2026 Flagship Programme mid-term evaluation: Call for Finnish Flagships selected in 4th flagship call

At the core of the Research Council of Finland’s activities is to provide funding for excellent scientific research. The research we fund is also expected to have high scientific and societal impact and follow the principles of responsible science.

The aim of the Finnish Flagship Programme is to support wide-ranging economic and other societal impact based on particularly high-level scientific research. The funding is targeted at competence clusters that are based on cooperation between organisations and that have convincing track records of results and impact.

Finnish Flagships bring together expertise from different fields into competence clusters that strengthen the quality and impact of Finnish research. Flagships are required to have an ability to work in flexible ways, simultaneously running several research projects and other activities. A strong commitment from host organisations to meeting the set targets is also required. They are ecosystems operating on a versatile funding base, working closely with business and other sectors of society. During the flagship term, the Flagships shall systematically improve and expand their activities.

In accordance with the principles of the RCF's Flagship Programme, the Flagships go through a midterm evaluation after the first two years of operation. Based on the outcome of the evaluation, the funding for the second four-year term may increase, decrease, remain at the same level or cease entirely.

In the present call, applications are invited from the following consortia of the fourth Flagship Programme:

• DIWA: Digital Waters Flagship
• EDUCA: Education for the Future
• FAME: Flagship of Advanced Mathematics for Sensing, Imaging and Modelling
• FQF: Finnish Quantum Flagship.

As a rule, the composition of the Flagship in the second four-year period must be the same as in the consortium application that received funding for the first four-year period. The composition of the consortium can only be changed for well-founded reasons, and the reasons must be indicated in the application. Finnish higher education institutions or government research institutes may act as consortium parties.

The applicant is an organisation or a consortium of several organisations. A consortium application is an application built around a joint research plan, where each party to the consortium applies for funding. The RCF treats a consortium application as a single application, although the funding is granted to each subproject separately. Consortium compositions cannot be changed after the call deadline. Read the guidelines for consortium applications.

The applicant organisation selects a person to be responsible for the application. In the case of a consortium, each organisation participating in the consortium shall appoint a responsible person who will act as the applicant for the subproject. The person appointed by the organisation leading the consortium is responsible for the application as a whole and submits it. This person may be the director of the Flagship or some other person approved by the organisation.

Each subproject in the consortium has a principal investigator who is in charge of implementing the research and impact plan for their own organisation.

In addition to a doctoral degree, the PI must also have other significant scientific merits. Usually, the PI is a researcher at the professor or docent (adjunct professor) level. These criteria also apply to subproject PIs in consortia. In addition, the PIs must have a close connection with Finland to support the implementation of a multi-year project. This connection must be evident from the application.

The PI cannot be changed while the application is being processed (after the call has closed but before the decision). The only exception to this is if the PI dies.

Other conditions for and obstacles to the granting of funding

The conditions and obstacles to the granting of funding apply to each subproject. If a prerequisite for granting funding is missing or there is an obstacle to the granting, the RCF will not consider (process) the entire consortium’s application.

We will not consider (process) an application by an applicant (responsible person) or a PI 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 consider (process) the application if the applicant or PI has been found guilty of a serious violation of research integrity in the previous three years.

RCF funding will not be granted to a recipient located in Russia or Belarus. In RCF-funded projects, cooperation with individual Russian or Belarusian researchers and research teams can only be carried out if the instructions of the site of research, the sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the export control provisions, the travel recommendations of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or other guidelines by authorities do not prevent it. Funding shall be granted and used in a way that respects the equal treatment of researchers, regardless of nationality.

If the PI has failed to submit a final report on a completed or ongoing RCF-funded project by the set deadline, we will not consider (process) their application.

The application will not be considered (processed) if the applicant, PI or application does not meet the competence requirements or other key requirements set for the call, if the application does not belong to the call, or if there some other respects are no conditions for processing the case.

A scientific council or another decision-making body may decide not to fund an application based on science policy objectives, or if it is apparent for some other reason that the applicant cannot receive funding with the submitted application. Read more: Eligibility.

