RCF’s spring calls seek answers to topical societal challenges

A total of 528 applications were submitted in the Research Council of Finland’s (RCF) funding calls this spring. The total number of applications, including subprojects of consortia, comes to 1,063. Part of the funding decisions will be taken in November 2026, and the rest in January 2027. The number of applicants per call can be found in the attached table (PDF).

The spring calls offer researchers, research organisations and other actors opportunities to respond to topical societal challenges and to promote the impact of research-based knowledge.

The Proof of Concept Funding promotes the versatile utilisation of research results for society’s needs. The projects to be funded are expected to move from research towards societal use of the research, including commercialisation.

The funding for clinical research strengthens clinical research and promotes clinical research careers. The clinical research projects are built around a scientifically high-quality and ambitious research plan implemented by a consortium of three or more research teams.

The funding for local research infrastructures to boost regional R&D activities supports cross-sectoral regional cooperation that strengthens the utilisation of research infrastructure services and know-how and improves the R&D expertise of the collaborators involved.

The funding for shared-use research infrastructures (national research infrastructures fostering innovation and ambitious R&D) aims to stimulate innovation and R&D activity. The funding is targeted at research organisations operating shared-use research infrastructures.

The funding for international collaboration in high-performance computing supports internationally excellent research where the use of European High-Performance Computing (EuroHPC) or Large Unified Modern Infrastructure (LUMI) supercomputing resources is necessary for the success of the research project.