Radical creativity
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Aalto University boosts bold and new transdisciplinary research projects
13 interdisciplinary teams got internal seed funding for research that boldly pushes existing boundaries and contributes to creating a radically new kind of future
The new strategy of Aalto University encourages collaboration across schools and disciplines. To support this, Aalto invests over one million euros during 2022–2024 through its internal seed funding and research funding calls.
The seed funding for Cross-Cutting Areas and the Radical Creativity research funding call received altogether 45 excellent proposals, of which Aalto funds 13 research consortiums.
‘We believe in transdisciplinary collaboration and want to encourage it and support it with these calls. One of Aalto University’s greatest assets is the unique combination of different disciplines, which enables high-quality science and border-crossing innovations’, says Ossi Naukkarinen, Vice President of Research.
The seed funding for Cross-Cutting Areas got 19 proposals, of which nine research groups were funded. The funding encourages professors to establish new research consortiums and new collaborations and thus aims to enhance chances to get major external funding in the future. It sought to fund emerging research groups and support establishing a new international collaboration network.
The Radical Creativity research call received 26 proposals, of which four research groups were granted funding. The projects aim to provide tools, knowledge, and theoretical frameworks for future applications of radical creativity, or take a radically creative approach to their research subjects, familiar things like ceramics and vision, with the potential to completely transform the way they are made and perceived.
‘These are all novel, unique, and interesting projects that have the potential to create a radically new kind of future, as well as produce sustainable solutions to the challenges of the current world. In addition, the research projects are aligned with our strategy and strengthen our key research areas’, Ossi Naukkarinen concludes.
List of funded Radical Creativity research projects
List of funded Cross-Cutting Areas research projects
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The research group coordinated by Ali Tehrani aims to provide sustainable solutions in the textile industry. Riku Jäntti’s group is developing sensor network technologies to help monitoring wood-based composites used for built environment. Jaana Vapaavuori leads the research group that seeks to enhance circular economy and utilise carbon-negative materials.
Kari Halonen’s research group develops new diagnostic tools to support clinicians in their work with elderly, paediatric and disabled care. The research group led by Laura Arpiainen provides practical solutions to enable more inclusive, creative, and sustainable urban planning. Monika Österberg leads the group that will improve materials research by providing an online interactive data library.
Mahdi Pourakbari Kasmaei’s research group will harness AI in the fight for carbon neutrality of energy ecosystem. The research groups led by Anton Kuzyk and Juho Pokki-Riikonen combine microscopy integrable devices, recent cell-culturing techniques in 3D, and nanotechnology, with the goal of providing enhanced solutions for cancer treatments. The idea of İdil Gaziulusoy’s research group challenges incremental approaches to sustainability innovation and aims to push innovation agendas of businesses to become transformative.
The topics of the projects support at least one of the cross-cutting areas of the Aalto strategy: Solutions for Sustainability, Radical Creativity, and Entrepreneurial Mindset. They demonstrate a systematic approach to solving a significant problem requiring expertise from several fields. Research aims for societal impact through innovation, experimentation, and new knowledge, making it relevant for both Aalto University and Finnish society.
More information about seed funding
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New seed funding calls for cross-cutting areas will be opened annually (2022, 2023, 2024). The next call will launch in August 2022. For more information, turn to Krisztina Cziner, Head of Platform Services.
In research, Radical Creativity refers to new and set-breaking frameworks and processes, paradigm-challenging approaches, or even paradigm shifts. Funded projects reflect that idea well, as they present radically creative, risk-taking, and new ambitious research openings within and across disciplines, and test ideas for future elaborations.
A research group led by Antti Ahlava will be researching transdisciplinary strategy tools and experimental and speculative collaboration methods. The research will contribute to societally transformative creativity.
The cross-school research group led by Tua Björklund creates new knowledge of radical creativity in emergent transdisciplinary networks. It will challenge monodisciplinary notions of creativity, contributing to supporting and leveraging diverse approaches to radical creativity.
Maarit Mäkelä leads the research group which will re-think ceramics and geopolymers. The use of geopolymers would offer sustainable solutions for the construction sector and concrete production, but also transform the way traditional ceramics is made and seen by envisioning the potential of unfired clay.
The research group led by Laura Beloff and Ilkka Tittonen will explore the possibilities of optics and nanosciences promoting new paradigms in arts and design. The research has the potential to change the way we look and see – especially colours and how we will use them.
This research call sought emerging groups exploring novel ideas for a radically new future and high breakthrough potential. The key criterion was that radical creativity must be somehow involved – be it as a research topic, in the methods and the courage to use them, or in the ways of collecting data or reporting research. While the research could be in early stages, there has to be a few prior studies or results from the research scope. Funding aims to support transdisciplinary research in any field and through any method done and used at Aalto.
More information about Radical Creativity research funding
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The 2022 calls’ evaluation process was handled by the Aalto Networking Platform Task Force. Proposals were finally approved by Vice President of Research Ossi Naukkarinen and the Research Steering Group (ReSG) in March 2022.
Summary slide-set of the evaluation process and one sliders of the funded proposals
More information
Krisztina Cziner, Head of Platform Services
[email protected]
+358 50 3161028
Riikka Mäkikoskela, Head of Radical Creativity
[email protected]
+358 45 1313562
Aalto Networking Platform
The Aalto Networking Platform brings together research expertise across departments, supporting collaboration both inside and outside of Aalto.
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