Academy of Finland general conditions for funding decisions 

(18 Feb 2008 decision by the Academy's Administration Office)

• Support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses
• Preparation of international joint research projects 
• Support to academies and science policy associations

Funding awarded by the Academy of Finland may only be used for the purpose specified in the funding decision. Funding is awarded as a total amount that must not be exceeded. The funding may only be used for costs arising during the funding period.

At universities and in government institutions, the provisions and regulations in force in these as well as the general conditions specified here shall be complied with in the use, payment and control of research grants.

In case the research grant has been allocated to a private law legal person or a municipality, the provisions of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) as well as the general conditions specified here shall be complied with.  

If the Academy has set a condition, specified in the decision notification, for the awarding of the funding, it must be adhered to.

Support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses

These research grants may be used for purposes of covering travel costs and salaries of teachers coming from outside the host university and, where necessary, travel costs of doctoral students, both at home and abroad, if not otherwise stated in the decision notification. The research grants may also be used for coordination costs and for costs of national and international cooperation of graduate schools.

Preparation of international joint research projects

The research grant is intended for preparation of a research project and for meetings as well as to those participating in preparatory meetings and to coordinators for costs arising from project preparation.

Academies and science policy associations

The research grant is intended for costs arising from the association's publishing activity.

Starting to use funding/granting state subsidies

The Academy confirms for state administration organisations (universities, government research institutes) directly, without separate request, the research grant and budget account to be used; the organisation, i.e. the accounting office, enters the budget account in its own bookkeeping.

Other than state administration organisations invoice the funding from the Academy at least on a quarterly basis. A specification for the use of the funds or the basis for invoicing shall be appended to the invoice. The last instalment of the calendar year shall be invoiced by 10 January the following year.

Reporting

Support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses as well as preparation of international joint research projects

The grantee shall submit and draft a research report to the Academy no later than 15 June of the year following the end of the funding period. For separate guidelines, see Reporting.

Accounting offices shall report on the use of funds, indicating the income and expenses of the activity funded by the Academy in the budget year, accrued from the beginning of the year, on a quarterly basis. For the first three quarters, the income and expenses shall be reported no later than the 20th of the month following the quarter. For the fourth quarter, the income and expenses shall be reported no later than 31 January of the year following the reporting year.

Other than state administration organisations shall submit to the Academy an account report within three months of the termination of the funding period.

Academies and science policy associations

The recipient of a state subsidy shall no later than 30 April submit to the Registrar's Office of the Academy a signed account report form, the annual report, the annual accounts and a copy of the auditors' report .

Control and discontinuation and recovery of funds

The Academy has the right to monitor and control the use of funds it has granted as well as to carry out any inspections of the recipient's finances and activities that may be necessary for the control of the use of the funds. The Academy also has the right to carry out inspections of the implementation, accounting and observance of the conditions set in the funding decision. The recipient of the funding is obliged to submit all necessary accounting and other documents and data for the use of the inspector and to assist in the inspection. The recipient of the funding shall also otherwise on request give to the Academy information on the research and on the use of the funds.

The recipient of the funding must without delay notify the Academy of any changes affecting the use of the funds. Other income and subsidies of the activity receiving funding may affect the amount of the support from the Academy. The Academy Registrar's office must without delay be notified of any other income and subsidies received after the application has been submitted.

The Academy may discontinue or terminate the payment of the funds or order that the funding or a portion of it be recovered, if the recipient has used the funds for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was granted; or presented erroneous or misleading information regarding a fact which has affected the granting of the funding, its amount, or its conditions; or concealed such a fact; or otherwise violated the regulations concerning the use of the funds or the conditions incorporated into the funding decision.

The recipient of the state subsidy shall without delay return to the Academy of Finland's bank account 166030-112337 any funding, or any portion of funding, received erroneously, in excess or evidently without grounds. If the amount to be returned does not exceed ten euros, it need not be returned.

In case the income and subsidies of the activity receiving support in the final accounts show that its revenues exceed its expenses, the proportion corresponding to Academy funding in the surplus shall be returned.

Repayment and claw-back of discretionary government transfers has been stipulated in Chapter 5 of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers.

Application of conditions

These conditions shall be applied as from 1 January 2008, also regarding previous funding decisions, unless these conditions state otherwise.

The general conditions for funding are revised annually. The valid, revised general conditions and more information on the application of the conditions.

More information

If you have any questions about funding decisions and the conditions for funding, please use the Questions and feedback page on the Academy's website.