Global cooperation
The RCF cooperates with research funding organisations in EU and non-EU countries based on bilateral or multilateral agreements. This cooperation enables support for joint research projects between different countries.
We also contribute to the work of international organisations (IIASA, OECD) as well as bodies that coordinate Finland’s global research and higher education partnerships on a national level (e.g. Team Finland Knowledge).
International bilateral cooperation
The RCF has long supported cooperation between Finnish and African researchers by participating in the funding of ERA-NET calls in the EU and between European and African countries (e.g. LEAP-Agri and LEAP-RE). No new calls are currently being prepares, and we encourage Finnish researchers to participate in open calls under the EU Framework Programme that prioritise cooperation with African countries. Such calls are found under Pillar 2 clusters.
Cooperation with African countries has also been supported with joint funding by the RCF and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The DEVELOP2 programme is currently underway.
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The RCF has an agreement with two Brazilian research funding organisations: the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, agreement since 2008) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, agreement since 2012). The objective of both agreements is to foster high-quality and mutually beneficial research funding cooperation. By granting funding to joint research projects, the aim is to support long-term research cooperation between Finnish and Brazilian research teams and to promote researcher mobility. The RCF has opened five joint calls with its Brazilian partners.
Nowadays, we collaborate with Brazil mainly through multilateral networks between funding agencies. In 2013–2017, we participated in ERANet-LAC (Network of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Countries on Joint Innovation and Research Activities), a project under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. As the EU funding has ended, the project continues under the name EU-CELAC Platform. We also participate in the Trans-Atlantic Platform for the Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP).
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The RCF has had a cooperation agreement with the National Agency of Research and Development of Chile (ANID, formerly known as CONICYT) since 2007. The objective of the agreement is to support Finnish-Chilean research cooperation by launching joint calls for research projects and implementing research programmes in jointly agreed fields. The RCF has organised five joint calls with CONICYT.
Nowadays, we collaborate with Chile mainly through multilateral networks between funding agencies. In 2013–2017, we participated in ERANet-LAC (Network of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Countries on Joint Innovation and Research Activities), a project under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. As the EU funding has ended, the project continues under the name EU-CELAC Platform. We also participate in the Trans-Atlantic Platform for the Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP).
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The RCF has an agreement on funding cooperation with the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). The agreement is valid until 2030. The funding supports joint research projects between Finnish and South Korean researchers.
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The RCF has an agreement on cooperation with two research funding organisations in India: the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The agreements have enabled funding for joint research projects and researcher mobility between Finland and India.
We have also participated in EU-level cooperation with India. For example, the Equip project (2014–2017) promoted, among other things, the networking of European and Indian researchers and funders in the social sciences and humanities.
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The RCF has an agreement on cooperation with two research funding organisations in Japan: the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The agreements have enabled funding for joint research projects and researcher mobility between Finland and Japan.
In addition, we have participated in a NordForsk-coordinated Nordic collaboration with the Japan Agency for Medical Development (AMED).
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We collaborate with Canadian organisations mainly through multilateral networks between funding agencies. We also participate in the Trans-Atlantic Platform for the Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP).
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The RCF has agreements on cooperation with three Chinese research funding organisations. The cooperation with the National Natural Science Foundation of Chine (NSFC) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) covers all scientific disciplines, except those that fall within the remit of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The cooperation with CASS covers socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
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The RCF has an agreement on cooperation with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The agreement enables support for researcher mobility between Finland and Taiwan.
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The RCF’s cooperation with Russian organisations has been suspended.
The RCF’s major partners in the United States are the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The RCF and the American funders have agreed to promote Finnish-American research collaboration up until 2029.
Cooperation will be strengthened by funding research projects between American and Finnish parties mainly in areas represented by the research flagships included in the Finnish Flagship Programme.
The funding will be granted via a mechanism called Lead Agency. Under the mechanism, proposers from both countries collaborate to write a single proposal, which will be submitted to a funding call organised by the US funder. Proposers from Finland will submit a version of the proposal to the RCF as well. The instructions for Finnish applicants will be posted on the RCF’s website.
The most recent joint calls were published in spring 2024. The next calls are planned to be announced by the end of 2025.
Finnish researchers can also apply directly for NIH funding for collaborative research with a US partner. Read more on NIH’s website.
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Participating in international organisations
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international, interdisciplinary research institute located in Laxenburg in Austria. IIASA facilitates intergovernmental dialogue to solve common challenges. The institute studies global problems that are either too widespread or too complex for a single country or scientific discipline to solve (e.g. global warming, population growth and energy). IIASA compiles and maintains a large number of databases and develops modelling tools for using them effectively.
More than half of IIASA’s funding comes from competitive research grants and donations. The rest comes from membership fees. The RCF pays Finland’s annual IIASA membership fee and supports the work of the National IIASA Committee. We also sponsor the participation of Finnish doctoral candidates and doctoral candidates enrolled in Finnish universities and research institutes in IIASA’s Young Scientists Summer Programme (YSSP). The YSSP application period usually opens in December. Doctoral candidates selected to the programme may apply for a grant from the RCF to cover costs related to participation in the summer school (travel and living expenses).
Finland’s IIASA committee
Finland’s interests in IIASA are represented by a dedicated IIASA committee whose members are appointed by the RCF. The RCF also pays Finland’s annual membership fee. The IIASA committee acts as Finland’s National Member Organisation (NMO) in IIASA. The members of the committee are appointed by the President of the RCF and, in line with the nature of IIASA’s work, include scientists as well as representatives of organisations that utilise research results and public administration representatives.
Tasks of Finland’s IIASA committee:
- coordinating, overseeing and developing Finland’s contribution to the work of IIASA
- appointing Finns to serve on other bodies of IIASA than its Council
- tracking the progress of IIASA’s research and facilitating its introduction in Finland.
Finland’s IIASA Committee 1 Jan 2024–31 Dec 2026:
- Professor Olli Varis, Aalto University (chair)
- Academician of Science Markku Kulmala, University of Helsinki
- Research Professor Raisa Mäkipää, Natural Resources Institute Finland
- Professor Ahti Salo, Aalto University
- Chief Specialist Sari Löytökorpi, Prime Minister’s Office
- Research Professor Anna Rotkirch, Family Federation of Finland
- Vice President of International Affairs and Policy Janica Ylikarjula, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
- Head of programme and research infrastructure funding Päivi Tikka, Research Council of Finland
- Senior Science Adviser, Johanna Hakala, Research Council of Finland (secretary)
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The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote sustainable economic development, employment and the wellbeing of people around the world. The OECD provides a global reference point for economic and social policymakers.
The RCF acts as Finland’s representative on the OECD’s Global Science Forum (GSF). The GSF is tasked with expanding the potential for international cooperation in the field of scientific research. The GSF also issues recommendations to the OECD’s members based on surveys and reports. The GSF identifies and studies, among other things, emerging fields of research cooperation and investigates the necessity, viability and implementation of projects that require major investments.
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