The Academy of Finland has selected a total of eleven new Centres of Excellence. Four are lead from the University of Helsinki. In addition, PIs from the University of Helsinki participate in three Centres of Excellence lead from other organizations.
A Centre of Excellence is a research community that is already at or striving for the international cutting edge of research in its field. CoEs may consist of one or more research teams working closely together under one joint research plan.
Centres of Excellence lead from the University of Helsinki and their leaders include:
- Center of Excellence in Tree Biology (Yrjö Helariutta)
- Finnish centre of excellence in Randomness and Structures (Eero Saksman)
- Virtual laboratory for molecular level atmospheric transformations (Hanna Vehkamäki)
- Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research (Marko Virta)
Centres of Excellence in which University of Helsinki researchers take part:
- Biological Barrier Mechanics and Disease: From molecular-scale to tissue-level understanding of signal integration and forces
- Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain
Excellence, high impact and capacity for renewal
The call for Finnish Centres of Excellence attracted a total of 184 letters of intent. Of these, 34 applications were invited to the second call stage. The full applications were reviewed by international expert panels. The reviewers also interviewed representatives of the research teams invited to the second stage.
In selecting the CoEs for the new programme, focus was placed on the international review, the interviews and the objectives of the programme. The decision-makers in particular examined that the research team applying for CoE status conducts excellent science and breakthrough research and contributes to scientific renewal.
Emphasis was also placed on the possibilities of the team to rise to or stay at the international forefront in the field.
Among the key selection criteria were also the impact of research beyond the scientific community and that the researchers and subjects of the CoE candidate can reinvigorate Finnish science.
CoEs are jointly funded by the Academy of Finland, universities and research institutes. Funding is also made available through other sources.
Read more
List of Centres of Excellence selected to the 2022–2029 Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme (PDF)
Academy of Finland Centres of Excellence 2018–2022 at the University of Helsinki