Call for funding for international researcher mobility based on bilateral agreements

The Academy of Finland’s funding for bilateral research cooperation and researcher mobility supports the Academy’s general science policy objectives. With this funding opportunity, we promote the international interactions of Finnish researchers as well as the internationalisation of Finnish research environments.

The mobility funding call is implemented with the following countries: India, Japan, China, (incl. Taiwan), Germany and Russia.

The applicant is an individual researcher. The applicant must have at least a higher academic degree, but preference is given to researchers with a doctoral degree. Mobility applications cannot be consortium applications.

Members of the Board, research councils and the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland will not be granted Academy funding during their terms.

Funding cannot be granted to a person who has participated in the planning of the call to an extent likely to give them a comparative advantage over other applicants.

We will not process an application if the applicant has been found guilty of research misconduct in the three years preceding the year of the call.

The funding is intended for the researcher’s own mobility costs (travel expenses and grant that includes accommodation costs), for inviting researchers to Finland or for organising joint seminars (only applies to Japan and China). The detailed funding terms are determined in each bilateral agreement separately and described below country-by-country.

The mobility funding is either a personal grant or a research grant (appropriation). Personal grants are paid directly to researchers, research grants via sites of research.  The funding does not cover insurances, so applicants must take out appropriate insurance for the grant period.

The grant duration is 7–360 days. The earliest start date for the funding period is 1 February 2021. The recommended funding period (period during which the funding may be used) is two years.

The amount of the grant is based on a guideline table. It is assumed that the applicants will also receive other salary during their visit. You must clearly state in the application (under ‘Funding for the project’) if you will not be receiving other salary during the visit, or if you will be receiving only partial salary, and that you have therefore calculated the monthly grants according to the higher categories. Full costing is not applied to personal grants.

How to submit and supplement the application

The deadline is non-negotiable. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2020 at 16.15 Finnish time.

Make sure to submit the application in good time before the deadline. The system will only accept applications that contain all obligatory information.

You can edit and supplement the application until the deadline. You can make changes to a submitted application (e.g. change appendices), but you must make them before the deadline. If you notice that your application lacks important information after the deadline, immediately get in touch with the call’s contact person, so that they can reopen the application for you. Make sure to re-submit the application after you have supplemented it. We will consider the additions insofar as it is possible in view of the review and decision-making process. We may ask you to supplement the application. If you do not supplement the application by the given deadline, we may decide not to process it. You must make sure that your contact details (email address) are up to date.

How the application becomes pending

According to section 17 of the Finnish Administrative Procedure Act and section 8 of the Act on Electronic Services and Communication in the Public Sector, the sender is responsible for the application arriving by the set deadline. An application becomes pending at the Academy when the online application and the obligatory appendices have been submitted in the online services. The system will confirm a successful submission by sending an email to the address you have provided.

Publicity and data protection

Except for the research plan, plan of intent, abstract and interim report, which are primarily confidential, the application and its appendices are public documents. For example, the CV is a public document and as such must not include any confidential information. This publicity is based on the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities. The Academy is committed to following regulations on data protection. The GDPR-compliant privacy statement concerning the research funding process is available on our website under Data protection.

The mobility funding for India is based on a bilateral agreement between the Academy of Finland and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of India.

From Finland to India

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. The funding is awarded as a grant for biotechnological research and preparation of such research at universities and research institutes in India. The Academy of Finland’s grant covers travel expenses and costs of living in India. The grant duration is 7–360 days.

From India to Finland

The call type is ‘Mobility to Finland’. Finnish researchers acting as hosts may apply for a grant to invite Indian researchers of biotechnology to Finland to conduct research. The Academy of Finland will cover the round trip from the place of residence in India to the destination in Finland and a grant. The maximum duration of the visit is one year. Applications must include a commitment by the site of research

The mobility funding for Japan is based on a bilateral agreement between the Academy of Finland and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

From Finland to Japan

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. Funding can be awarded as a grant for two different purposes:

1)      Grants for researchers with a doctoral degree for research at universities or research institutes in Japan Grant covers travel expenses and costs of living.

