How we work
High-level international peer review is our key tool for identifying the best and most promising research projects to fund. We use it to find the best research ideas, the most talented researchers and the most attractive research environments.
The process
- Researchers send their research plans and applications to us.
- International experts from different fields go through the plans, rate them and draft review reports on them.
- Our decision-making bodies examine the review reports and discuss them. Then they decide which projects will be funded.
- The decision-makers are members of the Finnish scientific community, that is, distinguished professors or researchers in their fields. Research Council of Finland officials do not make any funding decisions.
- Political decision-makers do not participate in the Research Council of Finland’s review process or decision-making.
Advantages of peer review and open competition
International peer review indicates the quality of the research in comparison to the international level in the field concerned. It allows us to support the best projects and researchers as well as helps us identify new research topics and perspectives.
We also support
- development of research environments, such as research infrastructures
- increased independence of early-career researchers
- evidence-based policy and decision-making in various sectors of society
