Our 2024 grantees are advancing the sustainability transformations within democratic decision-making, the EU, and nature conservation areas.
The Nessling Foundation has selected the projects to be funded in the 2024 general call. We awarded funding to 24 projects, totalling 2 339 717 euros. Among the funded projects are 10 doctoral research projects, 7 postdoctoral projects, and 7 science-based action projects. A record 494 applications were received, resulting in a lower approval rate than in previous years. Less than 5 percent of applicants received funding.
The standard of applications was once again very high this year. A new category introduced this year allowed applicants to seek funding for science-based activities. This new category for science-based action projects generated significant interest and attracted many carefully crafted applications.
Many of the funded projects highlight the relationship between democracy and decision-making. Several projects received funding to promote effective communication, democratic decision-making, and a just transition in the sustainability transformations.
Among those funded was Marianne Aulake, whose doctoral research project, ‘Justice and security in the era of environmental crises – The threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and rising inequity in Finnish policies’, aims to reveal how the EU and national policies address environmental security and justice, and how the concept of human security can be utilized in practice. Sara Lindeman’s postdoctoral project, ‘Ecological communication and decision making to enable sustainability transformations’, examines the interaction between young people, policymakers, funders, social entrepreneurs, NGOs, and other stakeholders, aiming to foster decentralised and mutual learning. Samu Kuoppa, in turn, is examining the power interests shaping EU energy policy in his doctoral research project, ‘Energy and governmentality in the European Grean Deal’.
Funded in the science-based action project category, the youth climate strategy project Operaatio Arktis aims to promote interdisciplinary and diverse research, make science more accessible, and create the conditions for just, science-based decision-making related to tipping points.
In addition to decision-making and democracy, another theme that clearly emerges in the funded projects is ecological restoration. Nicola Kokkonen is investigating the greenhouse gas emissions from prescribed burning in her postdoctoral project, Roosa Hautala is examining the effects of vegetation community succession and other environmental factors on the changes in soil carbon stocks in restored peatlands in her doctoral research, and Saana Palmu is focusing on the disturbance dynamics of protected areas in her doctoral project.
Following the trend of previous years, most of the funded projects have defined themselves as natural science or multidisciplinary. According to the research committee, which consists of members of the Nessling Foundation’s board, this year’s application round demonstrates that both natural scientists and those conducting social science and humanities research have begun to find their voice and role in the sustainability transformations. The funded applicants have exceptionally well managed to link their research to the broader sustainability transformations that protect natural systems.
The funded projects are distributed across the following organisations: University of Helsinki (4 funded projects), Aalto University (3), NGO (3), Natural Resources Institute Finland (2), University of Jyväskylä (3), University of Eastern Finland (1), University of Tampere (1), University of Turku (1), University of Oulu (1), Finnish Environment Institute (1), Foundation (1), Business (1), Cooperative (1), and Individual (1).
Unfortunately, in 2024, we will not be able to provide phone feedback to the projects that did not receive funding, as we have done in previous years, due to resource constraints. We apologise for this!
Read the full list of funded projects here.
