The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to alert the community about, and disseminate knowledge and information regarding a program fostering the expansion of U.S.-Finland biomedical and behavioral research collaboration. This NOSI replaces the former NOT-OD-21-021.
Background
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Research Council of Finland (RCF) (formerly Academy of Finland (AKA)), Finland established the RCF-NIH Partnership Program in 2020 (formerly Academy of Finland (AKA) – National Institutes of Health (NIH) Partnership Program).
The RCF-NIH Partnership Program encourages targeted collaborative research between investigators in the U.S. and Finland. This is facilitated through investigator-initiated grant applications from U.S. institutions that include collaboration with Finnish investigators selected by RCF to participate in the joint research program. NIH will support the project through investigator-initiated application processes and review. RCF 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 RCF may support through this program are described in RCF’s Finnish Research Flagships and need to align with research areas that fall clearly within the missions of participating NIH ICs. Examples include but are not limited to (please refer to https://www.aka.fi/en/research-funding/programmes-and-other-funding-schemes/flagship-programme/ for thematic areas that are covered by RCF):
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 to anonymize complex cancer patient data.
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.