New Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects selected in social sciences and humanities

12 Jun 2026

The Research Council of Finland (RCF) has selected 42 researchers in social sciences and humanities research to receive Academy Research Fellowship funding. The RCF’s Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities also granted funding for 59 new Academy Projects, which involve a total of 74 subprojects.

The Scientific Council’s total funding comes to some 27 million euros for Academy Research Fellowships and around 38 million euros for Academy Projects. More than half of the RCF’s research funding in 2026 is allocated within the Spark funding category, which provides long-term support for bold new research ideas.

The funding period in the Academy Research Fellowship and Academy Project funding schemes is four years. The funding is granted to the host research organisations, which hire the research personnel and manage the use of the funding. The RCF monitors the impact of funded research.

The total number of applications submitted to the Scientific Council increased substantially from last year, particularly in the case of applications for Academy Research Fellowships. The Scientific Council based its decision on the scientific review and the rankings prepared by the panels. In addition, it considered the applications as a whole in relation to the objectives of the call and sought to promote science across a wide variety of research fields. The applicant success rate was around 10 per cent for Academy Research Fellowships and around 10.5 per cent for Academy Projects.

The applications in social sciences and humanities were reviewed in a total of 19 review panels of international experts. Several panels were multidisciplinary, as are many of the funded research projects.

According to Professor Aini Linjakumpu, the Chair of the Scientific Council, the panels considered Finnish research in social sciences and humanities to be of high international quality. Finnish researchers produce significant fundamental research and research that tackles topical and societally significant issues and seeks solutions.

Academy Research Fellowships

The RCF’s Academy Research Fellowship funding is intended for early-career researchers on a fast career track who have formed international networks and who are conducting scientifically high-quality and high-impact research that contributes to scientific renewal.

In the Scientific Council’s view, the overall standard of the Academy Research Fellowship applications was high, and the best applications were of very high quality in many respects. The applications included new methods, topical societal issues, solution-oriented research approaches, and an aim to engage in dialogue and generate impact beyond the academic world.

The funding can be used flexibly according to the research needs, for example for the researcher’s own salary, to hire a research team and to cover other research costs. Although the funding allows for the hiring of several researchers, the Scientific Council considered it important to also fund projects of a smaller project size, projects with only individual researchers.

Academy Project Funding

Academy Project Funding is designed to promote the quality of research, scientific impact as well as scientific renewal and diversity. The aim is to attain internationally as high a scientific standard of work as possible and to support scientific breakthroughs and top-tier international research collaboration. The funding supports scientific renewal and strengthens future research competencies, including through additional funding for doctoral education.

According to the Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Engineering, this year’s best applications were a diverse group. The range of research topics was wide, even within individual research fields. The Academy Project research plans were closely linked to society and the challenges society faces. Among the new features were higher-quality multidisciplinary research designs and methods. The diversity also effectively reflects the career stage of the grantees: the funding recipients include both experienced scientists and researchers leading their first team.

The RCF had earmarked an additional 44 million euros to strengthen doctoral education in Academy Projects. In the Academy Project decisions taken by the Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities, funding for doctoral education increased compared to previous years, reaching 10.4 million euros.

The RCF Board decided on 3 June 2026 to introduce a resubmission restriction in Academy Project calls. The results of the 2026 call do not affect the restriction.