2)      JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for 12–24 months to Japan. The Academy of Finland and the JSPS have an agreement concerning JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship grants to Japan. Applications are submitted to the Academy so that the Academy will screen out the applicants and select a candidate for the JSPS. The JSPS will make the funding decision and be responsible for grant payment. The most important part of the application is the JSPS application form, which must be appended to the application under ‘Research plan for mobility application’ in the online services. Do not append any other research plans to the application. You can find JSPS’s application form (FY 2021, FORM 2, Standard) and the guidelines to filling it in (FY 2021) on the JSPS website.

Finnish-Japanese seminars

With seminar funding, the Academy works to support Finnish researchers’ collaborative initiatives with Japanese researchers. The seminar dates must fall between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022. In the Academy’s online services under ‘Project title’, clearly indicate that it is a Finnish-Japanese joint seminar. Please note that the seminar must have both a Finnish and a Japanese person responsible for the seminar, and both must submit an application to their own funding agency. The JSPS call for attending seminars held in Finland and for Japanese organisers of seminars held in Japan closes on 2 September 2020 (see www.jsps.go.jp/english). The Academy and the JSPS have agreed to fund no more than two joint seminars in Finland or Japan. The decisions will be made during spring 2021.

Attending a seminar organised in Japan: The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. The personal grants are awarded to cover costs related to participation in Finnish-Japanese seminars to be organised in Japan. Finnish researchers can apply for personal grants to cover travel expenses and costs of living. Grants cannot be applied for to cover seminar participation fees.

Seminar to be organised in Finland: The call type is ‘Mobility to Finland’. Heads of Finnish research teams can apply for funding to cover reasonable costs of organising Finnish-Japanese seminars in Finland. Applications must include a commitment by the site of research. As a rule, the funding has covered basic seminar costs (e.g. rents, coffee serving, printing and mailing). The funding cannot be used to cover travel expenses of foreign researchers.

Mobility funding for China and Taiwan is based on the Academy of Finland’s bilateral agreements with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST).

In September 2020, the Academy invites applications together with the NSFC and the CASS. This year, exceptionally, the call with the CASS ends on 31 October 2020. Due to the exceptional schedule, a separate CASS call will be opened in the Academy’s online services (SARA).

The joint call with the CAS will be postponed to 2021. However, the CAS can contribute to the financing of travels postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. More information is provided by the call’s contact persons.

From Finland to China

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. The research grants to support project cooperation between Finnish and Chinese researchers are intended for Finnish researchers or research teams for travel expenses and costs of living in China. Please note that the project must have both a Finnish and a Chinese responsible person, both of whom must submit an application to their own funding agency. Funding is available for 2021 and 2022. The deadline for the Chinese party may differ from the deadline of the Academy’s call. The Academy of Finland and the Chinese funder will cover the travel expenses and costs of living of the participating researchers of their own country in accordance with their own funding terms and conditions. The Academy will cover the costs of living according to its own grant calculation model. Reasonable travel expenses may also be covered. Funding will not be granted for research costs or seminars.

To maintain a balanced project, it is recommended that approximately the same number of researchers from both countries participate in the project. The visits can be from one week to up to a few months in duration. The Finnish and Chinese research teams will draft a joint research plan. 

Guidelines on filling in the application form:

• The project PI is the applicant.
• CV following the template, no more than two pages Also append the CV of the Chinese PI.
• Append both your list of publications and the list of publications of the Chinese PI.
• Append the CVs of those Finnish researchers for whose travel expenses funding will be used. You may combine the CVs into a single file together with the Chinese PI’s CV.
• On the tab ‘Mobility’, list the Finnish researchers (enter N.N. if necessary) who will use the funding for travel.
• Append a joint Finnish-Chinese research plan that indicates the visit dates as well as the name, institution and contact details of the Chinese applicant. The application must be identifiable under the same project title in both countries.

