What is funded?
The Academy funds research projects only when the institution (e.g. university institution) serving as the site of the research undertakes to provide the project with the necessary basic facilities. These are determined on the basis of the nature of the research, but the usual basic facilities are the same as those of the other researchers at the institution, such as working and laboratory premises, equipment (incl. computer equipment), telecommunications, telephone, mailing, copying and library services. The funding is allocated to the applicant’s background organisation.
Depending on the project, funding can be applied for the following purposes: salaries and fees, indirect employee costs (see more details below: salary costs), grants, travel costs, minor equipment costs, costs arising from arranging seminars and inviting foreign researchers as well as other direct costs related to project implementation. Grants are normally awarded only for work or studies abroad and for inviting a foreign researcher for a research visit to Finland for a maximum of one year. A research visit exceeding one year requires an employment relationship in Finland.
Applicants shall present in their applications a funding plan that includes the annual funding need to be applied for from the Academy, listed by type of expenditure. Applicants shall also provide information on any funding that has been applied for and received from other sources for the same project. Special attention should be given to ensuring that the financial plan is realistic.
The salary costs include salaries and fees, reservations for general and other salary increases, holiday bonuses and indirect employee costs including occupational health care costs, social and pension charges and other obligatory employer charges. The salary costs and indirect employee costs shall be indicated according to the salary level and employer charge percentage applied by the site of research. In the cost estimate, the salary increases arising from the salary system shall be taken into account. More information is available from the university’s personnel administration
Funding is not granted for the responsible leader’s own salary if he/she has another employment relationship. In case the responsible leader of a research project does not have an employment relationship with, for example, a university or research institute, he/she shall explain in the application how his/her salary will be covered during the funding period. If the applicant does not have any employment relationship, the Academy may allocate funding for the salary costs of the responsible leader of the research project for a maximum of one year and only for special reasons, for example in connection with the researcher returning from abroad.
Fees for purposes of leading a research project cannot be paid with Academy research grants.
The value added tax is also paid from the awarded research grant.
An overheads share of 12.5 per cent is included in the decisions regarding research grants and research posts, as decided by the Academy Board. The overheads share is intended for the site of research to cover the costs for basic facilities of research.
Funding conditions
The Academy of Finland funds research projects only when the site of research undertakes to provide for the researcher the necessary basic research facilities, see above.
The site of research undertakes to administer the project by submitting at the application stage its commitment on which the applicant shall agree in advance with a representative of the site of research. Detailed instructions on how to submit a commitment online are available on the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > How to apply > Guidelines > Detailed application guidelines > Requesting commitment of the site of research.
Academy funding is allocated to the researcher’s background organisation. Grants may also be allocated directly to the researcher him/herself. A research grant that is tied in with an Academy research post is allocated to the site of research where the researcher is working. Personnel to be hired with Academy research funding must have a contract of employment with the site of research or the organisation that received the funds.
In case applicants receive funding from other sources after the application to the Academy has been submitted, they must immediately notify the Academy.
Detailed conditions and guidelines on the use of funding and reporting are available on the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > Use of funding.