City of Helsinki Scientific Award awarded to Academy Professor Minna Palmroth

Minna Palmroth, the recipient of the 2026 City of Helsinki Scientific Award, is an Academy Professor at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Science. She is a space physics researcher of exceptional international stature, whose work has contributed significantly to the understanding of near-Earth space, space weather and issues related to the sustainable use of space.

Palmroth's most significant breakthroughs include the Vlasiator simulation, the world's first and most accurate six-dimensional hybrid Vlasov model of the Earth's magnetic environment, which is widely used in international space research.

From 2018 to 2025, Palmroth headed the Research Council of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space, the research of which combined scientific excellence with societal impact. Palmroth is currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Space Resilience (2026–2033), which is conducting research to improve society's resilience in the constantly changing circumstance regarding the utilisation of near-Earth space.

Palmroth is also an active science communicator and influencer. Among other things, she has inspired children to take up science by co-authoring the science storybook Prinsessa, leijona ja maailmankaikkeuden salaisuus (‘The Princess, the Lion and the Secret of the Universe’) with Elina Hiltunen. Palmroth has also helped to raise awareness of northern lights research.

“Science awards make research visible to the public and remind them of how new knowledge is created. Science is an investment: not all the money invested in it will necessarily produce a profit, but the part that does will change the world irreversibly. Science awards are a way to integrate science into society. At the same time, they invite people to join in the celebration of science and new knowledge,” says Palmroth.

The City of Helsinki Scientific Award was presented by Mayor Daniel Sazonov as part of the Helsinki Day celebrations on 12 June.

The City of Helsinki Scientific Award strengthens Helsinki as a city of science and research 

The City of Helsinki Scientific Award has been given out since 1996. The purpose of the award is to strengthen and increase the recognition of Helsinki as a city of science and research. The award is awarded in recognition of significant scientific work conducted by Helsinki residents or carried out in Helsinki.

The recipient of the City of Helsinki Scientific Award is decided by the City Manager on the basis of a proposal of a panel of experts appointed by the Mayor.

Research grants for urban research 

On Helsinki Day, the City of Helsinki also awarded research grants to 11 research projects. The total grant amount is EUR 73,000.  

The grants are intended for researchers with master's degrees, especially those working on licentiate research and doctoral dissertations. The grants also support new postdoctoral researchers.  

The criteria for awarding the grant have been the scientific quality of research plans, feasibility and significance of the research area to the City of Helsinki.   

The City of Helsinki’s research grant was awarded to the following applicants and research topics: 

1. Wenfei Liao
   Climate-smart urban ponds linking macrophyte functional traits and water quality to greenhouse gas exchange
   
   
2. Morris Viitanen
   Socioeconomic position, age and first language as determinants of digital occupational health service use among public sector employees
   
   
3. Satu Mattila
   Yhdenvertaisuuden lupaus ja sen rajat - vähän koulutettujen maahanmuuttajien koulutukselliset mahdollisuudet aikuisten perusopetuksessa Helsingissä
   
   
4. Haikku Arosuo
   Kasvava kaupunki: nuorten arkiset lähipaikat ja muuttuvat maailmasuhteet luovan kanssatutkimuksen kohteena
   
   
5. Minerva Nordberg
   Lasten ylipaino ja lihavuus Helsingissä, alueellinen jakautuminen, sosioekonomisen aseman vaikutus sekä psyykkinen sairastuvuus lapsuusiällä
   
   
6. Sari Front
   Uimarannan humaaniperäisen jätevesisaastumisen jäljitysmenetelmät
   
   
7. Zong Xu
   Mapping Disability Support Needs among Children in Helsinki Using Machine Learning
   
   
8. Frans Saraste
   Helsingin lämmitysinfrastruktuurin kehitys ja kriisit 1870–1940-luvuilla
   
   
9. Petteri Niskanen
   Asiantuntijatyöpaikkojen yhteys lähiöiden elinvoimaan
   
   

The research grant was also awarded to two researchers who did not wish to have their names made public.