Research, Development and Innovation Programme ICT 2023: Autonomous Everything

Autonomous systems and solutions are gaining a stronger foothold pervasively in different sectors of our society. Enabled by rapid technological advancements, both the physical and the virtual worlds are being more and more automated and reaching autonomous functionalities, typically for the sake of enhanced efficiency, safety and sustainability. An important enabling element for increased autonomy in systems, machines and processes is artificial intelligence (AI) powered by the increasing capacity of computational resources and the widely available sets of data. Autonomous ships, cars and aerial vehicles are being integrated into existing modes of transport, where computer-augmented human steering still prevails. Lane assistance or information about surroundings towards enhanced situational awareness are examples of partial autonomy. The transition towards autonomy has started gradually.

The increased levels of automation and autonomy in systems and solutions is transforming our society, industry, economy and people’s everyday lives. Autonomous systems can contribute significantly to added safety, a healthier environment and a better quality of life. They will also transform business models and value chains. However, in addition to autonomous systems being faced by a wide range of interdisciplinary technological challenges, they will also present challenges to both individuals and society at large, which all need to be carefully addressed.

The theme “autonomous everything” combines several different fields of research, such as automation technology, computer science, information technology, telecommunications engineering, hardware development, robotics, electronics, signal processing, information security, machine vision, software systems and software engineering. This thematic call will provide funding to projects conducting basic research and seeking new “autonomous everything” initiatives. Examples of research topics:

• Autonomous systems and operations
• Remote-controlled transportation
• Autonomous vehicles (land, air, water, space)
• Reliability, risk management and transparency in remote controlled and autonomous systems
• Robotics, co-botics and soft robotics
• Social robotics and human-robot interaction
• Autonomous systems in society
• Mobile geomatics and geospatial data for autonomous systems
• Sustainable automation
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence
• Ethical AI
• Security and robustness in autonomous systems
• Software robotics and expert systems
• Distributed multi-access edge computing in autonomous systems.

The proposed projects must contribute to advancements in the concept of “autonomous everything”.

The background, objectives and research themes as well as the criteria for reviewing and decision-making are presented in more detail in the thematic memorandum.

The funding can be applied for by both individual research teams and consortia composed of two or several research teams. The consortium parties may represent one or several research organisations. In April 2019, the applicant may submit only one application for ICT 2023 funding, including as consortium PI or consortium subproject PI. A consortium application is an application built around a joint research plan, where each party to the consortium applies for funding from the Academy. The Academy treats the consortium application as a single application, although the funding is granted to each subproject separately. Consortium compositions cannot be changed after the call deadline has expired. Read the guidelines for consortium applications.

The applicant must be a researcher with a doctoral degree or at the professor or docent level. In addition, the applicant must have a close connection with Finland to support the implementation of a multi-year project. This connection must be described in the application.

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

The Academy has set the research projects’ funding budget at approximately 3 million euros.

The funding period is three years: 1 January 2020‒31 December 2022

The funding is paid via a site of research (usually a university or research institute) based in Finland. Academy funding can be granted to foreign sites only in exceptional cases. Academy-funded researchers may, however, spend time working abroad during their funding period.

In the application, present a funding plan drafted in line with the full cost model (see guidelines in the general conditions and guidelines, section 2), including the funding to be applied for from the Academy (no more than 70% of the total project costs).

You can apply for Academy funding to cover, for example, the following direct research costs:

• Research team salaries
• salary costs of principal investigator (under certain limitations)
• salaries of researchers returning to Finland
• essential implementation costs
• travels
• collaboration and mobility in Finland
• international collaboration and mobility
• mobility allowance for spells abroad
• preparation of international projects
• publishing (e.g. costs of open-access publishing).

Research team salaries

As a rule, staff hired with Academy of Finland research funding must have an employment relationship. We recommend that they be hired for a period of employment no shorter than the funding period, unless a shorter contract is necessary for special reasons dictated by the implementation of the research project. Short-term research, study or other assignments may also be carried out in the form of outsourced services, if it is determined to be necessary for the project.

We require that the site of research (e.g. university) provides the research project with all necessary basic facilities. These are determined based on the nature of the research and are the same as those available to other research staff at the site: office and laboratory premises, equipment (incl. computer equipment), and telecommunications, telephone, mailing, copying and library services, etc.

What is required from the site of research?

When the site of research is a university or a research institute, as a rule, the funding must be applied for VAT included. Consult the financial administration at the site of research for more information. The Academy’s funding may also cover VAT costs, but only on certain conditions (see Guidelines about value added tax and read more in the general conditions and guidelines, section 5.3).

Funding plan

In the application, provide a cost estimate including an estimate of the annual amount of funding needed, itemised by type of expenditure. Also include a funding plan, that is, all funding granted for the project as well as funding that will be provided by the site of research if the project is launched. The cost estimate must be realistic. All research costs are justified in the free-text field on the tab Funding for the project in the online services. 

Salary costs of principal investigator

The salary costs of the principal investigator are funded under certain limitations. Academy funding for research projects (Academy Projects, targeted projects and Academy Programme projects) is primarily intended for the salaries of full-time researchers working on the projects and for other research costs. 

