Final evaluation report Jan 2024
Dear CLINF stakeholders, collaborators, and friends,
We have just received the final evaluation of the CLINF Nordic Centre of Excellence, which basically is a celebration of our joint interdisciplinary effort. It stacks superlatives one after the other, and seems to consider the CLINF effort as being outstandingly excellent. It provides a single recommendation concerning the level of indigenous engagement in CLINF work packages, which is noted for future reference. We, Birgitta and Tomas, are of course proud of having coordinated such an excellent NCoE, and humbled when reminded of everything that was managed. Foremost, for us and for the evaluators, CLINF is a splendid example of how collective integration may be used to address complex climate change scenarios, and of the synergetic potential of such a design.
We are also pleased regarding the excellent standards that we met in our bilateral collaboration with NordForsk, it has been a very awarding experience. CLINF was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, via Nordforsk, with approximately 3.5 million EUR whereto another 3.5 million EUR were allocated in-kind. Hence, the total CLINF turnover approximates 7 million EUR for the period of 2016 until 2022, and further onto June 2024. CLINF is approaching 80 peer-reviewed publications produced directly under its auspices, and another steadily increasing uncounted number from inspired scholars around the world. We’ve educated doctoral students and post-docs all over the Eurasian North, and have had a significant impact on educational curricula at all levels. We have contributed to pioneering the holistic concept of OneHealth, which quite strikingly resembles what our indigenous peers have been doing for generations.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, we continue to provide the CLINF OPEN Data Repository free for anyone to use. It is, in many ways, a quite unique assembly of OneHealth data which we definitively encourage you to explore and share as much as possible.
The CLINF OPEN Data Repository is self-explanatory and may be found here .
Here are a few citations from the final CLINF evaluation:
– The CLINF Nordic Centre of Excellence has addressed CSI (Climate Sensitive Infections) threats by contributing valuable information on strategies for socio-economic development and viable communities in the North.
– The CLINF research results provide important contributions to understanding CSI in the Arctic. This is an area that has not been extensively studied and the center’s contributions bring Nordic perspectives to the International Arctic forum. The studies have not only established important databases but also promoted modeling that addresses the complexity of factors influencing CSI in the Arctic. CLINF engaged traditional knowledge holders and communities who are closest to the impacts of climate change. This is important work and partnerships should be continued as studies continue.
– The output of publications is excellent and demonstrated increased numbers as the studies progressed. In addition to peer review publications, the team also reached out through website development and public science forums.
– CLINF provided an active and dynamic learning environment. The number of PhD students and post-doctoral students supported was outstanding. CLINF topics were also combined with teaching and the enhancement of existing curricula in graduate schools. These contributions are important in the development of upcoming scientists and researchers working in the area of CSI.
– The scope of team interactions in the international community is impressive and Nordic representation would have been well-informed as a result of this research collaboration.
With these evaluation citations we bid you a thousand thanks for having contributed to the
CLINF science endeavor; it has been an interdisciplinary pleasure!
See you around,
Tomas, Birgitta, and Svenja
in January 2024