Strategic research themes for 2026 decided

The Finnish Government has decided the themes of strategic research programmes to be launched in 2026. The themes are:

• The changing Arctic region
• Public mental health.

The cross-cutting priority for the 2026 programmes is Finland as a global pioneer.

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) is an independent body established within the Research Council of Finland (RCF). The SRC is tasked with providing funding for long-term excellent research that seeks to provide solutions to the major challenges facing Finnish society today and in the future. In addition, strategic research strengthens the regeneration and competitiveness of business and industry and supports the development of work and the public sector.

SRC Chair Mikael Fogelholm says that the SRC is preparing to open one six-year research programme per theme, as in recent years.

“The new themes focus on two very different topics and together form a whole that is quite significant for Finnish society. In the first theme, we challenge researchers to examine the changes taking place in the Arctic region and their effects on, for example, the economy, nature, and the people living in the region. The second theme examines the building blocks of good mental health. The aim is to find new and effective ways to promote mental health. In both themes, it’s essential to seek new solutions and practices that build international-level expertise in Finland. In order to facilitate broad-based impact, it is essential that programmes’ researchers approach themes from an interdisciplinary perspective.”

Strategic research funding is intended for extensive research consortia that work with an emphasis on interdisciplinary research coupled with active interaction and engagement with knowledge users. Strategic research strengthens societal problem-solving capacity and improves the knowledge base of decision-making. From the projects to be funded, the SRC expects active interaction between knowledge producers and knowledge users, covering the entire life cycle of the research, in order to disseminate high-quality research to knowledge users across society.

The call text and guidelines will be published in early November (TBC) on the Research Council of Finland’s website. The first call stage will be open until mid-January 2026.