The review will focus on the following aspects:

• the scientific quality of the project
• the scientific merits of the research teams
• the way in which the teams complement each other
• the added value of the cooperation
• participation of early-career researchers.

Finnish-Chinese seminars

With seminar funding, the Academy works to support Finnish researchers’ collaborative initiatives with Chinese researchers. In the Academy’s online services under ‘Project title’, clearly indicate that it is a Finnish-Chinese joint seminar.

Attending a seminar to be organised in China in 2021: The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. The personal grants are awarded for participation in Finnish-Chinese seminars to be organised in China. Finnish researchers can apply for personal grants to cover travel expenses and costs of living. Grants cannot be applied for to cover seminar participation fees.

Seminar to be organised in Finland in 2021: The call type is ‘Mobility to Finland’. Heads of Finnish research teams can apply for funding to cover reasonable costs of organising Finnish-Chinese joint seminars in Finland. Applications must include a commitment by the site of research. As a rule, the funding has covered basic seminar costs (e.g. rents, coffee serving, printing and mailing). The funding cannot be used to cover travel expenses of foreign researchers.

From Finland to Taiwan

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. Grants are awarded for research at research institutes and universities in Taiwan. The Academy of Finland’s personal grant covers travel expenses and costs of living in Taiwan. The grant duration is 7–360 days.

From Taiwan to Finland

The call type is ‘Mobility to Finland’. Finnish researchers acting as hosts may apply for a grant to invite Taiwanese researchers to Finland to conduct research. The Academy of Finland will cover the round trip from the place of residence in Taiwan to the destination in Finland and a grant. The maximum duration of the visit is one year. Applications must include a commitment by the site of research.

Mobility funding for Germany is based on a bilateral agreement between the Academy of Finland and the German Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD).

From Finland to Germany

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. The research grants to support project cooperation between Finnish and German researchers are intended for Finnish research teams’ travel expenses and costs of living in Germany. Please note that the project must have both a Finnish and a Germany responsible person, both of whom must submit an application to their own funding agency. Funding is available for 2021 and 2022. The deadline of DAAD for applications by German parties is 2 September 2020. The Academy of Finland and DAAD cover the travel expenses and costs of living of the participating researchers of their own country in accordance with their own funding terms and conditions. The Academy will cover the costs of living according to its own grant calculation model. Travel expenses may also be covered. Funding will not be granted for research costs or seminars.

The collaborators whose two-year funding period will end on 1 March 2021 at the latest may apply for a third-year extension, provided that there are justifiable grounds. They may also apply for a new two-year funding provided that they have a new perspective on their subject or a completely new research subject.

To maintain a balanced project, it is recommended that approximately the same number of researchers from both countries participate in the project. The visits can be from one week to up to a few months in duration. The Finnish and German research teams will draft a joint research plan.

Guidelines on filling in the application form:

• The project PI is the applicant.
• CV following the template, no more than two pages Also append the CV of the German PI.
• Append both your own list of publications and the list of publications of the German PI.
• Append the CVs of those Finnish researchers for whose travel expenses funding will be used. You may combine the CVs into a single file together with the German PI’s CV.
• Under the tab ‘Mobility’, list the Finnish researchers (enter N.N. if necessary) who will use funding for travel.
• Append a joint Finnish-German research plan that indicates the visit dates as well as the name, institution and contact details of the German applicant.

In the review of the DAAD applications, focus will be placed on the following aspects:

• the scientific quality of the project
• the scientific merits of the research teams
• the way in which the teams complement each other
• the added value of the cooperation
• participation of early-career researchers.

From Finland to Russia

The call type is ‘Mobility from Finland’. Grants are awarded for research at institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences and at universities in Russia. The applicant must have an invitation from the host institution. The minimum duration of the visit is one week; the maximum duration is twelve months (over a 24-month period). The funding is intended for reasonable return travel expenses and a grant that includes accommodation costs.  It is assumed that the applicants will also receive other salary during their visit.

