Eight early-career scientists pitched their research ideas at the Research Pitching Competition at startup event Slush in Helsinki, Finland on Friday. The winner of the grand prize, the 100 000 euro Skolar Award grant, is Thomas Hausmaninger from the National Metrology Institute of Finland.

These eight wild postdoc-researchers will pitch their ambitious research ideas on the stage at Slush on 22nd November. One will win €100K for research.

Understanding if bacteria can hear could unlock completely new tools for curing diseases and creating medicines. That is why Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist Esther Broset wants to expose bacteria to soundwaves and see what happens.

Climate change is threatening coral reefs and their various ecosystem services, but some corals are coping better than others. Why? That’s what Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist Carla Elliff from the Reefbank Project of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul wants to find out.

The food crisis will demand innovative and sustainable solutions. Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist Chiara Gandini from the University of Cambridge wants to know if indoor wheat farming could be one of them.

Large scale indoor farming has the potential to become the next big thing in food production. For this, we need to better understand plants and the conditions in which they can thrive. Thomas Hausmaninger from the National Metrology Institute of Finland, VTT MIKES is determined to create a way to know exactly what plants need.

Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist Colm Mc Caffrey from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland wants to combine blockchain technology, biodegradable technology and e-waste management to make the recycling of mobile phones smarter.

Tim Rademacher believes that forests carry more information than we currently make use of. This Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist from Harvard University and the Northern Arizona University wants to know more about wood and share that knowledge with the world.

What happens in the brains of couch potatoes when they start to exercise? Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist Tiina Saanijoki from the University of Turku wants to study the brain mechanisms behind physical activity.

For Igor Vassilev, Research Pitching Competition 2019 finalist from the University of Tampere, carbon dioxide isn’t just a harmful emission but a fantastic feedstock for food production.

Wondering what it’s like to pitch your research idea at the Slush stage? Here are all the amazing pitches by Research Pitching Competition 2018 finalists!

Skolar Award 2018 winner Sandra Jernström wants to really understand cancer and create a selection of personalised treatments with faster results. Jernström works as a researcher at Karolinska Institute, Department of Oncology-Pathology.

The win of Research Pitching Competition 2018 and the €100K Skolar Award went to Sandra Jernström from Karolinska Institute, who’s winning idea strives to find a new kind of treatment to cancer.

The oceans are full of plastic. Research Pitching Competition finalist 2018 Joosu Kuivanen from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland wants to tackle the problem with microbes. His research idea is focused on exploring the microbes that degrade plastic, so that they could be used as a protein source and turned into fish food.

Research Pitching Competition 2018 finalist Amber Geurts recognizes that the conversation around AI is limited and we need more varied perspectives. She wants to show the full spectrum of AI by studying and visualizing the full depth and breadth of their current applications.

Research Pitching Competition 2018 finalist Ulrike Pfreundt boldly bridges digital architecture and marine ecosystem restoration to create artificial reef structures that could help save our oceans.

Mental health symptoms among young people have increased. This Research Pitching Competition 2018 finalist, researcher and psychologist Elina Marttinen from University of Helsinki* thinks identity formation should be studied further so we can find out why the youngsters are so lost.

Research Pitching Competition 2018 finalist Yang Bai has an idea that takes renewable energy production to the next level. Instead of solar panels and wind turbines, this finalist would like to create multi-functional energy generators that can turn any renewable energy into electricity.