Novel Research and Impact Infrastructures

Excellent, globally unique data sources and novel data infrastructure are the backbone of the world-class research that is being conducted in INVEST. InReg develops and compiles new register datasets, takes care of the authorization and user permission processing, updates the existing data sources and is in charge of the internal standardization and metadata recording. INVESThub uses experimental and quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

In order to reach our goals, our research needs to be able to have an extensive impact on the public sector. The interventions we develop and find to be effective need to be scaled up to national level policies. To strengthen these interactions we introduce a novel science advisory unit SciAdHub, an open co-creation platform InNEXT, and INventure for our commercial operations.

Research and Impact Infrastructures

InReg is a novel data infrastructure of the flagship. It develops and compiles new register datasets, takes care of the authorization and user permission processing, updates the existing data sources and is in charge of the internal standardization and metadata recording. It also coordinates and provides training for register data users.

With the support from InReg, INVEST is currently developing two new administrative register linked datasets that will take our data efforts to an entirely new level.

First, we combine extensive sociodemographic and health-related register datasets on the full Finnish population (everyone living permanently in Finland since 1970) with molecular-level genome data samples available through THL (Invest full population data). This allows us to study gene-environment interplay in sociodemographic and health-related issues extensively over the life courses and across historical time.

Second, we combine KiVa® RCT data from 2007-2009 on over 25000 children with similar register data. This allows us to study the links between childhood peer relations and the early adulthood sociodemographic and health outcomes (KiVa® RCT extension data).

The data from our interventions will be linked to these registers to allow long-term follow-ups. The first of the datasets is partially available for research use already now and both of them are expected to be fully functional by the end of 2021. The data are updated annually.

INVESThub uses experimental and quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

In order to do this, it exhausts the data sources described above. The hub is an INVEST collaboration with political sciences and economics at the University of Turku and is already funded through the UTU Profiling grant.

For more information, visit INVESThub website.

The policy formulation and decision making are the most visible stages of the policy process, but they are preceded by the stages of issue identification and agenda-setting and should be followed by implementation and evaluation. The role of research-based knowledge is different in each stage. The impact making efforts should be adjusted accordingly.

SciAdHub builds on the experiences of the science advisory team in the THL that already provides such advisory to the Ministry of Social Affair and Health. With SciAdHub, this expertise will be expanded to the entire INVEST research ecosystem. The hub will develop material and courses for researchers on how to most effectively disseminate research knowledge and to how to give effective science advice during each stage of the policy process.

The policy advisory training program will be included in the curriculums of INVEST PhD and Master’s degrees and it is one of the planned specialist training programmes. SciAdHub will be developed in collaboration with the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, supported by their initiative on building the next generation scientific advisory system in Finland.

SciAdHub is directed by Research Professor Heikki Hiilamo.

The INVEST Next Generation Co-creation Platform (InNEXT) offers a co-creation experience for youth and children and practitioners working with them. It embraces beneficiaries’ and end-users’ perspectives, seeks new important phenomena by empowering children and youth and educates them into active citizenship.

InNEXT enables genuine and open collaboration between researchers and the targets of their research. It explores new research questions, trends and phenomena important to young people and families with children. It provides ideas for new interventions to be further developed within the INVEST ecosystem.

Our ability to develop social innovations and monetise interventions is exceptional. INventure provides support for our commercial activities and improves intervention programme reach, sales and marketing. INventure strengthens the innovation orientation of our ecosystem even further and is constantly looking for new national and international partners in innovation.

It includes the business operations of the highly successful international KiVa® antibullying program, distributed by its partners operating in a specific country or region based on licenses, as well as the start-up company Digifamilies Oy, based on the Strongest Families programme, providing digital interventions in clinical environments in different levels of social- and health services in Finland.