We will not consider (process) the application if the applicant or PI is a member of the RCF Board or scientific councils or the Strategic Research Council.

Funding can only be granted if the conditions set by the RCF for the funding are met. In addition to the eligibility criteria, another condition that must be met in order for the funding to be awarded is that you have in your application identified and assessed the risks related to research security and, where necessary, presented an adequate risk management plan.

The applicant must also describe in the research plan how good scientific practice will be followed in the implementation of the project, how gender equality and nondiscrimination will be promoted in the implementation of the project, and how the RCF’s guidelines on open access to research results and on the responsible management of research data will be followed in the project.

The RCF Board decides the principles for RCF funding decisions. The present call is governed by the principles adopted on 18 September 2025.

You must immediately notify us if you receive funding from other sources for the same purpose after you have submitted your application to us.

The application consists of a form 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.

Before the call opens

Check eligibility

• The eligibility conditions are listed under the section ‘Who can apply?’.

Plan contents of application

• Start drafting the research and impact plan in good time.
• The appendix templates and guidelines are available under ‘Application parts in the online services’. You have access to the templates even before the call opens.
• Read the review instructions and the review form. The research and impact plan must be written in such a way that reviewers can easily find the answer to the review questions.
• Contact collaborators in good time and request letters of collaboration from national and international collaborators that are relevant to the implementation of the project. The letters must be appended to the application before the call deadline.

Plan the project’s funding

• The budget shall be drafted according to the guidelines of the site of research. Read the funding guidelines in the call text under ‘Funding to be applied for and funding period’.
• If the application is funded, the sites of research undertake to follow the RCF's standard terms for funding. The present call is governed by the standard terms adopted on 22 September 2025.

When the call opens

• The applicant (responsible person) must sign up or log in to our online services. Check and update your personal details. An up-to-date email address is important when we are in contact with you.
• The online services contain instructions for filling in the form.
• Read the consortium application guidelines

Application parts in the online services

The different parts of the application are listed below. A comprehensive A–Z index of application guidelines is available on our website. Instructions for filling in the application form are also on the tabs of the form.

• Personal details
• Consortium parties: In the consortium application, the responsible person of the consortium’s lead party appoints the subproject PIs (responsible persons) in the system.
• General description: topic, keywords and scientific disciplines of the project, details on the site of research
• Abstract
• Consortium’s most important publications (up to 10) and other research outputs (up to 10) that are most relevant for the project. Detailed instructions are available on the application form.
• Affiliation with research infrastructures, Centres of Excellence and Finnish Flagships
• Research ethics
• Project's funding and commitment by site of research. The commitment must be given within 14 days of the call's closing date, or the application may be inadmissible. See section ‘Funding to be applied for and funding period’ in the call text.
• Public project description
• Brief data management plan

Appendices to be appended on dedicated tabs

• The research and impact plan is a mandatory appendix. Use the template provided.
• The research security assessment is a mandatory appendix. Use the template provided. Read more: Research security. The consortium PI submits the appendix on behalf of the entire consortium.
• Resource table (4 pages + 1 page per party) is appended in PDF format.
  • The structure is given in the template (4 pages + 1 page per partner).
  • Describe the resources of the flagship project for the four-year term 2028–2031.
  • The figures are given with an accuracy of 0.1 million euros.
  • In addition to the table, give a short textual explanation of the intended use of the funding.
  • For each row in the table, give a short explanation of the principles used in producing the figures in the table.
• If necessary, append a letter of collaboration.

Submitting the application in the online services

You can submit the application when you have filled in or attached all the necessary information. A red warning triangle tells you that there is an error or information missing.

The consortium PI submits the joint consortium application. They can submit the consortium application only after all subprojects have tagged their applications as complete.

You can authorise a person to edit or view the application on the tab ‘Authorisation’.

Submit your application in good time. You can supplement and edit the application and change appendices until the call deadline.

The funding will be granted for the period 1 January 2028–31 December 2031. A total of 45 million euros has been earmarked for the Flagships.

