Antarctic research
Aim
The Academy will target funding to Antarctic research. The aim is to generate internationally significant new breakthroughs in Antarctic research. The themes have not been confined to any particular thematic area but the call is open for all projects relevant in terms of Antarctic research. The research may also be global or it may focus on both polar regions but it must be research that cannot be conducted without material on or from the Antarctic.
Finland joined the Antarctic Treaty in 1984 and established the Aboa research station in 1988. Finland is a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty, which requires significant scientific research in Antarctica. The Academy of Finland contributes to the funding of Antarctic research projects.
The following publications provide background information on Finland’s Antarctic research:
Special terms
Only projects that involve international collaboration are eligible to receive funding. The collaboration shall be described in the research plan. In addition, a statement by the foreign partner shall be appended to the application.
If your project involves fieldwork in Antarctica, you shall include a tentative fieldwork plan in your research plan. When drafting your fieldwork plan, you are requested to contact Antarctic Logistics at the Finnish Meteorological Institute to find out the possibilities to implement the project logistically. As a rule, Antarctic Logistics is responsible for the travel costs to Aboa and transportation from there to fieldwork sites. If the research requires work at a station of some other country or from a ship, such arrangements are normally taken care by Antarctic Logistics. In accordance with the Finnish Act on environmental protection of Antarctic (28/1996), research activities in Antarctic require a permit from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Antarctic Logistics is responsible for acquiring this permit on the basis of the information it has received from the projects.
Funding
The Academy is prepared to fund Antarctic research with a total of EUR 2.5 million.
Funding period
As a rule, the funding is granted for four years.
Appendices
See Appendix 1A, Application appendices.
The research plan shall involve a tentative fieldwork plan (see above). In addition, the following appendices shall be appended:
- statement by the foreign partner that confirms the collaboration described in the research plan and the commitment by the partner (e.g. description of the partner’s own funding)
- curriculum vitae for the foreign partner
- list of publications by the foreign partner
- invitation by any third party (foreign university, research institute or Antarctic Programme), if the work or part of it will be conducted on a research station of some other country.
How to apply
In this call, the full cost model applies to the calculation of the costs of a research project. Applications shall be written so as to ensure that the Academy’s contribution to funding comes to no more than 80% of the estimated total costs of the project. See guidelines on how to enter the costs in the application on our website under Full cost model.
If the applicant is a consortium, see detailed guidelines on our website under Consortium application. The application of the whole consortium can be processed only if the applications of all consortium sub-projects have been submitted by the deadline. The composition of the consortium cannot be changed after the deadline.
The deadline is non-negotiable. The application is drafted in the Academy’s online services (select Open calls > Antarctic research).
More information
See applicaple call for applications.