From Russia to Finland

The call type is ‘Mobility to Finland’. Grants are awarded for inviting Russian researchers to Finland. Finnish researchers can apply for funds to invite Russian researchers to Finland to do research. The minimum duration of the visit is one week; the maximum duration is one year. The funding is primarily granted to invitees with a Candidate of Sciences degree (“kandidat nauk”, according to the Russian degree structure). If funding is available, Candidate of Sciences students (aspirant) may also be funded. The funding is intended for reasonable return travel expenses, travel expenses related to the scientific programme in Finland and a grant that includes accommodation costs.

A single application may be used to apply for funding for several invitees at the same time, but the requested information must be provided for all invitees separately. The application cannot be used by a PI to apply for funding for their own mobility from Finland to Russia. Funding for the PI’s mobility is applied for with a separate application.

The application consists of forms completed in the online services and PDF appendices. As an applicant, you have the right to submit your application in Finnish or Swedish, but we ask you to submit it in English.

Most of the links below take you to the A–Z index of application guidelines on our website.

The online application contains the following parts

Personal data

• Personal details
• Degrees (most recent one first); parental leaves etc. may be filled in under ‘Additional information’
• Titles of docent and professorships

CV

• CV following the template, no more than two pages

General information

• Details on the site of research
• Title of research project in English and Finnish/Swedish
• Research fields (at least one, no more than five). See the research field classification.
• Keywords in English and Finnish/Swedish

Abstract

• Maximum length 2,500 characters including spaces
• Brief overview of scientific and societal objectives, research methods and data as well as expected research results and impact
• Read more about the Abstract.

Most relevant publications

• Up to ten of your most important project-relevant publications
• You can retrieve publication details from the VIRTA publication information service. Also see our how-to guide for the online services.
• Details on publications may also be entered manually. Obligatory information: author(s), title, year of publication, name of series/journal, type of publication (will not show in the PDF version of the application)

Mobility

• International mobility funding applied for
• See more information on mobility.

Collaborators

• Project collaborators, itemised by collaborator (name, organisation, country)
• Describe the collaborators’ project-relevant merits and provide justifications for choosing them in section 3.2 of the research plan.
• If necessary, append a letter of commitment. See the guidelines on the letter of commitment.

Affiliations

• Research infrastructures: Indicate what kinds of equipment, resources or data reserves provided by national or international research infrastructures the project will use. The menu includes infrastructures included in Finland’s national roadmap and/or ESFRI’s roadmap. Other possible infrastructures are entered in a free-text field. Read more about research infrastructures.
• Centres of Excellence in Research: Read more about Centres of Excellence.
• Finnish Flagships: Read more about the Finnish Flagship Programme.

Research ethics

• Ethical permission for project (yes/no)
• Found guilty of research misconduct (yes/no). We will not process a funding application if the applicant has been found guilty of research misconduct in the three years preceding the year of the call.
• If necessary, the research-ethical issues are described in the research plan appendix.
• See the ethical guidelines.

Funding for the project – Grant (for Mobility to Finland)

• The funding period is usually a two-year period when the funding is available. In the research plan, enter the planned dates of the visit (7–360 days).
• Other expenses
• Commitment by site of research. Make sure you have a commitment      from your site of research (usually a university or research institute) to      supporting the project.

Funding for the project

• Before you can fill in the cost estimate, you must first select the site of research on the tab ‘General information’.
• The Finnish site of research (research organisation) maintains the following percentages: effective working hours, indirect employee costs, overheads percentage and VAT
• Enter the funding period. The funding period is usually a two-year period when the funding is available. In the free-form research plan, enter the planned dates of the visit (7–360 days).
• Grant
• Other expenses
• Justify the funding to be applied for. The cost estimate must be realistic.
• Commitment by site of research (if necessary). Make sure you have a commitment from your site of research (usually a university or research institute) to supporting the project. Read more in the guidelines on the commitment by site of research.

