The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to alert the community about this opportunity and disseminate knowledge and information on a program designed to foster the expansion of U.S.-Finland biomedical and behavioral research collaboration.
Background
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Academy of Finland (AKA), Finland are establishing the AKA-NIH Partnership Program.
The AKA-NIH Partnership Program seeks to encourage increased collaborative research between investigators in the U.S. and Finland. This is to be facilitated through the submission of grant applications from U.S. institutions that include collaboration with Finnish investigators selected by AKA to participate in the joint research program. NIH will support the project through regular investigator-initiated NIH application processes and review. AKA will fully fund Finnish investigators on collaborative grant applications that are selected for funding by participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) while NIH will fund the U.S. component. Research areas AKA may support through this program are described in AKA’s Finnish Research Flagships (https://www.aka.fi/en/research-funding/programmes-and-other-funding-schemes/flagship-programme/) and need to align with research areas that fall clearly within the missions of participating NIH ICs. For example:
Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN) Flagship:
- Development of ultra-sensitive portable analyzers and biochemical sensors for applications in medical care
- Design of a platform based on novel bioactive optical fibers for the development of novel biomedical devices for biophotonic and photomedical applications
Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) Flagship and Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Platform (iCAN) Flagship:
- Integrating molecular data with digital health and involving patients to develop solutions in the digital health, diagnostic, and therapeutic space
- Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to anonymize complex cancer patient data
- Utilizing lessons learned from cancer research for treatments to COVID-19
Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State (INVEST) Flagship:
- Developing and studying digitally delivered intervention approaches regarding conduct problems of preschool children and anxiety problems among school-aged children
- Utilizing molecular genetics to find out why interventions do not always work and what factors explain persistent issues in child development and learning
Eligible U.S. investigators who wish to participate in this program with Finnish collaborators should submit their application in response to standard, investigator-initiated R01 NIH grant funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). Applications will be reviewed by NIH in accordance with usual NIH procedures. Prior to the submission of an application to NIH, the Finnish collaborator must share a complete draft application with AKA and AKA will determine whether applications meet their requirements to be eligible for AKA funding. Please note that submission deadlines to AKA are different, and in addition to submission deadlines to NIH (https://www.aka.fi/en/research-funding/apply-for-funding/calls-for-applications/). In all cases applications should address scientific priorities of relevance to both AKA, and NIH ICs. If an application is found eligible for AKA funding, AKA will issue a Confirmation of Eligibility for Funding letter to the Finnish investigator/collaborator and this letter must be included in the NIH application at the time of submission. Please refer to detailed instructions for funding consideration by AKA on this website: https://www.aka.fi/en/research-funding/apply-for-funding/calls-for-applications/.
Inquiries about the eligibility of proposed projects can be directed to the Point of Contacts listed below and to AKA (see website above).
Application and Submission Information
This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2021 and subsequent receipt dates through January 8, 2024.