Programme Director Mikko Ylikangas

1
Funding Mechanisms and Good Practices in Finland
Substance Use and Addictions Research Programme
(20072010)

• Programme Director Mikko Ylikangas
• Brussels 24 September 2009

2
Illicit drugs research in Finland

• Main research institutions
• National Institute of Health and Welfare
• Key research areas
• epidemiology
• intervention
• Main funding sources ( annually)
• National Institute of Health and Welfare 660
  000
• Ministry of Social Affairs and Halth 150 000
• Academy of Finland 1 300 000

3
Substance Use and Addictions Research Programme

• 4 year coordinated research programme 20072010.
• Alcohol, drugs, tobacco and gambling the
  mechanisms behind the emergence of these
  addictions.
• Funded by the Academy of Finland the Finnish
  Ministry for Social Affairs and Health the
  Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, Mental
  Health and Addiction (INMHA) the Russian Fund
  for Basic Research (RFBR) and the Russian
  Foundation for Humanities (RFH).
• 13 research projects 8 Finnish, 2
  Finnish-Canadian, 2 Finnish-Russian and 1
  Finnish-Canadian-Russian.
• Coordinated by the Academy of Finland.

4
Themes in Addiction programme

• Priorities identified by experts (researchers)
• Macro-level changes in alcohol policy and
  consumption, differences in drinking habits
  between various population groups, and harms,
• Substance use, harms, and drug policy,
• Research into prevention, treatments and recovery
  processes,
• Research into addiction behaviour and addiction
  mechanisms.

5
Objectives

• Support high-level multidisciplinary research on
  substance abuse and addictions in Finland, Canada
  and Russia,
• Strengthen national and international research
  cooperation and networking,
• Promote the application of new research methods
  in the field of substance use and addictions
  research,
• Support researcher training,
• Improve communications and dissemination of
  information on research results among researchers
  and between researchers, end-users and other
  interest groups (e.g. politicians, the media, the
  general public).

6
Funding

• AKA funding 5,5 million for 20072010.
• Additional funding from the Ministry for Social
  Affairs and Health.
• Canada and Russia fund their own researchers in
  the teams.
• AKA funding for
• Salaries and fees related to the research plan as
  well as social charges, travel costs,
• Equipment costs,
• Expenses of arranging seminars,
• Expenses associated with inviting a foreign
  researcher,
• Other direct costs arising from the
  implementation of the research plan.

7
Organization

• Programme coordination Steering Group /
  Scientific Advisory Board 2 Programme
  Managers Project Officer.
• Coordination budget 170 000 for 2006-2012
• Coordination aims at
• Advancing national and international networking
  collaboration,
• Advancing researcher training,
• Monitoring the projects,
• Distribution of information.

8
International cooperation

• International cooperation within each funded
  project
• Funding cooperation with three foreign funding
  organisation (1 from Canada and 2 from Russia)
• International networking of researchers during
  programmes lifespan (organized by the
  coordination)
• Joint conferences, seminars, workshops Moscow
  2008, Helsinki 2009, SPb and Stockhol 2010.
• Possible additional international joint calls

9
Lessons and experiences so far

• International funding cooperation important but
  difficult to spark.
• Often different priorities, needs, and timetables
• National planning and funding cooperation
  important but tricky.
• Long planning time good for quality but
  problematic for researcher.
• 2 year planning. 10 months from application to
  funding decision.
• Important to involve end users and stakeholeders
  in the programme.
• Science for society
• Outreach for broader public outside academia

10
Recommendations

• Multidisciplinarity recommended in each project
  but not forced
• International funding cooperation important
• Big consortiums are good but we need to leave
  space for smaller more specific projects, too.
• 15-20 consortiums/projects per programme optimum
• Programme coordination brings added value (225)
• Programme budget should be sufficient enough to
  allow all researchers work full time in the
  project allow networking abroad
• There should be a possibility to implement an
  additional call during the programme
• Contact with society distribution of
  information during the programme is important

11
Dank u voor uw aandacht!

• Obrigado pela vossa atenção, la ringrazio per
  la vostra attenzione, va multumesc pentru atentia
  acordata, je vous remercie de votre attention,
  vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit, gracias por
  su atención, thank you for your attention, dekuji
  Vám za pozornost, e??a??st? ??a t?? p??s??? sa?,
  tack för er uppmärksamhet, dziekuje Panstwu za
  uwage, tak for din opmærksomhed, kiitos
  tarkkaavaisuudestanne!

12
National projects (1)

• Predictors, neuropsychological correlates, and
  consequences of cannabis and alcohol use among
  Finnish young adults. A twin and population
  approach. PI Jaakko Kaprio, National Public
  Health Institute in Finland
• FinDrink Study Epidemiology of alcohol drinking
  patterns, consumption changes and health
  implications in contemporary Finnish population.
  PI Jussi Kauhanen, University of Kuopio
• Process and outcome of initial motivational
  interviews with substance abusers. PI Anja
  Koski-Jännes, University of Tampere
• The life course of DUI offenders (Driving under
  influence of alcohol and/or drugs). PI Pirjo
  Lillsunde, National Public Health Institute in
  Finland

13
National projects (2)

• Tuberomammillary neurons, histamine and H3
  receptor in hypothalamic regulation of alcohol
  addiction. PI Pertti Panula, University of
  Helsinki
• Effectiveness of substance abuse treatment in
  light of common factors. PI Pekka Saarnio,
  University of Tampere
• Effectiveness of pharmacological treatments of
  drug dependence. PI Jari Tiihonen and Jussi
  Kauhanen, University of Kuopio
• Changes in the cultural position of drinking. PI
  Jukka Törrönen, National Research and Development
  Centre for Welfare

14
International consortiums (1)

• Role of genetic factors in individuals ability
  to quit smoking. PIs Ari Hirvonen, Finnish
  Institute of Occupational Health and Evgeny
  Imyanitov, N.N. Petrov Research Institute of
  Oncology, Russia
• Brain opioidergic systems and neurobehavioral
  sensitization in addiction to alcohol. PIs
  Kalervo Kiianlinna, National Public Health
  Institute in Finland Liisa Ahtee, University of
  Helsinki Eero Castrén, University of Helsinki
  and Christina Gianoulakis, McGill University,
  Canada
• Development of nicotine metabolism inhibitors as
  anti-smoking drugs. PIs Hannu Raunio, University
  of Kuopio and Rachel Tyndale, University of
  Toronto, Canada

15
International consortiums (2)

• Theories of addiction and images of addictive
  behaviours. PIs Pekka Sulkunen, University of
  Helsinki Anja Koski-Jännes, University of
  Tampere Kari Poikolainen, Finnish Foundation for
  Alcohol Studies John Cunningham, Center for
  Addiction and Mental Health, Canada and Irina
  Pervova, St Petersburg State University, Russia
• Behavioral and molecular mechanisms of nicotine
  addiction. PIs Raimo Tuominen, University of
  Helsinki and Edwin Zvartau, St Petersburg State
  Pavlov Medical University, Russia