Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Health grants funding to 12 Postdoctoral Researchers

The Academy of Finland today announced that the Research Council for Health has granted funding for twelve new posts as Postdoctoral Researcher. The funding totals 3.3 million euros. The application success rate (the proportion of applications funded) was 10 per cent.

The Research Council had 120 applications for Postdoctoral Researcher funding reviewed following the September 2017 call. The applications were reviewed in thirteen international panels.

The funding decisions were made with an emphasis on the scientific quality of the research plan. Other key criteria included the impact of the research and the scientific renewal. The Research Council paid particular attention to the applicants’ competence and their opportunities to gain more independence as a researcher. It also stressed the importance of mobility, especially international mobility, already at the postdoctoral stage.

Professor Mika Rämet, Chair of the Research Council, said: “The Postdoctoral Researcher applications clearly displayed the international dimension of the proposed research. By working in a high-quality research environment abroad, researchers can strengthen their own collaborative networks. The competition in this round was very tough. Only the best and brightest researchers were selected for funding, and the research plans had to be excellent.”

The new Postdoctoral Researchers will study, for instance, early detection of diabetic kidney disease using urine samples, the molecular motility of malaria parasites, hereditary regulatory mechanisms that predispose to obesity, infantile cardiomyopathy and care services and systems for older people.