Research Council of Finland awards nearly €5 million to the University of Jyväskylä for research in education, culture and society
Funding was awarded to researchers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Education and Psychology, the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.
In total, the Research Council of Finland’s Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities selected 42 new Academy Research Fellows and awarded funding to 59 Academy Projects comprising 74 subprojects. Approximately €27 million was allocated to Academy Research Fellows and approximately €38 million to Academy Projects.
Academy Research Fellows
Academy Research Fellowship funding supports promising researchers who have advanced rapidly in their careers and are internationally networked. The funding is intended for researchers whose work is scientifically high-quality, impactful and renews science.
Senior Researcher Daniel Phipps from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences received approximately €679,000 in funding for his Academy Research Fellowship project investigating why young people use cigarettes, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The study focuses on the emotional, social and cognitive factors underlying the use of nicotine products. The aim is to develop practical recommendations for schools, policymakers and families, and to openly share resources and reports written in plain language.
Senior Lecturer Anna Puupponen from the Department of Language and Communication Studies received approximately €667,000 in funding for an Academy Research Fellowship project investigating indexicality in Finnish Sign Language. The project examines how native signers and adult learners use bodily movements in narratives and turn-taking, and how they process such expressions. The research combines methods from corpus linguistics, interactional linguistics and neuroimaging. The findings can be applied in sign language teaching and in supporting learners’ language development. The research will be carried out at the Sign Language Centre of the University of Jyväskylä.
Academy Projects
Academy Project funding promotes the renewal and diversity of Finnish science and improves the quality, scientific impact and broader societal impact of research. The aim is to support internationally high-level scientific research, potential scientific breakthroughs and research collaboration with leading international groups.
Research Professor Johanna Annala from the Finnish Institute for Educational Research received €500,000 in funding for the Academy Project “Tracing Knowledge: Universities and the Risk of Empty Education.” The project examines the knowledge base of higher education and curricula, develops theory, and seeks new scientific openings to promote a knowledge base for higher education and curricula that supports active participation and creative visions for building a sustainable and more equitable future. The project is led by the University of Jyväskylä and carried out in collaboration with the University of Helsinki.
Professor Piia Astikainen from the Department of Psychology received approximately €599,000 in funding for the Academy Project “Multilevel Interaction Synchrony in Therapist- and Avatar-Guided Digital Wellbeing Interventions.” The project investigates how the effectiveness of digital wellbeing services can be improved by understanding "synchrony", the natural coordination of behavior, body signals, and brain activity between a psychotherapist and a client. The research findings will help design scalable, more engaging, and effective digital interventions for depression and anxiety
Professor Taru Feldt from the Department of Psychology received approximately €499,000 in funding for the Academy Project “Towards Future Careers: Meeting Career Demands and Advancing Sustainability through Ecosystem Collaboration.” The project examines how humanly sustainable careers are built and manifested at the individual, organisational and societal levels in changing working life, and how different actors can promote them. The project is led by the University of Jyväskylä and carried out in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland.
Professor Raija Hämäläinen from the Department of Education, who received approximately €500,000, and Senior Researcher Ville Heilala from the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, who received approximately €499,000, received funding for the Academy Project “Towards Responsible AI for Education: How to Address the Emotional Needs of Novice IT Students.” The project investigates how emotions are associated with collaborative problem-solving in programming education. The project aims to develop ethical methods for integrating AI into education, ensuring students receive the emotional and learning support they need in alignment with the AI Act.
Professor Sari Pietikäinen from the Department of Language and Communication Studies received approximately €594,000 in funding for the Academy Project “Väylä. Biosociolinguistics of climate change in the Meänkieli Tornio River valley.” The project investigates how climate change affects language, nature and people’s lives in the Tornio River Valley through the study of Meänkieli. Combining sociolinguistics, discourse studies, and citizen science, Väylä develops a new biosociolinguistic approach that views language as part of living ecological and social systems. The project produces new knowledge on how language and environment change together and creates tools for supporting sustainable and resilient futures in northern communities.
Postdoctoral Researcher William Randall from the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies received approximately €448,000 in funding for the Academy Project “Healthy Affect Regulation through Music: Observations from Natural, Individualised Contexts (HARMONIC).” The project examines the role of music in young people’s daily emotion regulation, including when it's helpful, and when might it cause harm. The findings will guide new interventions in therapy, digital health apps, and support services aimed at young people.
RCF winter call results, press release 12.6.2026
