedly combine different perspectives and disciplines. Respondents can also add hashtags to the proposals, which makes it possible to examine submitted proposals by theme.
The SRC will make use of the proposals in the theme preparation for future programmes. The collected proposals can also be used in planning the SRC’s and the Research Council of Finland’s programmes in the coming years. The survey data will be kept at the Research Council of Finland for possible reuse. The Research Council of Finland and the SRC reserve the right to edit or discard proposals.
To participate in the survey, respondents must either create a Viima account or sign in with their LinkedIn or Google accounts, for example.
Theme survey
Inquiries and more information
- Themes and theme process for strategic research
- SRC programmes and projects
- Blog: Themes of strategic research programmes are built together in anticipation of the future
- Privacy notice for strategic research theme survey (PDF)
- Pilvi Toppinen, Secretary General, tel. +358 295 335 064, firstname.lastname(at)aka.fi
- Technical questions about the survey: strateginentutkimus(at)aka.fi