The salary costs of the PI may, under certain limitations, be incorporated into the total project costs. The PI’s salary is entered under Salary of principal investigator on the online application form. 

1. Including PI’s salary (for project management) in total project costs 

The salary costs of the PI may be incorporated into the total project costs in accordance with what is stated under the tab Salary of principal investigator in the online services. In order for the salary costs to be eligible, the PI’s tasks must be clearly specified. 

The salary costs must not be significant in relation to the project’s total costs. For example, a four-year research project must not include more than six months of the PI’s effective working hours. This is equivalent to approximately 1.5 months a year. 

2. Applying for funding for PI’s salary (for research) 

The Academy can grant a maximum of twelve months of funding towards the salary of a PI for conducting research. 

The funding is intended to support project implementation and granted only for well-substantiated research-related reasons (e.g. work abroad, return to Finland or transfer to another research organisation or a company in Finland). Possible business collaboration must fulfil the terms set out in the Academy’s general conditions and guidelines for funding (section 10.1). 

The research-related reasons and the PI’s tasks must be clearly presented on the tab Salary of principal investigator. The funding cannot be used for this purpose unless it is mentioned in the terms and conditions included in the funding decision. 

3. Granting salary funding to PI with no employment relationship

If the PI does not have an employment relationship with, for example, a university or research institute, they must give an account (under the tab Salary of principal investigator) of how their salary will be covered during the funding period.

Retired researchers can be granted funding on the same grounds as other researchers. 

Mobility allowance in research projects

The mobility allowance in research projects depends neither on the target country nor on the duration of the stay. It is a taxable benefit and indirect employee costs will be deducted from it:

• for a researcher with no dependants:1,050 euros/month
• for a researcher with dependants:1,500 euros/month

The mobility allowance is applied for as a research cost for implementing the research plan and as part of the original application of the project (e.g. Academy Projects, Academy Programmes and research posts). The recommended amount should be enough to cover the costs of higher living expenses from living abroad.

Mobility allowance is applied for on the tab Funding for the project under Other expences. Ticket costs for travel abroad are entered separately under Travel costs. If researchers and their families stay abroad for at least six months, funding can also be applied for to cover family travel costs.

How to submit and supplement the application

The deadline is non-negotiable. 

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 expires.You can make changes (e.g. change appendices) in an application you have submitted to the Academy, but you must make them before the deadline expires.  If you notice that your application lacks important information after the deadline has expired, immediately get in touch with the call’s contact person,who can open the application so that you can add the missing information.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.An important addition is, for instance, an invitation by a foreign university.  

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 provided by the applicant.

Publicity and data protection

Under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities, as a rule, an application and its appendices are public information; research plans, plans of intent, abstracts and progress reports, however, are not. For example, the CV is a public document and as such must not include any confidential information. This is based on the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999). 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. 

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 provided by the applicant.

Publicity and data protection

Under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities, as a rule, an application and its appendices are public information; research plans, plans of intent, abstracts and progress reports, however, are not. For example, the CV is a public document and as such must not include any confidential information. This is based on the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999). 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.

Application parts and guidelines

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 that you to submit it in English to facilitate the international review.

The online application consists of the following parts:

Personal data/CV

• Personal details
• Degrees (most recent one first); parental leaves etc. may be filled in under Additional information
• Titles of docent and professorships
• CV appendix following the template structure, no more than two pages

Consortium parties (if applicable)

• Details on each party (name, email address, organisation and country)
• Read the guidelines for consortium applications

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)
• Keywords in English and Finnish/Swedish

Abstract

• Maximum length 2,500 characters
• Brief overview of scientific and societal objectives, research methods and data as well as expected results and impact of the research

Research plan

• Maximum length 12 pages (15 pages for consortium projects); see our guidelines on the structure of the research plan
• If the project involves business collaboration, that collaboration must be clearly indicated in the research plan.

Most relevant publications

• No more than ten of the most important publications for the project; no more than 20 publications in the case of consortium projects
• Search for publications in the VIRTA publication information service. VIRTA guidelines
• 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)
• Append a complete list of publications to the application under Appendices

Mobility

• Enter information on planned national and international mobility within the project, itemised by person
• Guidelines on the mobility allowance are available in the call text under Funding to be applied for and funding period.

Affiliations

• ESFRI roadmap research infrastructures
• Other research environments
• Centres of Excellence
• Projects funded under the Flagship Programme

Ethical aspects

• 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.
  • The research ethics description is entered under section 4.1 of the research plan.

Funding for the project

• Funding period, effective working hours, indirect employee costs, overheads percentage and VAT
• Salaries and other costs
• Other funding sources and their funding contributions. You must immediately notify us if you receive funding from other sources for the same purpose after your application to the Academy has been submitted.
• Justifications for the funding to be applied for. The cost estimate must be realistic.
• Consult the administration at your site of research when filling in budget details. Read more about the funding in the call text under Funding to be applied for and funding period.
• 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.

