Academy of Finland general conditions for funding decisions
(Decision by the Administration Office of the Academy of Finland, 18 December 2008)
- Support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses
- Preparation of international joint research projects
- Support to academies and science policy associations
The Academy of Finland will apply the full cost model (not applicable to personal grants) when preparing, making and executing decisions regarding applications submitted to calls opened after 1 January 2009. The full cost model will have effects on the way funding applications are made, on budgeting, on allocation of funding to users, on accounting and on the way funding use is reported. Academy of Finland research funding is co-funded activity where at least two parties answer for the costs of the project to be funded. When funding is applied for from the Academy, universities and other research organisations commit themselves to co-funded activity with their own funding contribution.
The full cost model is not applied to decisions regarding calls that were implemented in 2008 or earlier. Likewise, the full cost model is not applied to calls that were open in 2008 on which decisions will be made in 2009.
In connection with the funding decisions regarding calls to be opened in 2009, the Academy of Finland will issue detailed guidelines on the effects of the full cost model on the general conditions of the use of funding. More information on the full cost model is available on the Academy website (www.aka.fi/en-gb/A/For-researcher/How-to-apply/Full-cost-model).
Research 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. Funding may only be used for costs arising during the funding period.
At universities and in government institutions, the provisions and regulations in force at the institutions in question as well as the general conditions specified in this appendix shall be complied with in the use, payment and control of research grants.
If 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 in these general conditions 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.
Graduate schools and support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses
The Ministry of Education defines the conditions for the use of salary funds of doctoral students and coordinators at graduate schools.
The operating grants for graduate schools and research grants for national researcher training courses 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. 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 demanding research project to be carried out in the form of international cooperation and for meetings, as well as for those participating in preparatory meetings and for 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/payment of discretionary government transfers
For central government administration organisations (universities, government research institutes), the Academy confirms 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.
The change in the legal status of universities will affect the administering of Academy funding. As of 1 January 2010, the Academy will transfer to a new payment procedure for all organisations receiving funding. All organisations receiving funding will be requested to invoice the Academy as of 1 January 2010. More detailed guidelines will be given during 2009.
Organisations other than central government administration organisations invoice the funding from the Academy at least on a quarterly basis. An itemisation for 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
Graduate schools and support to graduate schools and national researcher training courses, and preparation of international joint research projects
A recipient of a research grant shall draft and submit a research report to the Academy no later than 15 June of the year following the ending of the funding period. For separate guidelines for reporting, see www.aka.fi/eng > For researchers > 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.
Organisations other than central government administration organisations shall submit an account report to the Academy within three months from the ending of the funding period.
Academies and science policy associations
The recipient of a discretionary government transfer shall submit a signed accounting report (http://www.aka.fi/en-gb/A/For-researcher/Use-of-funding/Finance-administration-forms), the annual report for the year in question, the annual accounts and a copy of the auditors' report to the Registrar's Office of the Academy no later than 30 April.
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 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 change 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 submission of the application.
The Academy may interrupt or order the payment of the funds to be terminated or recover the funds of part of them, if the recipient of the funding 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 otherwise violated the regulations concerning the use of the funds or the conditions incorporated into the funding decision.
A recipient of discretionary government transfers 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.
If the income and subsidies of the activity receiving support in the final accounts show that its revenues exceed its expenses, a proportion of the surplus corresponding to Academy funding 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 are to be applied as of 1 January 2009, and they are also applied to funding decisions made earlier, unless otherwise specified in these conditions.
The general conditions for funding are revised annually. The valid, revised general conditions and more information on the application of the conditions.
Further information
Questions regarding funding decisions and conditions of funding can be made via the Questions and feedback section on the Academy's website www.aka.fi/eng.