Research infrastructures (FIRI 2010)

Aim

The Academy of Finland provides funding for the acquisition, creation or enhancement of nationally significant research infrastructures that promote scientific research. These infrastructures constitute a pool of research tools, equipment, datasets and services that facilitates research, promotes research collaboration and strengthens research capacities. Research infrastructures may be located at a single place, scattered across numerous sites and organisations, or provided via a virtual platform.

The aim of the Academy of Finland's infrastructure call (FIRI 2010) is to enhance the quality of Finnish science and research, to improve its competitiveness and capacity for renewal, to promote interdisciplinarity, to increase the attractiveness of Finnish research environments and to promote both national and international cooperation between university research teams and individual researchers. Research infrastructures also serve to support researcher training and the development and application of scientific competencies and knowledge capital.

The FIRI 2010 memorandum provides more detailed information on the background to the call, its aims, application guidelines and appendices. The memorandum is available on the Academy's website at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > How to apply > Calls for applications > FIRI 2010. It is essential to read the memorandum in order to submit a competitive application.

Applicant

The applicant is a university or other research organisation together with a university. The partners' mutual responsibilities in terms of planning, operations and economy shall be presented in the joint project plan included in the application.

Universities shall present their applications in order of priority. Individual projects and joint projects shall be presented with separate priority lists. The priority list will demonstrate the university's commitment to the project if the project is granted Academy funding.

Funding

The budget of the call amounts to at least EUR 10 million. An individual funding decision will be a minimum of EUR 300,000 and a maximum of EUR 1.5 million. Funding is intended to support the building of a new research infrastructure or to renovate and significantly upgrade an existing research infrastructure. The Academy does not provide funding to cover infrastructure operating costs. The Academy's funding for the acquisition, creation or enhancement of an infrastructure can come to no more than 70% of the total costs.

Funding period

The funding for research infrastructure projects is granted for a maximum of five years. The funding period normally starts in 2011.

Decision-making

The Board of the Academy of Finland will decide on the infrastructures to be funded on the basis of the proposals by a broad-based sub-committee appointed by the Board and on the basis of national science-policy aspects.

Appendices

Obligatory appendices (see more detailed guidelines in the FIRI 2010 memorandum):

  • project plan, no more than 20 pages, including:
    - a clear description of the proposed research infrastructure and project collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation) and the added value generated by collaboration
    - joint budget including separate budgets for any other partners
    - justification for the funding applied for
    - description of researcher training to be carried out within the project and the services the project will provide
    - materials management plan for the project: an account of how the infrastructure project proposes to obtain its material, how the material produced by the project will be used and stored and how the subsequent use of the material will be facilitated
  • curriculum vitae for the principal investigator (coordinator) of the project
  • priority list as scanned attachment confirmed by the university or research organisation with justification.

Case-specific appendices:

  • statement by an ethics committee or the Committee on Animal Experimentation (if relevant). The ethical aspects shall always be specified in the research plan.
  • statement by the executive director of a Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation, if relevant, confirming that the applicant's project is affiliated with the Strategic Centre and justifying the significance of the project for the Strategic Centre's operations.

Only the requested appendices are appended to the application. The appendices shall be drafted in accordance with the Academy's guidelines; regarding obligatory appendices, see the FIRI 2010 memorandum (published in August 2010), and regarding case-specific appendices, see www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > How to apply > Appendices. The appendices are drafted in the same language as the application and appended to the application form in the online services under section "Appendices". The only exception is the curriculum vitae that is appended to the application form under section "Personal data/CV".

How to apply

The full cost model applies to the calculation of the costs of the research project. Applications shall be written so as to ensure that the Academy's contribution to funding comes to no more than 70% of the estimated total project costs. See the guidelines on how to enter the costs in the application form on the Academy's website at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > How to apply > Full cost model.

The application deadline is 29 October 2010 at 16.15. The deadline is non-negotiable. Applications are drafted at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > Log in to online services. Log in and select New application > FIRI 2010.

Further information

Applicants are requested to read the more detailed guidelines available on the Academy of Finland website and in the FIRI 2010 memorandum at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > How to apply > Calls for applications > FIRI 2010 memorandum. The guidelines will be available in August.

For further information you can also contact:

  • Senior Science Adviser Eeva Ikonen (International Relations Unit), tel. (09) 7748 8233
  • Senior Science Adviser Jussi Lindström (Biosciences and Environment Research Unit), tel. (09) 7748 8234
  • Senior Science Adviser Hannele Kurki (Culture and Society Research Unit),
    tel. (09) 7748 8398
  • Science Adviser Antti Väihkönen (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Unit), tel. 040 147 1756
  • Science Adviser Antti Hautaniemi (Health Research Unit), tel. 040 759 9943

Updated according to October call 2010

Last changed 20/09/2010