The message from the new InFLAMES Research Managers Joe Hettinger (on the right) and Jarkko Koivunen (on the left) is positive. They see that InFLAMES has excellent possibilities to get international funding from the European Union and further abroad, such as the NIH in the United States, while continuing the success with national funding sources.

The main goal for the Research Managers is clear.

– The phrase “bring in more money” succinctly sums the main goal. We are here to help our researchers get the funding they need, whether it is consortium-level multi-centre research projects, professional development like an ERC application, or tailored team building via post-doc fellowships, Jarkko and Joe state.

The other critical goal for Jarkko and Joe is greater engagement with industry as a means to drive research findings and discoveries towards clinical applications, towards the market.

– The upside to engaging with industry is that it opens up another “world” of industrial funding opportunities, which I have been doing myself the past several years with a few MedTech startups in Cyprus, Joe tells.

Besides funding, Jarkko finds it is essential to improve some of the flagship performan indicators such as the number of invention disclosures.

Let´s meet!

To find and apply for new sources of funding and engage with industry, Jarkko and Joe want to know the researchers at InFLAMES and the services and core facilities available to the Flagship.

– This means we have already started to have face-to-face meetings with InFLAMES PIs as well as “meet-and-greets” with other services and units at the university. We have to know what we have to be able to look ahead. That being said, during our meetings with researchers, we are already presenting or discussing specific upcoming funding calls, just to make sure while we get on our feet that no opportunities are inadvertently missed, managers note.

They also take the following viewpoint toward applying for funding:

– External funding is inherently competitive, which is why one should no limit it to only national or EU funding, for example, or even a specific funding source. You never know when there may be an opportunity.

Rule number one: apply

Both experts like what they have seen these past few weeks.

– The researchers we have at InFLAMES are very active, very excited to be doing research, which is reflected by their publications and presentations. In combination with the resources and core facilities available here, I am excited with our chances in competitive funding. But the caveat here is that if you don’t apply, the chance of getting funded is zero, so we need to apply, we need to get out there, something that I and Jarkko will encourage and help with, Joe reminds.

Joe and Jarkko say their focus is inherently to support the researchers of InFLAMES but stress that the process is meant to be dynamic.

– We will be proactive as much as possible, but we encourage the researchers to contact us as well if something arises, whether it is a need for specific funding, coming across a call of interest to explore, or help to build a consortium. Even if you have a proposal written up and simply want a round of copy editing, get in touch.

Settling in smoothly

Settling in at the university has been straightforward for both newcomers . Turku also seems to please them.

– Being Canadian, I did have a few things to do for my relocation to Turku, like open a bank account and register, but it has gone well and these things are either done or in process. I am liking the fact that Turku actually has winter with snow and it is below zero. The worse it gets in Cyprus is a day or two of rain and it drops to ten degrees; a far cry from the minus forty-degree winters I had growing up in Canada, says Joe.

Jarkko was born in Mikkeli and he did his masters and PhD in Jyväskylä and subsequently moved to Oulu. He spends his free time cooking and fishing.