Strategic Research Council invites applications for funding for research into the Arctic region and mental health

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) established within the Research Council of Finland is launching two new strategic research programmes. The six-year programmes start in late 2026.

The programmes are:

• The Changing Arctic Region (ARCTIC)

• Public Mental Health (MIND).

In the two programmes combined, the SRC is prepared to fund 9–10 projects with a total of some 24 million euros during the first three-year period. The progress of the selected projects will be reviewed at midterm, after which the SRC will decide on the continuation of funding.

The calls for applications have two stages. The first call stage opens on 18 November 2025 and closes on 21 January 2026. The first stage is open to all eligible applicants. According to a preliminary schedule, the projects invited to the second stage will be selected in March 2026. The SRC will take decisions on the projects to be invited to the second stage based on the first-stage international peer review.

Strategic research funding is intended for extensive, multidisciplinary research consortia formed by research projects from several organisations that carry out research with an emphasis on active interaction and engagement with knowledge users. Strategic research strengthens societal problem-solving capacity and improves the knowledge base of decision-making.

From the projects to be funded, the SRC expects not only excellent research but also active interaction between knowledge producers and knowledge users, covering the entire life cycle of the research. The SRC also encourages applicants to plan international cooperation to promote scientific research into and understanding of the most effective solutions for Finnish society.

Guidelines on consortium structure, composition and activity as well as more detailed application instructions are available in the call texts.

A webinar about the SRC programmes will be organised on Thursday 27 November 2025 at 10.00–11.30. The webinar will be held in Finnish, but questions can also be asked in English. Sign up here by 26 November 2025 at 16.00.

See also the ministries’ own info session on 9 December: Sign-up and programme (in Finnish).