Finnish Science Award goes to Prof Salmivalli

Professor Christina Salmivalli of the University of Turku has received the Finnish Science Award 2017.

The award is given by the Ministry of Education and Culture in every alternate year to an individual or a research team based in Finland in recognition of outstanding contribution and achievement made in scientific research.

Education Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen handed over the award to Professor Salmivalli during a Science Forum held in Turku on Tuesday, said a government press release.

This year’s award came with a EUR 100,000 cash prize. The award was introduced in 1987 and this was the eleventh year it was bestowed during the Science Forum.

Professor Salmivalli born in 1967 obtained a doctoral degree in psychology from the University of Turku in 1998. In 2001 she joined the Developmental and Social Psychology Department at the Turku University as an adjunct professor.

Before that she worked as a junior researcher at the Academy of Finland in 1999–2002, as a senior assistant professor of psychology at the Turku University in 2002–2006, and as an academy research fellow in 2010–2011.

She was made a professor of psychology at the same university in 2004. She was the professor II of psychology at the University of Stavanger in 2006-2012 and in 2011–2013 she worked as an associate professor at the University of Edith Cowan in Western Australia.

Salmivalli has led a number of research projects in Finland and abroad, including several studies implemented by the Academy of Finland. Currently, she is leading a 3-year joint project from 2016-2018 undertaken by the Academy of Finland and CONICYT, a Chilean government agency.

Her anti-bullying research project KiVa implemented in 2006–2011was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The ministry is also financing the 5-year Opintokamut Project launched in 2014 and slated to be completed in 2018, which, led by Salmivalli, aims at promoting the wellbeing of upper secondary school students.

Among other recognitions for her work, Salmivalli received the Government Award for Public Information in 2004, the Humanist of the Year Award from the University of Turku in 2008, and the Psychologist of the Year Award in 2009. Her most important international recognitions are the European Award for Crime Prevention 2009, the Child Act of the Year 2010, and the Peace Education Award 2011.