Salary of principal investigator

• The salary costs of the PI may, under certain limitations, be incorporated into the total project costs: for project management and/or research
• If the PI does not have a permanent employment relationship, include a salary plan for the PI covering the entire funding period.
• Read more about the PI’s salary in the call text under Funding to be applied for and funding period.

Public project description

• Maximum length 1,000 characters
• Reader-friendly and popular description of the research project in English and Finnish/Swedish
• The public description helps the Academy to disseminate information on the research project.
• the topic of the research and the rationale
• the data and research methods to be used (interviews, statistical data, archive materials, etc.)
• the site of research
• the significance and objectives of the research from the perspective of society and science
• any other interesting aspects
• if relevant, a link to the researcher’s website, if it contains more information on the topic
• if relevant, references to previous publications that are readily available at public libraries or on the internet.

Authorisation

• You can authorise other people to edit parts of the application for you. Start by entering the person’s name in the field.
• The person must have set up 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.
• Technical instructions on the authorisation process are available in the how-to guides for the online services.

Submit the 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 information is missing.
• You can supplement the application until the deadline expires. Resaving will replace the earlier version.
• If you want to supplement the application after the deadline has expired, please get in touch with the call’s contact person.

Appendices to application for individual projects and consortia

Application by the PI of an individual project:

Obligatory appendices:

• CV appendix following the template structure, no more than two pages
• list of publications; clearly indicate the ten most important publications for the project
• Data management plan 

Case-specific appendices:

• Collaboration plan; guidelines are available  in the
  thematic memorandum
• invitation by foreign university or research institute, if the research or part of it will be conducted abroad
• statement by ethics committee or animal care committee
• progress report on all Academy-funded projects headed by the applicant that have not submitted final reports
• research plan following the template structure, no more than 12 pages; only if the research plan has not been filled in on the tab Research plan

Consortium application:

Obligatory appendices to consortium PI’s application:

• Data management plan

The consortium PI and the subproject PIs append the following obligatory appendices to their own applications:

• CV appendix following the template structure, no more than two pages
• list of publications; clearly indicate the ten most important publications for the project

Case-specific appendices:

• Collaboration plan; guidelines are available in the thematic memorandum
• invitation by foreign university or research institute, if the research or part of it will be conducted abroad
• statement by ethics committee or animal care committee
• progress report on all Academy-funded projects headed by the applicant that have not submitted final reports
• research plan following the template structure, no more than 15 pages; appended by the consortium PI; only if the research plan has not been filled in on the tab Research plan.

Academy of Finland funding is granted based on peer review. We mainly use foreign experts as reviewers.

The review of applications follows a single-stage process. The applications will be reviewed by an international panel.

The review is based on the following criteria:

• how the project supports the objectives of the call
• scientific quality, innovativeness and novelty value of the research as well as its impact within the scientific community
• competence of applicant/research team in terms of project implementation
• feasibility of research plan (incl. research ethics)
• quality of research environment and collaborative networks
• researcher mobility and researcher training
• added value of collaboration between consortium parties

Read the review questions that form the basis of the review: review form for Academy Programmes.

There will be two threshold ratings in the evaluation:

If an application does not receive at least rating 4 on the scale from 1 to 6 for evaluation item “Project’s relevance to the programme/call, the review will be discontinued, and the applicant will only receive feedback on evaluation item “Project’s relevance to the programme/call”.

If an application does not receive at least rating 4 on the scale from 1 to 6 for evaluation item “Scientific quality and innovativeness of research plan”, the review will be discontinued, and the applicant will receive feedback only on evaluation items “Project’s relevance to the programme/call” and “Scientific quality and innovativeness of research plan”.

Funding decisions

Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering decides on the funding in late 2019. 

In making funding decisions, in addition to the Academy of Finland’s general review criteria for research programmes, particular attention will be paid to the following issues: 

• International cooperation:
• attracting top-level young, talented researchers from abroad to Finland or hiring researchers who have recently come to Finland to work on the project
• research visits by Finnish researchers to leading-edge foreign universities and research institutes. 
• collaboration with the public and the private sectors
• cooperation between universities, research institutes and business companies
• problem-setting in research
• application potential of results 
• intersectoral mobility of leading-edge researchers
• mobility from universities to business companies
• mobility from business companies to universities 
• use of universities’ and research institutes’ own resources to carry out research
• use of resources of the site of research and the partners
• level of commitment and funding contribution by the site of research. 

Applicants will receive an automatic email message after the decision has been made. After receiving this message, you can log in to the online services with your user ID to view the decision and its justifications. You can also read the funding conditions, if the decision has been favourable. In addition, you will have access to read the expert reviews on your application. 

How to receive the funding

After being granted funding, you must check and accept it in the online services without delay. Make sure to check and, if necessary, update the public project description before you accept the funding. The system will then send a notification to the commitment issuer at the site of research. That person must also accept the granted funding.

The funds can be paid only after both the applicant and the representative of the site of research have accepted them as received. The system will then notify the funding to the finance administration of the site of research, whereupon the funds will be ready to use.