TURNS seed and mobility funding 2025
TURNS Management Group made the decisions about this year’s TURNS seed and mobility funding on its meeting on 4 March 2025. TURNS has decided to grant the total of EUR 100 000 for 12 applications. Read more about the funded projects below.
In the 2025 call, TURNS received 30 funding applications, out of which 14 were for seed funding and 16 for mobility funding. The total sum of applied funding was c. 260 000 euro.
The applications were evaluated based on how well they met the purposes and criteria of the funding call. Special attention was paid on the multidisciplinarity, innovation and scientific courage of the applications as well as their linkage to the topic of urban sustainability.
TURNS seed funding 2025
Lena Jegard & Elina Siren: Exploring the potential of private urban balconies to enhance biodiversity and urban sustainability
There is a gap in scientific literature about gardening and biodiversity in a balcony context. Considering the prevalence of balconies in densely built urban areas, this is a significant research gap and an opportunity for multidisciplinary research, covering fields such as architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, urban ecology and environmental psychology. This pilot study opens this unique research avenue.
Valtteri Kaartemo et al.: Emission Experience in Urban Environment (Urban EE)
Urban EE introduces the concept of “emission experience,” making invisible emissions visible to empower individuals and organizations to reduce their harmful impact. Through interdisciplinary collaboration within Tampere University, Urban EE explores emissions’ health and environmental effects and their implications for urban sustainability, creating actionable solutions for cleaner cities.
Anna Koskinen & Jens Brandt: Building the NEXT Network and COST Action Application
TURNS seed funding will enable the NEXT (Next Generation Public Space) Network to make a strong COST Action application, establishing long-term collaborations with a multidisciplinary group of researchers, NGOs, educational institutions, and public/private actors. It will also build the foundations for meaningful academic outputs and practical interventions that address pressing societal challenges, advancing urban studies, democratic innovation, and youth-led transformation.
Eeva Puumala & Samu Pehkonen: Co-innovating sustainable and inclusive urban spaces and communities
The seed funding brings together experts on gamification, social VR, urban planning, and social sustainability to co-innovate RIA & RDI projects, inviting also the university community to an open discussion and networking event. The activities focalise on sustainability of urban design and promoting good population relations in cities.
Lotta-Maria Sinervo: Public Financial Management Beyond 2030: Leading Local Economies Amidst the Sustainability Crisis
The project aims to enhance urban resilience by focusing on public financial management in cities amidst sustainability crises.
Jarmo Vakkuri & Elina Vikstedt: CICO – Circular Economy Compass for Local Resource Governance
The CICO project aims to enhance urban and regional governance of circular economy through cross-sectoral and stakeholder-driven measurement, planning and control of urban circularity, fostering sustainable use of natural resources.
TURNS mobility funding 2025
Anni Jäntti (University of Gothenburg + University West, Sweden)
Johanna Kujala (HWZ University + University of Zürich, Switzerland)
Anitta Kynsilehto (Tarapaca University, Arica, Chile)
Pauliina Lehtonen (University of Kent, UK)
Dalia Milian Bernal (Universität zu Berlin + Brandenburg Uni Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany)
Ebru Sevik: University of Oxford + University College London + Coventry University, UK