The funding to be distributed through this call depends on the Finnish Parliament’s decision to allocate the necessary funds in the 2027 state budget.

The funding is granted to be used for the actions described in the research and impact plan. The sites of research must be prepared to make significant, steadily increasing investments in supporting the Flagships. Allocating funding not to individual research teams but to organisations that have made a strong commitment to the Flagship Programme is a way to support the long-term development of competence clusters and their high-quality research and broad impact.

The resources planned for the Flagship Programme and their development during the programme period are described in a separate table to be appended to the application (see ‘How to draft an application’).

Only for compelling reasons can government grants be awarded to cover salary costs in cases where the applicant has obstacles related to illegal employment, as referred to in section 7(2) of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Transfers.

The funding is granted to a Finnish site of research (usually a university or institute institute) through which the funding is paid.

Funding plan

Full costing is applied to the funding. The RCF’s funding contribution comes to 100%, covering the costs in full. No self-financing contribution is required from the sites of research. However, the sites of research are expected to make significant investments outside the cost estimate, which are recorded in a separate resource table (see ‘How to draft an application’).

The cost estimate, filled in on the tab ‘Funding for the project’, shall include an estimate of the annual need for funding by type of expenditure.

Only costs that pass through the books of the site of the research must be included in the total costs.

Pay particular attention to ensuring that the cost estimate is realistic and justified for the implementation of the research project. Justify the most significant research costs by type of expenditure in the free-text field.

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

• research team salaries
• PI’s salary costs (under certain limitations)
• necessary costs arising from implementation of research
• travel expenses
• cooperation and mobility in Finland
• international cooperation and mobility
• preparation of international projects.

RCF funding cannot be used for economic activity. Read more: Economic operator.

Only for compelling reasons can government grants be awarded to cover salary costs in cases where the applicant has obstacles related to illegal employment, as referred to in section 7(2) of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Grants.

Research team salaries

As a rule, staff hired with RCF 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, the duration of which, as a general rule, shall not exceed six months.

Instructions on job titles at different stages of the research career

Mobility aid

Mobility aid can be applied for as research costs related to the implementation of the plan. The aid is applied for in accordance with the practices of the site of research. To obtain further information, contact the personnel and financial administration of the site of research.

In the online services, the aid is applied for on the tab ‘Funding for the project’ under ‘Travel expenses’. The mobility aid must be justified. Read more about the mobility aid in the standard terms for funding.

What is required from the site of research?

The site of research is a Finnish research organisation such as a university, a research institute or some other research organisation. We require that the site of research 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.

The costs of ensuring immediate open access to peer-reviewed articles are included in the overheads of the site of research. The costs associated with storing and sharing research data and material are regarded as overheads for the project’s site of research. They may only exceptionally and for justified reasons be accepted as research costs to be covered with RCF research funding.

The site of research also commits to ensuring that the data management plan can be implemented at the site, and that the measures to be taken comply with good data management practice. After a positive funding decision, the site of research will also approve the data management plan of the project.

When accepting the funding, the site of research is responsible for ensuring that necessary statements and permits from ethics committees have been obtained before the start of the project. The site of research shall also make sure that the applicant has not been found guilty of any serious violation of research integrity during the previous three years.

The overheads, indirect employee costs and coefficient for effective working hours of the site of research are entered in the application. The site of research maintains these percentages in the online services under the site’s details. The information is provided as percentages.

When the site of research is a university or research institute, as a rule, the funding is applied for VAT included. Consult the financial administration at the site of research for more information on VAT. RCF funding may cover VAT costs, but only on certain conditions (see Value added tax, and read more in our standard terms for funding).

Read more: Guidelines for sites of research.

How to submit and supplement the application

The call deadline is non-negotiable and also applies to consortia. We will not consider (process) an application that has not been submitted by deadline. The deadline for applications is 03 June 2026 at 16.15 Finnish time.

The responsible person of the consortium’s lead party submits the joint consortium application. The PI can submit the consortium application only after all subproject applicants (responsible persons) have tagged their applications as complete. While the call is open, the consortium PI can return the consortium subproject application to be supplemented.

