General decision criteria
Academy research funding is allocated to the best researchers and research teams and to the most promising young researchers. The funding decisions are made by the Research Councils, the Board or sub-committees. The decisions are based on an evaluation of the applicants’ research plans and scientific merits. The funding is granted for a fixed term.
The starting point for Academy funding decisions is to achieve as high a scientific level as possible. To guarantee this, we use external scientific experts in the evaluation of applications.
The general decision criteria are outlined in a separate document (Tutkimusrahoituspäätösten perusteet in Finnish). In selecting projects for funding, we apply five main criteria:
- scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan
- competence of the applicant/research team
- feasibility of the research plan
- cooperation contacts for the research
- significance of the research project for the promotion of professional careers in research and researcher training.
A starting point for all Academy funding is that the project to be funded shall benefit Finnish research, society or international cooperation.
Research projects aiming at a high target level and new breakthroughs always involve a risk of failure. However, in the review of applications and preparations of funding decisions, this is not an obstacle to a favourable decision. The Academy aims to provide an opportunity for scientific breakthroughs and to work to advance the renewal of science and research.
When making funding decisions, we also pay attention to other science policy objectives. These include:
- promoting the careers of women and young researchers
- promoting gender equality in research
- developing creative research environments
- advancing multi- and interdisciplinary research
- supporting the internationalisation of research
- implementing more comprehensive research components
- special objectives for research programmes
- supporting Centres of Excellence
- promoting research that serves the Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation.
The Academy also pays attention to the quality of the research environments, the positive impact the projects have on the research environments as well as the principal investigators’ ability and experience in terms of heading the research project. In addition, the Academy considers the applicants’ funding received from the Academy or other sources and takes into account the way in which the responsible leader and the research team have proved their ability to manage the funds granted.
Issues given separate consideration in decision-making also include good scientific practice and intellectual property rights. The principal investigator shall, when needed, indicate in the research plan how ethical issues and intellectual property rights have been taken into account in the project.
Read more about our evaluation activities
Other issues considered
The greater part of the applications submitted to the Academy are reviewed by panels of experts. A panel’s task is to review the scientific quality of the applications assigned to it. Each year the Academy receives funding applications worth more than one billion euros. The funding we are able to grant amounts to about one-fifth of this sum. The fact that funding is insufficient means that not even all the best-rated applications can be funded.
When making decisions, we take into account the policies outlined in the documents adopted by the Academy Board and Research Councils (e.g. action and financial plans, strategies, equality plans) as well as the science policy priorities of the Finnish Government.
The Academy funds all scientific disciplines and research fields. Each Research Council represents a certain set of disciplines and research fields. The Research Councils grant funding to a wide range of fields, bearing in mind the whole spectrum of disciplines and research fields they represent as well as a multidisciplinary perspective.
The Government appoints the Research Councils for three-year terms. In appointing Research Council members, care is taken to ensure that the Research Councils represent versatile scientific expertise of a high standard. Before the appointment of a Research Council, the Ministry of Education shall hear the universities, government research institutes, public authorities and corporate bodies representing research and development, major scientific societies as well as science academies.
The number of applications, competition between applicants and reviewers all vary from one application round to another. A statement on a given application is effectively an opinion on the matter at hand by experienced and recognised panels of mostly foreign experts.
The Academy is alert to the difficulties associated with scientific peer review and is committed to improving its evaluation processes on a continuous basis.