Funding decisions on additional R&D funding calls: RCF opens up new avenues for excellent and high-impact research

The Research Council of Finland’s (RCF) Subcommittee for Thematic Research has made the funding decisions on four thematically targeted funding calls. The total funding comes to nearly 37 million euros.

The targeted calls were based on the 2025 state budget, which had also allocated funding for the implementation of the multiannual plan for the use of central government R&D funding. The funded research contributes to reinforcing high-impact R&D, supporting the utilisation of research-based knowledge and promoting cooperation between the different actors involved.

Funding for clinical research

The RCF’s funding for clinical research is aimed at strengthening clinical research and generating new research knowledge to support social welfare and healthcare, disease treatment, diagnostics, prevention, or business activity In order to strengthen their societal impact, the projects must engage in close cooperation with key actors in the utilisation of research results at different stages of the project lifecycle.

The funding is also designed to encourage researchers working in wellbeing services counties to collaborate with researchers at other organisations. The consortia formed by the research groups shall conduct ambitious clinical research in accordance with a joint research plan, which should increase cooperation and bring clear added value to the implementation.

The Subcommittee granted 10.6 million euros in funding to eleven projects, comprising a total of 33 subprojects. The application success rate was 13.6 per cent. The projects start on 1 January 2026 and run for four years.

• List of funding decisions: Funding for clinical research

Funding to strengthen R&D in wellbeing services counties

The 2025 call to strengthen R&D activities and cooperation in wellbeing services counties is aimed at reforming R&D activities in the social welfare and healthcare service system. R&D aims not only at increasing productivity in the health and social services sector, but also at improving the quality of care.

Wellbeing services counties are a new group of actors in Finland’s RDI system, and they have a great deal of recognised high-level expertise. The funding granted will significantly increase the counties’ R&D cooperation with other actors, such as universities, universities of applied sciences and government research institutes.

The funding totals 8.76 million euros, granted to eleven projects that comprise a total of 45 subprojects. The application success rate was 24 per cent. The projects start on 1 January 2026 and run for three years.

• List of funding decisions: Funding to strengthen R&D in wellbeing services counties

Funding for research into forest biomass

In the 2025 call for research into forest biomass in Finland, the RCF granted a total of 6.6 million euros in funding for seven joint projects involving several parties. The projects develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the versatile utilisation of forest biomass. The research will also strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions, research institutes and the business sector. The projects aim to promote carbon neutrality, biodiversity and sustainable growth through, among other things, forest monitoring systems, high value-added bioproducts, carbon dioxide capture, and forest use management.

The funding is part of the RCF’s Climate-Synergy programme, which examines the impacts of climate change and seeks solutions to promote a carbon-neutral future.

The application success rate was 15.2 per cent. The projects start in early 2026 and run for four years. The funding strengthens Finland’s position as a pioneer in sustainable forest bioeconomy.

• List of funding decisions: Funding for research into forest biomass in Finland

Funding for research into sustainable energy solutions of the future

The 2025 call for applications for funding for research into sustainable energy solutions of the future was a joint call between the Research Council of Finland and Business Finland. The call was implemented under the RCF’s Climate-Synergy programme and designed to match the theme of Business Finland’s Flexible Energy Systems programme. The aim of the collaboration is to streamline the continuum of research and business and to strengthen connections between the actors involved.

The call was built around a holistic and systemic approach to renewable and emission-free energy solutions. The funding aims to strengthening sustainable energy solutions that support a wide range of scientific and societal impact.

The RCF’s Subcommittee for Thematic Research granted 10.9 million euros in funding to eleven projects, comprising a total of 27 subprojects. The application success rate was 23 per cent. The projects start in early January 2026 and run for four years.

• List of funding decisions: Funding for research into sustainable energy solutions of the future

The Subcommittee for Thematic Research was pleased with the interest generated by the targeted funding calls, which was reflected positively in the number and quality of applications. The best applications were of a high standard and met the objectives of the call excellently.

According to the Chair of the Subcommittee, Professor Petri Karonen, the funded projects are of the highest quality: “These often multidisciplinary projects, which combine different scientific disciplines, have excellent potential to achieve results that are both scientifically and societally significant.”