Public project description

• Maximum length 1,000 characters including spaces
• Popular and reader-friendly description of the research project in English and Finnish/Swedish
• The public description helps the Academy to disseminate information on the research project. The project description is also stored in the National Research Information Hub, which will make available information on research conducted in Finland.
• Read the guidelines on the public project description.

Authorisation

• You can authorise another person to supplement or view your application.
• Start by entering the person’s name in the field.
• The person must have an account in the Academy’s online services (SARA).
• You cannot authorise more than one person at a time to edit a field in your application, and you cannot edit that same field while the authorisation is active.
• Do not authorise yourself.
• See technical instructions on the authorisation process in the how-to guides for the online services.

Appendices

• Appendices must be PDF files.

Personal travel:

• Complete list of publications. Read the guidelines on the structure of the list of publications.
• Invitation by the host institution
• A free-form research plan including a visit plan, no more than five pages in total
• Letter of commitment: See the guidelines on the letter of commitment. A letter of commitment (i.e. joint cooperation agreement or letter of intent) is required in the case of the Researcher Mobility Programme with China (NSFC).

Grant for invitee:

• CV for the invitee, clearly indicating highest academic degree, date of birth and previous visits to Finland on grants or other funding
• Degree certificate for the invitee (Researcher Mobility Programme with Russia)
• List of publications by the invitee
• Complete list of publications by the inviter. Read the guidelines on the structure of the list of publications.
• Free-form research plan including a visit plan, no more than five pages in total

Arranging seminars:

• Complete list of publications. Read the guidelines on the structure of the list of publications.
• Free-form research plan, including short description of the research behind the seminar and account of how the seminar ties in with the present research; the plan includes a preliminary programme for the seminar, the attendees and an itemised budget (e.g. rents, refreshments, printing and mailing expenses)

Participating in seminars:

• Complete list of publications. Read the guidelines on the structure of the list of publications.
• Free-form research plan, including short description of the research behind the seminar and account of how the seminar ties in with the present research; the plan includes a preliminary programme for the seminar, the attendees and a description of the applicant’s role in the seminar (invited speaker, other performer, attendee).

Submit application

• You can submit the application when you have filled in or attached all the necessary information.
• A red warning triangle on the tab tells you that some information is missing.
• You can supplement the application until the deadline. Resaving will replace the earlier version.
• If you want to supplement the application after the deadline, please get in touch with the contact persons listed in the call text.

Interim report

• If you have ongoing Academy funding, you must draw up an interim report in the online services on each ongoing project before the call deadline. Read the guidelines on drafting the interim report.

Also see the How-to guides for the online services

The review of mobility applications will focus on the following aspects:

• How does the applicant justify why and for what purposes the funding is applied for?
• How does the application address the objective of the funding as regards promoting the international interaction of Finnish researchers and increasing the internationalisation of Finnish research environments?
• What is the quality, impact and renewal potential of the research cooperation described in the application?

The JSPS will review the applications for Finnish-Japanese joint seminars for its own part.

DAAD, the CAS, the CASS and the NSFC will review the bilateral mobility applications for their own part. In the review of these applications, focus will be placed on the following:

• the scientific quality of the project
• the scientific merits of the research groups
• the way in which the teams complement each other
• the added value of the cooperation
• participation of early-career researchers.

The funding decisions will be made in early 2021.

You will receive an email notification after the funding decision has been made. After receiving the email, you can log in to the online services with your user ID to view the decision and its justifications.

How to receive the funding

A positive funding decision is accompanied by the terms and conditions of funding. Check the decision and read the funding terms and conditions. Also, update the public project description (if necessary) and make changes to the annual instalments.

A personal grant will be considered accepted when you send the payment request form to the Academy’s Registrar’s Office or to the presenting official. A research grant will be considered accepted when you start using the funding and the host organisation invoices the Academy.