publisert 13.03.2006
Finland attracts foreign top researchers
The first call for plans of intent within the Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) funding programme gave even a better result than expected. Finnish universities and research institutes named close to a hundred foreign or expatriate Finnish researchers whose visit to Finland they propose to Tekes and the Academy of Finland to be funded within the programme. The first researchers coming to Finland through FiDiPro will start work in 2007.
"Considering that this was the first call within the new programme the result is as excellent. Finnish universities and research institutes from a wide range of scientific and technological fields saw the benefit in strengthening their knowledge and know-how through foreign forces," Director Mika Aalto from Tekes describes the result.
"The great number of applications submitted shows that universities and research institutes already have active international cooperation and first of all, that their research teams and know-how attract foreign top researchers", Director Liisa Savunen from the Academy of Finland sums up.
In the call for plans of intent that expired at the end of January universities and research institutes defined their competence areas and how foreign top researchers could further strengthen these areas. The best of the submitted plans of intent will be selected and the first top researchers coming to Finland with funding through the FiDiPro programme can start work in early 2007.
New funding programme for visiting top researchers in science and technology
The FiDiPro programme is a funding programme jointly launched by the Academy of Finland and Tekes with the aim of recruiting professor-level top researchers, either foreign researchers or Finnish researchers who have long worked abroad, to Finland for 2-5 years. Funding can be applied for by Finnish universities and research institutes. The deadline of the first call for plans of intent expired was the end of January 2006. A new application round will be arranged in 2007.
The goal of the funding programme is to strengthen scientific and technological knowledge and know-how in Finland as well as to add a more international element to the Finnish research system, generate added value into the national innovation system and support research-driven profiling of universities and research institutes. Another aim is to create a new kind of international cooperation between basic and applied research as well as between corporate R&D activities.
For more information visit:
Academy of Finland
Director Liisa Savunen
tel. +358 9 7748 8223
Se også generell informasjon om Finland Distinguished Professor Programme.