FVR has joined the ImmuDocs pilot project as a consortium partner. The pilot aims to train doctors (PhD) with strong immunology expertise for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic fields.

The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture is funding a national pilot project between 2024 and 2027 to test new doctoral training practices in Finland. In November 2023, the Research Council of Finland organized a call for universities that are part of its Finnish Flagship Programme – an instrument that supports high-quality research and increases the economic and societal impact emerging from the research – and the consortia of these universities to apply for funding to cover the costs of pilot projects. The ImmuDocs pilot project is one of the applicants for funding.

The ImmuDocs pilot project’s objectives are:

• To expand the pool of immunology experts in Finland.
• To experiment with adaptable doctoral education approaches while upholding high PhD standards.
• To further enhance the mobility of candidates by facilitating their movement between universities and companies.
• To encourage PhDs to explore diverse career paths in research.
• To refine guidance practices and integrate scientific postgraduate studies with previous academic backgrounds.
• To boost employment opportunities for PhDs across a wide array of sectors in society.

Funding has been applied for 81 doctoral researchers as part of the ImmuDocs pilot project. The consortium partners of the pilot are the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, the University of Helsinki, the University of Oulu, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Tampere, FVR, and the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland.

The ImmuDocs pilot project is coordinated by the University of Turku and its InFLAMES Flagship, which was established in 2021. InFLAMES aims to identify novel drug targets and develop drugs in partnership with biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as advance diagnostics to tailor the right precision therapies for each patient.

“One of our key areas of focus is to secure and further strengthen the broad medical science and vaccine expertise within our company. That is why, in addition to our own in-house expertise, we need broad ecosystem collaboration with, for example, universities and pharmaceutical companies. As part of the pilot project, we will offer support to doctoral students interested in the field of vaccine research. The goal is to make Finland a frontrunner in the international competitive market for vaccine research and to advance general health security through high-quality immunological expertise,” says Arto Palmu, Chief Research Officer at FVR.

Half of the ImmuDocs doctoral researcher positions will be filled from the beginning of August 2024 and half from the beginning of January 2025. Two application processes will be organized in 2024. Read more about the project on the InFLAMES website of the University of Turku >>

Further information:
Arto Palmu
Chief Research Officer
arto.palmu (at) fvr.fi