Frequently Asked Questions

Call for Centre of Excellence (CoE) Programme 2014–2019

(updated 19.12.2012)

How much funding can a CoE receive?
The amount of funding varies a great deal depending on the nature of the research. In the 2012–2017 CoE call, the average amount of funding granted to a CoE during the first three-year period was EUR 3 million. The Academy’s contribution to the funding of the total CoE costs accounted for 13–76 per cent. The call was implemented in line with the full cost model.

What time period shall the application concern?
The funding plan of the CoE shall cover the first three-year term (1 Jan 2014–31 Dec 2016).  However, the plan of intent/research plan to be appended shall cover the whole six-year CoE term (2014–2019).

How do I draft a cost estimate in the Academy’s online services?
In this call, the cost estimate drafted in line with the full cost model is prepared differently from other Academy calls:

• Enter only the funding applied for from the Academy and the funding that comes from the sites of research (for the first three-year term, 2014–2016). The Academy’s contribution to funding comes to no more 80%.
• In the plan of intent/research plan, describe the project’s total budget for six years and specify the funding contributions from other funding sources. The projects selected to the CoE Programme apply for funding for the latter three-year term (2017–2019) separately in 2016.

What does CoE funding cover?
The CoE funding is intended to cover all project costs arising from, e.g., researchers’ salaries, research costs, travel, national and international collaboration and mobility. The Academy’s general conditions concerning project funding also apply to CoE funding.

Shall all salary expenses be entered as separate items?
You can enter the salaries as total sums specified by research career stage: the salaries of doctoral students in one row, the salaries of postdoctoral researchers in the next row, etc. Please note that only the salary and other costs covered by the funding applied for from the Academy and provided by the site of research are entered.

Under “Research teams”, shall I enter all researchers involved in the project or only the PIs of the research teams?
The details of all participants that are known shall be listed under “Research teams”. This will help in reporting on project results and changes, as the application also serves as a basis for the reporting form. The description of the research teams must be consistent with the plan of intent/research plan.

What shall I enter under FTEs for the research teams’ staff?
Full-time equivalents (FTEs) indicate the full-time hours of a person involved in the project. Here, enter the FTEs of each person involved in the CoE work. For instance, the FTEs of the CoE director are expected to be the full 72 months (6 years x 12 months). For those who only partially participate in the CoE work, the FTEs may be, e.g., 24 months (6 years x 4 months).

Which percentages for overheads and indirect employee costs shall I use if the application involves several organisations?
Only one joint budget is drafted for the application. Use only one and the same percentage for overheads and indirect employee costs when drafting a budget in the Academy’s online services. These may be the percentages applied by the primary site of the research of the CoE, or the percentages agreed by the CoE and accepted by the sites of research. Academy funding is allocated to the site of research of the CoE director. The organisations involved in the application are requested to agree in advance on how and which percentages for overheads and indirect employee costs are used to allocate the funding between the organisations.

Is the budget presented in the letter of intent binding?
No, it is not. However, the budget presented at the second stage of the CoE call is binding. The final funding is agreed in the funding negotiations.

Can CoEs involve foreign research teams?
International collaboration is an integral part of research and, consequently, the Academy expects that as many of the funded projects as possible involve international collaboration. CoE Programmes are an effective means to boost the internationalisation of Finnish research. CoEs can use their CoE funding to recruit researchers from abroad.

The CoE funding is granted to the site of research of the CoE director, so all monetary transactions pass through that organisation (applies to both national and international research collaboration). However, an international organisation cannot be a partner in the funding contract of the CoE.

Can a researcher be involved in several CoEs?
The director of a CoE can be involved only in one CoE. A team member can be involved in several CoEs for justified reasons.

How many units will be funded in the 2014‒2019 CoE Programme?
The number of the units to be selected to the CoE Programme has not been decided. The Academy’s aim is to increase the funding per CoE, which may mean that the number of CoEs will be reduced.

What issues are considered in the review?
The review and selection criteria for the CoE Programme have been revised in 2009 in connection with the updating of the national Centre of Excellence Strategy. The review and selection criteria are available on our website at www.aka.fi/eng > (Prorammes & Cooperation) > Centres of Excellence > Selection.

Is the review form for CoE applications available online?
The form used by reviewers is available on our website at www.aka.fi/eng > (Prorammes & Cooperation) >Centres of Excellence > Call 2014‒2019.

How will the application process continue after applications have been submitted?
The whole application process is described on our website at www.aka.fi/eng > (Prorammes & Cooperation) > Centres of Excellence > Call 2014‒2019.