As an indicator of our high quality research, the research groups of the Faculty of Science have been successful in applications for external funding, such as Academy of Finland academy professorships and Centre of Excellence funding, as well as ERC funding from the European Union. These forms of research funding are very competitive and the standard of the science high. The strong increase in external funding has added to the width and depth of scientific research at the University of Helsinki.
The departments of the faculty are part of two Centres of Excellence funded by Academy of Finland. Three academy professors appointed by the Academy of Finland work at the faculty. Currently twelve of the researchers at the faculty’s departments receive competitive funding from ERC.
The Faculty of Science is involved in four flagship projects of the Academy of Finland: The Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC) and The Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), as well as the flagships of Mathematical Modelling, Observation and Imaging and the Finnish Quantum Flagship, which was launched in autumn 2023. The flagships science cooperates with businesses and the society at large. For more information about the flagships, please visit the University's Strategic Research website.
The board of the Academy of Finland appoints the Academy Professors. Academy Professors are nationally and internationally renown researchers with proven academic skills and the ability to further the research in their own field. The Academy Professor is the highest research post of the Academy of Finland.
The Academy currently provides funding for 25 five-year Academy Professorships, of which about half work at the University of Helsinki. Three Academy professors work at the Faculty of Science:
The departments of the Faculty of Science participate in several Centres of Excellence appointed by the Academy of Finland.
Centres of Excellence 2014–2019
Centres of Excellence 2012–2017
Centres of Excellence 2008–2013
Centres of Excellence 2006–2011
The following researchers at the Faculty of Science have received funding from the European Research Council (ERC):
Advanced Grant:
Consolidator Grant:
Starting Grant:
Advanced Grant:
Consolidator Grant:
Starting Grant:
Initiated by the Academy of Finland and Tekes, the Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation, the Finland Distinguished Professor Programme (FiDiPro) was a funding programme to recruit non-Finnish or expatriate-Finnish professor-level researchers to Finland for a fixed term. Through the program, the Faculty of Science hosted several professorships.