Postdoctoral Researchers
Aim
The aim of the funding for research posts as Postdoctoral Researcher is to advance the professional competence and independence of the most promising young researchers who have recently earned their doctorate. Postdoctoral Researchers are encouraged to mobility and cooperation across international and sectoral borders. The three-year funding period may include one or more mobility spells as well as funding for the researcher’s return to Finland. In principle, a project to be funded shall serve Finnish research and society or international collaboration.
The Academy recommends that Postdoctoral Researchers provide supervision of thesis and dissertation writers in their own field and teaching associated with their own field of expertise, covering 5% of their annual working hours, without separate compensation. However, Postdoctoral Researchers should use no more than 10% of their annual working hours for teaching or other tasks not directly associated with their own research.
Applicant
The applicant is a researcher who must have completed his or her doctorate no more than four years ago at the time of the application submission deadline (the doctoral degree certificate must have been issued between 30 September 2007 and 30 September 2011). Applicants who have gained their doctorate more than four years ago can be considered only for very special reasons, such as maternity, paternity, parental or childcare leave, military service or non-military service, or long-term illness. If the applicant pleads these special reasons, they must be justified in the application under “Personal data/CV, Degrees, Additional information”. If the reasons are strictly confidential, the applicant shall contact the presenting official (see More information).
Funding
The total costs of a research post as Postdoctoral Researcher include funding for a 36-month salary, personal research costs and international and national mobility (e.g. travel and a grant for a stay abroad during the Postdoctoral Researcher term). Funding is not granted for salary costs of other persons.
The applicant and the site of research shall agree on the Postdoctoral Researcher’s salary in accordance with the pay system at the site of research. The Academy’s contribution to funding comes to no more than 80% of the total costs of the Postdoctoral Researcher’s salary and research grants. The average amounts of the funding granted by the Research Councils in the previous call are presented in Appendix 3. See guidelines on how to enter the costs in the application on the Academy’s website under Full cost model.
Funding period
The funding for Postdoctoral Researchers is granted for three years. The funding period is 1 September 2012–31 August 2015. The funding period can be changed only for compelling reasons (see Applicant). One and the same person can be granted personal Postdoctoral Researcher funding only once.
Special conditions and restrictions
In the September 2011 call, the Academy will consider only one application from one and the same researcher for an Academy Project (incl. a consortium sub-project) and a research post as Academy Research Fellow or Postdoctoral Researcher. If one and the same researcher does submit more than one application for any of these funding opportunities or applies for more than one type of such funding, only the first application received from that applicant will be reviewed. Applications that are not reviewed for this reason will not be eligible for funding. An applicant for a research post as Postdoctoral Researcher can be named as a researcher in the application for Academy Project funding by another applicant, but with a different research plan. Applicants must indicate this in their applications.
European University Institute
The Academy of Finland and the European University Institute (EUI) have agreed that the EUI can receive one or two Academy-funded Postdoctoral Researchers at a time to carry out research at the EUI for 1–2 years. Funding for this opportunity is applied for as part of the three-year research post as Postdoctoral Researcher. Applicants who are interested in working at the EUI are requested to read about the research conducted at the EUI before applying and contact the Academy’s science adviser responsible for EUI issues (see More information) when drafting their application. Applicants need not append any separate invitation from the EUI to their application.
Appendices
See Appendix 1 A, Application appendices.
How to apply
In addition to salary costs, the estimated total costs shall also include necessary personal research costs. 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 the Academy’s website under Full cost model.
The grant required and any other expenses arising from the stay at the EUI shall be included in the total cost estimate of the application for Postdoctoral Researcher funding. Justification for the EUI stay shall be given in the research plan under section 6, Researchers and research environment. The recommended amount of grants paid in addition to salary is presented in Appendix 4. Travel costs of accompanying family members may be included in the cost estimate if the researcher and his or her family will stay abroad longer than six months.
Under section 5 of the research plan (Implementation) to be appended to the application, applicants shall enter the monthly salary of the Postdoctoral Researcher (excl. indirect employee costs) together with a justification for the estimated total project costs (incl. estimated research costs).
The deadline is 30 September 2011 at 16.15. The deadline is non-negotiable.
Applications are drafted in the Academy’s online services, select Open calls > Postdoctoral Researcher.
More information
Biosciences and Environment Research Unit
- Science Adviser Kata-Riina Valosaari, tel. +358 9 7748 8216
- Science Adviser Annika Raitala, tel. +358 9 7748 8323
Culture and Society Research Unit
- Science Adviser Helena Vänskä, tel. +358 9 7748 8227
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Unit
- Science Adviser Maaria Lehtinen, tel. +358 9 7748 8484
- Science Adviser Johanna Törnroos, tel. +358 9 7748 8260
- Science Adviser Jenni Virtanen, tel. +358 9 7748 8298
Health Research Unit
- Science Adviser Heikki Vilen, tel. +358 9 7748 8456
Research at the EUI
- Science Adviser Jyrki Hakapää, tel. +358 9 7748 8277
Content updated according to September call for applications 2011