Information for Academy of Finland funding recipients and applicants on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic

*updated 19 September 2022

In 2020–2022, the Academy of Finland made it possible to change the purpose of ongoing Academy-funded projects and to extend the funding periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidelines were published on the Academy’s website.

As the pandemic has continued for an extended period of time, projects have adapted to the new operating environment and are better equipped to take into account the challenges posed by the pandemic in the planning of new projects.

For these reasons, the Academy will return to pre-Covid practices as regards changes to funding decisions. According to the Academy’s funding terms and conditions, the funding period may be extended based on a researcher’s maternity, paternity, parental or childcare leave, or military or nonmilitary service, unless the special condition of the decision or the nature of the appropriation imposes restrictions. It may also be extended for other special reasons, such as long-term illness.

In the future, the Covid-19 pandemic will be accepted as the reason for changing the purpose of an ongoing project and for extending the funding period only in very exceptional situations where the implementation of the entire project is interrupted due to the effects of the pandemic. When applying for a change in the funding decision, the application shall be accompanied by a description of the situation and evidence in writing (e.g. a report by the site of research on the interruption of the project).