Kvantum Institute’s new spearhead projects for the period 2025 – 2028
Kvantum Institute supports high-quality research by strategic research projects in the thematic area "Mitigating climate change and safeguarding biodiversity" including profiling themes Changing Space Environment; Biodiverse, Arctic, Digital Water Systems and Global Resilience; Green Transition and Circular Economy; Hydrogen Future and Sustainable Steel.
The University of Oulu opened the call for Kvantum Institute’s strategic research projects for the period of 2025 – 2028 on December 15th, 2023. The call was closed on February 29th, 2024.
The independent scientific evaluation panel (10 members) was appointed by the Rector of the University of Oulu. External experts (8 persons) reviewed some applications for scientific support to the panel.
The focus of the evaluation was on the scientific quality of research, scientific impact and impact beyond academia as well as scientific renewal and diversity, and potential breakthrough research. The aim is to reach internationally as high standard as possible and to support scientific breakthroughs and top-tier national and international collaboration.
Based on the recommendations given by the evaluation panel, the Rector of the University of Oulu appointed the following 15 research projects (listed in alphabetical order) to the Kvantum Institute for a period of 2025 – 2028 :
- Aikio, Anita: Polar upper atmosphere and space environment studied with the EISCAT3D radar and other cutting-edge instruments (POLAR)
- Alahuhta, Janne: Unraveling the effects of contemporary and historical changes in climate and land use on freshwater biodiversity in high-latitude regions of Europe and North America
- Asikainen, Timo: Energetic Particle Influence on polar vortex under Climate Change – EPICC
- Bezuidenhout, Daniela: Towards Metal-Free Catalysis: CO2 and H2 Activation by T-shaped Metal Mimics
- Cao Wei: Hybrid Panel Reactor for Direct Production and Separation of Solar Hydrogen – HYDRO
- Christensen, Torben: High-latitude greenhouse gases – a balancing act (HILAC)
- Ghosh, Sumit: Green Transition through 4th Generation steels Innovations and clean technology (Green4GTech)
- Hjort, Jan: Geodiversity for mapping and conserving biodiversity in the changing Arctic (GeoBioArctic)
- Marttila Hannu: DigiPeat – Digital high-resolution verification tools for documenting peatland restoration and changes
- Mutanen, Marko: Developing a Genomic Blueprint for a Bio-literate Future
- Paavola, Riku: Stream biodiversity under change: Is water quality improvement compromised by intensified land use?
- Pirttilä, Anna-Maria: Mosses, nature’s purifier, for reducing land use-derived metal and nutrient loads in catchments (PUREWA)
- Telkki, Ville-Veikko: Sensitive NMR for Sustainable Development
- Vainio, Seppo: Species Derived Exo Vesicles as Novel Bioaerosol Type & Biodiversity Indicators (AirBioDiV)
- Verronen, Pekka: Climate Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation in the Arctic Region (CIEPPAR)
These 15 projects will be targeted for strategic support in the form of postdoctoral researcher and doctoral researcher positions.
Public project descriptions can be found on the Kvantum website under the title "Spearhead projects 2025 - 2028".