Teaming up with the best

FiDiPro – the Finland Distinguished Professor – is a funding programme for recruiting highly-merited scientists, who are able to commit to long-term cooperation with a Finnish university or research institute.

Led and financed by the Academy of Finland and Tekes, FiDiPro provides competitive grants for distinguished researchers, both international and expatriates, from all disciplines.

The goal of the FiDiPro programme is to raise the level of scientific and technological excellence by giving Finnish academic organisations the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding researchers around the world.

The FiDiPro funding programme for visiting top researchers in science and technology opened its first call in 2006. The first FiDiPro researchers started their work at the beginning of 2007. In 2009, Tekes introduced FiDiPro Fellow funding for promising international research talents.

“I think it’s important that the FiDiPro professorship enables me to be physically present in the research project. Still it would be worth attracting even more

international researchers to Finland.”

FiDiPro Professor Asoke K. Nandi studies brain patterns that music generates. With the help of these

patterns people may someday be able to hear without using their ears. The future applications of Professor Nandi’s research are many: medicine, psychotherapy

and even entertainment.

What is FiDiPro?

Photo: University of Liverpool

Research environment in Finland

”FiDiPro funding programme is very flexible and supportive. For us it

means that our doctoral candidates have the funding they need and that we can build effective international

cooperation.”

FiDiPro Professor Elizabeth Couper-Kuhlen’s line of research is called interactional linguistics. She aims

to study and understand language and the use of language in different

interactional situations.

“The networks within Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and

Innovation are highly valuable for joint innovation and Finnish industry. These networks bring together the expertise of researchers and companies, and are

unique in the world.”

FiDiPro Professor Sirkka Järvenpää is an expert in global virtual teams

and group functioning. Her research is based on the idea that the creation

of open innovations requires both international cooperation and

competition.

Finland is consistently ranked among the top performers in international comparisons that focus on such aspects as knowledge-based development and international competitiveness. Science, technology and education are given a high priority. Finland excels in technological development and has a high number of researchers. Relative indicators of scientific output and quality of research also put Finland among the very best OECD performers.

R&D investment as a proportion of GDP and as private business investment is at high level in Finland, and cooperation between businesses and academia is close. Finland’s network of universities and university-level institutions is exceptionally dense and regionally comprehensive in international comparisons.

Photo: Olli Häkämies Photo: Mccombs school of business

“It has been a tremendous personal adventure and great research opportunity. For example, in Finland there are excellent river and ocean

water sample databases. We have been able to use this data to effectively compare and analyse

our own research findings.”

FiDiPro Professor David Thomas researches the effects of climate change on the Baltic Sea.

The Academy of Finland provides funding for cutting-edge and innovative research aimed at significant breakthroughs. Its overriding aim is to support the renewal, diversification and internationalisation of Finnish research.

The FiDiPro projects funded by Tekes pay special attention to creating new competence and harnessing it for the needs of business life.

Spearheading research and boosting innovation

Photo: Johnny Korkman

The FiDiPro programme provides applicants with two alternatives:

1. FiDiPro Professor funding is intended for inviting international professor-level top researches to Finland. Funded by both the Academy of Finland and Tekes.

2. FiDiPro Fellow funding is awarded for talented and experienced researchers who are past their postdoctoral stage, at least 3–4 years after the Doctorate Dissertation. Funded by Tekes.

For both funding alternatives, the application process has two stages. The projects invited to proceed to the second stage are selected on the basis of the letters of intent outlining the project plan and explaining the collaboration between the international professor and the Finnish research teams or companies.

Funding covers expenses such as salary and travel costs of the visiting researcher and the costs of the research project.

”The FiDiPro research project is especially valuable as it enables tangible cooperation. Telephone and video

conferences or e-mail could never replace personal interaction and face-to-face discussions.”

FiDiPro Professor Thomas Heinze is developing chemical methods with which a greater number of the characteristics of cellulose can be transferred into the

products made from it.

Who is eligible for funding?

How does it work? The Academy of Finland and Tekes open calls on a regular intervals. FiDiPro funding is always applied by a Finnish university or research institute – not by the international researcher personally. Funding is awarded for academic and applied research projects lasting for 2–5 years. The projects are required to have strategic importance to the host university or research institute.

Photo: H. Wondraczek

More information: www.fidipro.fi

”In the short run, the most obvious benefit of the project, in terms of the progress of our field of research, is the opportunity to build an

interdisciplinary network that also extends abroad.”

Internationally renowned American researcher Peter Kivisto endeavours to construct a theoretical overall

understanding of the concept of multiculturalism and contribute to education in the field in Finland.

Arctic Circle

60°

FINLANDHelsinki

Russia

Norway

Sweden

Photo: Riikka Söderlund

Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation : Kyllikinportti 2P.O.Box 69, FI-00101 HelsinkiTel. +358 2950 55000Fax +358 9 694 9196 www.tekes.fi/eng

Academy of Finland: Hakaniemenranta 6P.O.Box 131, FI-00531 HelsinkiTel. +358 29 533 5000Fax +358 29 533 5299 www.aka.fi/eng

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The FiDiPro programme provides applicants with two alternatives:

1. FiDiPro Professor funding is intended for inviting international professor-level top researches to Finland. Funded by both the Academy of Finland and Tekes.

2. FiDiPro Fellow funding is awarded for talented and experienced researchers who are past their postdoctoral stage, at least 3–4 years after the Doctorate Dissertation. Funded by Tekes.

For both funding alternatives, the application process has two stages. The projects invited to proceed to the second stage are selected on the basis of the letters of intent outlining the project plan and explaining the collaboration between the international professor and the Finnish research teams or companies.

Funding covers expenses such as salary and travel costs of the visiting researcher and the costs of the research project.

”The FiDiPro research project is especially valuable as it enables tangible cooperation. Telephone and video

conferences or e-mail could never replace personal interaction and face-to-face discussions.”

FiDiPro Professor Thomas Heinze is developing chemical methods with which a greater number of the characteristics of cellulose can be transferred into the

products made from it.

Who is eligible for funding?

How does it work? The Academy of Finland and Tekes open calls on a regular intervals. FiDiPro funding is always applied by a Finnish university or research institute – not by the international researcher personally. Funding is awarded for academic and applied research projects lasting for 2–5 years. The projects are required to have strategic importance to the host university or research institute.

Photo: H. Wondraczek

Teaming up with the bestArctic Circle

60°

FINLANDHelsinki

Russia

Norway

Sweden

More information: www.fidipro.fi

”In the short run, the most obvious benefit of the project, in terms of the progress of our field of research, is the opportunity to build an

interdisciplinary network that also extends abroad.”

Internationally renowned American researcher Peter Kivisto endeavours to construct a theoretical overall

understanding of the concept of multiculturalism and contribute to education in the field in Finland.

Arctic Circle

60°

FINLANDHelsinki

Russia

Norway

Sweden

Photo: Riikka Söderlund

Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation : Kyllikinportti 2P.O.Box 69, FI-00101 HelsinkiTel. +358 2950 55000Fax +358 9 694 9196 www.tekes.fi/eng

Academy of Finland: Hakaniemenranta 6P.O.Box 131, FI-00531 HelsinkiTel. +358 29 533 5000Fax +358 29 533 5299 www.aka.fi/eng

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