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11/6

Call 13.3.-11.6.2024

NSF Global Centres call 2024: Addressing Global Challenges through the Bioeconomy

Each year, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) organizes thematic international Global Center programs. This year, the call for funding is focused on challenging bioeconomy topics for future solutions.

Find out more about NFS funding call

Further information

Marika Ollaranta
marika.ollaranta (at) businessfinland.fi

Ilmari Absetz
ilmari.absetz (at) businessfinland.fi

Call has ended!

Info Webinar of NSF Global Centers Bioeconomy on 27.3.2024 at 16:00
Recording of the event
Presentations:
- Business Finland
- Research Council of Finland
- NFS Global Centers

Finnish companies and research organizations are invited to participate in the international NSF Global Centers call. The aim is to increase research cooperation between Finland, the United States and other countries participating in the program. This collaboration aims to produce innovations that will lead to improvements in a wide range of scientific and technological fields and that are consistent with the objectives of the program.

Themes of the call

The aim of the program is to provide inspiring and impactful research that addresses the global bioeconomy challenges through two main themes and the cross-cutting themes that support them to build the knowledge base.

1. Leveraging Biodiversity Across the Tree of Life to Power the Bioeconomy

  • Biotechnology solutions and processes based on living organisms
  • Interactions and genomics of microbial, plant and animal organisms

2. Bio foundries 

  • Learning iterative biological processes and AI solutions
  • Biotechnology, genomics, metabolomics, synthetic biology and biorefineries
  • Data, modelling, computation and prototyping for bioeconomy processes and applications
  • Political, economic and ethical issues of the green economy

Business Finland funding

In Finland, the program is funded by Business Finland and Research Council of Finland, whose contributions may complement each other. Business Finland has earmarked €7 million and the Research Council of Finland €3 million for the application. Application page ot the Research Council of Finland

Finland is preparing to fund two Finnish consortia of €5 million as part of the international NSF Global Centers project consortium. NSF plans to fund 5-7 Global Centers project consortia. The estimated size of the 5-year Global Centers programme in six countries is more than €100 million.

Business Finland funding tools are:

  • Funding for research and development is funding for an individual company or group of companies for ambitious industrial research, which would most often include subcontracting research from universities and/or research organizations and typically also subcontracting from companies, such as research spin-off companies. , deep tech companies or AI companies. funding for an individual company or group of companies for ambitious industrial research, which would most often include subcontracting research from universities and/or research organizations and typically also subcontracting from companies, such as research spin-off companies. , deep tech companies or AI companies.

  • Co-Innovation - Business Finland is joint research funding for joint activities between companies and research organizations that enable them to increase their competitiveness and generate significant new international business. Joint Innovation Funding requires at least three Finnish companies and one or more research organizations applying for funding. The companies can be large companies, SMEs or start-ups with credible expertise and sufficient resources. 

  • Co-Research - Business Finland projects can build bridges between basic research and industrial research in companies and focus research on topics relevant to Finnish exports. Funding is targeted at disruptive and strategic projects and those that develop future competences. The results of the Co-Research projects will serve as a basis for companies' own development projects and possible

    Update on the company funding of NSF Global Centers Bioeconomy Call Co-Research projects and the schedule for confirmation of company commitment

    The funding contribution of companies that could utilize the results may be lower than 10 % in future-oriented, disruptive Co-Research projects or joint projects that develop strategic competence and have a high novelty value. Based on this interpretation, the NSF Global Centers Bioeconomy Call Co-Research projects have a minimum level of company funding of 5%. The commitment of the companies is demonstrated by means of the form: "Notification of participation in the project". It can be found from the link in list SHORTCUTS.

    Company commitments on funding and its amount must be submitted to Business Finland as attachments (Form Notification of participation in the project) to the application by 11.6.2024 at least as preliminary commitments when confirmation comes later. The deadline is 30.9.2024 for legally authorized person to confirm the company commitments with a signature. The confirmed information is needed at the latest for Business Finland's funding decisions, which will be made by the end of 2024, based on the NSF Global Centers international evaluation in July and international funders meeting in August where Global Centers recommendations for National funding are agreed.

Funding is subject to Business Finland's funding criteria and national laws. Business Finland may fund Finnish participants in project consortia participating in the Global Centers application.

Finnish applicants must submit their funding application through the Business Finland online service. The Finnish application includes the Finnish consortium partners project plans and the international consortium project plan. Applications must meet Business Finland's national funding conditions.

To ensure a smooth processing of applications, all Finnish applicants should contact Business Finland as early as possible.