General conditions and guidelines for funding

Calls for Academy research funding and the preparation, drafting and execution of Academy funding decisions are all carried out under the full cost model (with only a few exceptions). This affects the application for research grants, budgeting, the allocation of research grants as well as accounting and reporting. The full cost model does not apply to personal grants.

Academy research funding is by nature a joint venture in which the funds to finance the costs of each project always come from at least two sources. When applying for Academy funding, universities, research institutes and other research organisations commit to contributing a certain percentage of the project costs.

When the full cost model is applied, the Academy’s funding contribution usually comes to a maximum of 70 per cent (as of the September 2012 call). The percentage is equally applicable to all project costs, that is, to both direct and indirect costs, including overheads. The Academy provides detailed guidelines on acceptable costs separately for each funding scheme.

The 80 per cent funding contribution is still used for these calls that were implemented in April 2012:

• targeted call in development research: climate change (FICCA research programme)
• MIND research programme
• SKIDI-KIDS research programme

In addition, the 80 per cent funding contribution applies to decisions made before this.

The full cost model does not apply to decisions made in 2009 or earlier. In these cases, the overheads share included in the decisions is 12.5 per cent. The full cost model does not apply to research posts as Academy Professor and Academy Research Fellow.

Read more about the full cost model here.

The Academy has adopted a payment procedure for all organisations that receive Academy funding. In the use of funds, funding recipients shall follow both relevant legislation and the Academy’s separate guidelines. In the use of the funds, the valid general conditions and guidelines shall be adhered to, unless otherwise decided.

Research grants from the Academy can be used only for the purpose for which they have been granted. This is the responsibility of the site of research that has received the funds and the principal investigator of the research project.

Any supplies, equipment and literature acquired with Academy funding will remain in the ownership and possession of the site of research. In the case of research infrastructures, the parties can agree in writing on other procedures and notify the Academy at the application stage. The guidelines for the acquisition procedure at the site of research in question shall be followed.

The general conditions and guidelines are an integral part of the Academy’s funding decisions and are sent to the funding recipient and the principal investigator together with the funding decision. The general conditions and guidelines are also available on this page under “More information” on the right.

The Academy recommends that Academy-funded social-science research data be delivered to the Finnish Social Science Archive (FSD), based at the University of Tampere.

Funding recipients should also read the Academy’s research-ethical guidelines, equality plan (PDF) and IPR handbook for researchers.