Make sure to submit the application in good time before the deadline. The system will only accept applications that contain all obligatory information. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the content of the application appendices is correct.

A submitted application can be edited and supplemented until the deadline. For example, you can change the appendices to the application.

If the applicant notices that the application lacks important information after the deadline, they should immediately get in touch with us via our helpdesk, so that the application can be reopened for supplementation. However, the possibility of supplementation does not apply to the research and impact plan. Once the review process has started, supplementations can no longer be taken into account. Typically, the application review begins 1–2 weeks after the call has closed.

We may ask you to supplement the application. The request for supplementation will be sent to the person responsible for the application by email. If the application has not been supplemented by the given deadline, or if the application is substantially incomplete even after a request for supplementary information, we may declare it inadmissible (i.e. it will not be processed). Make sure that your email address is 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 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 the responsible person has provided.

Publicity and data protection

Except for research plans, plans of intent, abstracts and progress reports, which are primarily kept secret, the application and its appendices are public documents. For example, the CV is a public document and as such must not include any secret information. This publicity is based on the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The RCF complies with data protection legislation. The applicant is responsible for the disclosure of any personal data contained in the application and, where appropriate, for requesting the consent of the parties concerned. The GDPR-compliant privacy statement concerning the research funding process is available on our website under Data protection.

RCF funding is granted based on peer review. We mainly use foreign experts as reviewers, and they make up the review panels.

An international panel will review the applications for continued funding. The panel will also interview the applicants. In addition to the application submitted by the applicant, the review material consists of two-year reporting by the Flagship (interim report), a stakeholder survey compiled by the RCF and the original research and impact plan. At least two experts will be asked to review the material. The panel will examine all applications, and the panellists will prepare a summary report on each application.

The applications will be reviewed paying close attention to the Flagship Programme’s objectives concerning internationally top-level research, impact in support of economic growth and/or society, and the role and participation of collaborators. The support provided by the Flagship for the building of internationally competitive competence clusters and ecosystems in Finland, together with the principles of responsible science, will also play a role in the review.

The fundamental principles of the review are transparency, integrity, equity, competence and diversity. Read more about responsible researcher evaluation.

Review factors

• Demonstrated scientific excellence and impact in support of economic growth and/or society
• Plan for promoting scientific excellence and impact in support of economic growth and/or society
  • Scientific quality and impact of plan
  • Implementation of plan with a view to promoting scientific quality and impact, including aspects of responsible science
• ecosystem and flagship organisation, including readiness of sites of research to make significant, steadily growing investments in support of the Flagship.

The research security appendix will not be reviewed.

See the review questions and instructions on our website. The review instructions, forms and principles are only available in English.

The present call is governed by the principles for RCF funding decisions adopted by the RCF Board on 18 September 2025. A subcommittee appointed by the RCF Board will make the funding decisions in early 2027.

The body making the funding decisions takes into account the entirety of the applications to be decided upon in the call in relation to the objectives of the call, and the funding promotes a wide variety of scientific research. The decisions are based on the review reports. If there are applications of equal merit, priority is given to the application that the decision-making body considers best advances the dismantling of gender stereotypes, promotes diversity in research and the scientific community as well as supports sustainable development.

Based on the outcome of the midterm evaluation, the funding for the second four-year term may increase, decrease, remain at the same level or cease entirely.

The person responsible for the application will receive an automatic email message after the decision has been made. After receiving the email, they can log in to the online services with their user ID to view the decision and its justifications. There they can also read the review report(s) on the application.

How to receive the funding

A positive funding decision is accompanied by the standard terms for funding. They contain instructions on how to receive the funding (section 1.2).

• Contact us primarily via the helpdesk (select ‘Application guidance, thematic calls’).
• Technical issues with the online services? Contact us via the helpdesk (select ‘Online services and other technical questions’). Also see our how-to guides for the online services.
• Our telephone number (switchboard) is +358 295 335 000.