All news
Fifteen new research projects to Kvantum Institute for 2021 – 2024
The University of Oulu’s strategy strengthens its role as a high-level international science and innovation university that contributes to solving global challenges through the selected focus areas of research. Tackling the identified global challenges requires multidisciplinary approaches and research excellence. University supports the strategy through evaluation of its research, regular open calls and external evaluation of projects supported by the university's focus institutes.
Arctic CO2 emissions: Will snowy winters hasten climate change?
Large layers of permafrost underlie much of the Arctic landscape. The thawing of these layers has major consequences across the north. Permafrost holds a pool of carbon that is about three times that of all the carbon in the global atmosphere today. Small changes in thaw and emissions of ancient carbon may result in big changes across the landscape and to the Earth’s atmospheric chemistry.
The increases in permafrost thaw is raising questions regarding the seasonal patterns and magnitudes of ancient carbon emissions, including the magnitude of these emissions in winter. Especially, how does different snow accumulation patters and depths between years effect ancient carbon emission rates? By measuring the 14C traits of ecosystem respired CO2 and 14CO2 in the soil, Professor Jeff Welker and his team can age the gas, just as they age ancient bones or archaeological artefacts.
Science goes Arctic attitude
The Arctic region is going through major changes. Changes in climate, land-use and extraction of natural resources affect the ecosystems and the human societies in the Arctic. The changes we face are global and stretch to all areas of life. To rise to the challenge of taking better care of the Arctic we need quality research. Arctic Interactions and Global Change (ArcI) is a scientific profile area of University of Oulu and has been working since 2018 to tackle the problems we face in the Arctic region.
Open postdoctoral positions to study Arctic interactions
Are you the new generation of premier Arctic scientists with ambition for strengthening your international experience? Do you want to join the team to make new discoveries that are vital for the sustainability of the Arctic environment and our whole planet? Ten postdoctoral scientists are being recruited to strengthen interdisciplinary groups of Arctic researchers at the University of Oulu.
Selection of Kvantum projects for 2021 – 2024 will be done as remote evaluation
Because of the world-wide Coronavirus epidemic, the Rectorate of the University of Oulu decided 20.3.2020 that the selection of Kvantum projects for 2021 – 2024 will be done based on remote evaluation.
A Year in the Ice - MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate
MOSAiC is an international expedition to study the Arctic climate system, from ocean to ice to atmosphere.
EcoClimate experimental platform
A new video introduction to a long-term manipulative natural experimental platform studying combined and separate effects of climate change and reindeer grazing. This experimental facility is located in a biodiversity hotspot around the Oulanka Research Station, Kuusamo. The development of the infrastructure has been funded by the Academy of Finland (Profi4 ArcI & FIRI programme) and the University of Oulu. If you are interested in collaborating or utilizing this measurement infrastructure, please contact the station.
Tenure track: Public Teaching Demonstrations
Public Teaching Demonstrations
Call for new Kvantum Institute projects for 2021 - 2024
Focus institute Kvantum supports high-quality research and coordinates multidisciplinary research activities and doctoral training on the University's strategic focus areas
New method for material research gets hundred times stronger
Researchers from the Faculty of Science at the University of Oulu have increased the sensitivity of an emerging spectroscopic method with promising applications for materials studies.
Science Coffee events continue in autumn
Kvantum Science Coffee events continue in the autumn 2019. The first event will be held on 27 September.
Kvantum research projects for 2021-2024: preregistration for the applicants
Preregistration for the applicants of Kvantum Institute research projects is open. Deadline for the preregistration is June 23, 2019
Prior Notification: Preregistration for the applicants of Kvantum Institute research projects 2021 – 2024 will open in May 2019
This is an important prior notification for all principal investigators (PIs) planning to participate in the upcoming Kvantum research project call for 2021-2024. Those who are planning to apply are requested to preregister according to the instructions given later in May.
The preregistration material is due to the selection process of independent experts for the evaluation panel by the Academy of Finland. Only PIs preregistered are eligible.
Arctic coastal vegetation effected by delayed geese arrival: Changes in trophic processes
Many migratory waterfowl have evolved to synchronize periods of peak nutrient demand, often breeding, with periods of high resource availability. Climate change is creating phenological mismatches between herbivores and their plant resources throughout the Arctic. UArctic Research Chair, Professor Jeff Welker and his colleagues have discovered that climate‐driven changes in the timing of goose arrival have much greater consequences for coastal sedge vegetation than a similar shift in timing of local spring conditions. While advancing growing seasons and changing arrival times of migratory herbivores can have consequences for herbivores and forage quality, developing mismatches could also influence other traits of plants, such as above‐ and below‐ground biomass and the type of reproduction. The field study was conducted in western Alaska and published in Journal of Ecology, recently.
Reindeer turning maritime
In the new Ecosphere Journal article Prof. Jeff Welker's international consortium shows that wild Svalbard reindeer populations can buffer the effects of climate change in part by behavioral plasticity and increased use of resource subsidies. Based on annual population surveys in late winters 2006–2015, the proportion of individual reindeer feeding along the shoreline increased the icier the winter.
Quantum physicists succeed in controlling energy losses and shifts
Achievement can be applied in speeding up quantum computers and designing new quantum technological devices.
125 applications to ArcI Tenure track programme
The call for applications to Arctic Interactions tenure track programme is closed.
Five tenure track scientist positions open in the Arctic interactions programme
The ArcI tenure track programme includes five recruitment packages of a tenured principal investigator and for each appointed professor a start-up packages for hiring a postdoctoral fellow and a Ph
The key to sufficient water supply is in our hands
Snow melt runoff and groundwater abstraction are the most used form of fresh water globally, but the supply is diminishing throughout the world. The problem is expected to worsen with ongoing climate change. Professor Björn Klöve, Director of the Water Resources and Environmental Engineering unit at the University of Oulu, offers a scientific take on the issue.
Autumn leaves feed flowing waters
Did you know that the autumn leaves falling into rivers and streams from trees are an important source of nutrition for aquatic organisms? The leaves are attacked by different kinds on zoobenthos, which shred and grind them for nutrition. Climate change is even expected to change the volume of the mass of leaves remaining in flowing waters: when the autumn precipitation still increases from the current level, the flow rates will increase and the leaves falling into rivers will be carried farther away than they used to be. This will change the water ecosystem as well.
Arctic Interactions profiling theme project launched
Warming of the Arctic threatens the provision of key ecosystem services that rely on fundamental water, carbon and nutrient processes. This jeopardise traditional cultures and livelihoods and tourism. Understanding the global changes in the North and dealing with it in sustainable ways is important globally and crucial for Finland.
Living close to Chernobyl alters the gut bacteria of wild animals
Researchers at the Universities of Oulu and Jyväskylä, together with their collaborators in the US and France, have shown that wild animals living in areas contaminated by radioactive material have a different community of bacteria within their digestive system (the gut microbiome) compared with animals that do not live in areas affected by an increase in radiation.
Joint Professorship of University of Oulu and Finnish Meteorological Institute at Sodankylä
Research Professor position open at Sodankylä Space Cam
Academy of Finland funding for four researchers in the Kvantum Institute's spearhead projects
Researchers in Kvantum's spearhead projects received five-year Academy Research Fellow and three-year Postdoctoral Researcher fundings.