The Research Council of Norway awards two SFIs at Simula
As result of the funding announcement for the SFI scheme in
2009-2010, the Research Council of Norway has awarded seven new SFIs (Centres
for Research-based Innovation). Of the awarded centres, Simula is the host of the Certus Centre, and an equal research
partner in the Centre of Cardiological
Innovation.
– We are extremely pleased with the results announced today. It is the result of really hard work by two groups of excellent researchers. Our strategy of hiring outstanding staff pays off handsomely. We look forward to working together with our partners in the Certus Centre and the Centre of Cardiological innovation; they both represent fields where our society desperately needs innovative solutions, says Professor Aslak Tveito, managing director of the Simula Research Laboratory.
The Certus Centre
Simula's Certus Centre is to be led by Professor Lionel
Briand. The
Certus Centre's mission is to be a world-leading research and
innovation centre in software verification and validation (V&V), in
response to the continually increasing demand for more dependable
systems and for ways to bring software V&V costs under control. In
this centre, research-intensive enterprises and world-leading research
groups will join forces and develop new, industry-strength technology
for software V&V.
– This is the largest research initiative in software verification and validation that I am aware of. It will place Norway on the map in a field that is rapidly expanding and playing a crucial role in many industry sectors, including those at the core of the Norwegian society, says Briand.
The Centre of Cardiological Innovation
The Centre of Cardiological Innovation (CCI) hosted by Oslo University Hospital (OUH), also became one of the seven SFIs. Simula is an equal research partner with OUH in this centre, for which Professor Per Grøttum, Dr. Molly Maleckar, and Dr. Sam Wall authored the proposal. The Cardiological Centre for Innovation has ambitions to become a world leader in research on ultrasound-based diagnosis. The results of the centre's research will be of great importance to society through better diagnostic methods. Professor Thor Edvardsen at the OUH will head the centre, and Dr. Molly Maleckar will be deputy director of Scientific Computing on the Simula side.
– Our task will be to develop a new generation
of echocardiographic
equipment to improve diagnostics and thus survival of heart
patients. Together
with strong partners as Simula and GE Vingmed, I think we will be
successful to
reach our goals, says Edvardsen, leader of the CCI.
Over a period of eight years, the total allowance for the seven SFIs will be 500 million NOK, of which Simula will receive 75-100 million NOK. The detailed negotiations will start early January. Starting with 86 submitted sketches one year ago, the seven centres are the results of a total of 44 applications.
Read more on the Research Council’s web pages:
The announcement of the new SFIs
Facts about the new SFIs (in Norwegian)
Facts about the SFI scheme
