General
What does the two-stage review entail?
In the first stage, in general, two individual reviews on the applications are requested from panel members before the panel meeting. Applications that receive a final rating of 5 (excellent) or 6 (outstanding) in at least one individual review will proceed to the second stage, to be reviewed at the panel meeting.
What kind of review feedback will applicants receive?
All applicants will receive the reviews by individual reviewers complete with subratings and final ratings. If the application proceeds to the panel, the panel summary and the panel’s overall rating will be added to the report. The panel’s assessment is based on the individual reviews and the discussion during the panel meeting. If the overall rating given by the panel is 5 or 6, the panel’s subratings will also be added to the review. Finally, the panel ranks the applications against other applications in the same funding opportunity.
How to read the review report if a panel has discussed the application
The review report on an application is a composition of both individual and panel reviews and ratings. The reviews and subratings prepared by the individual reviewers before the panel meeting are recorded in sections 1–2 (Academy Research Fellowships) or 1–3 (Academy Projects). Section 3 or 4 is the review panel’s summary assessment. The ‘Overall rating’ in the review report is the overall rating given by the panel. The overall ratings given by individual reviewers before the panel meeting are recorded in sections 3.1.3 or 4.1.3.
Can I share the review report given on my application with others?
As a rule, the review report is a secret document under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities (section 24, subsection 1, paragraph 21). As a party, you will receive the review report on your application, because the report has affected the processing of your application.
The review report contains information other than that concerning the applicant themselves, such as the names of the reviewers and a possible assessment of partners or persons to be hired for the project. If the review report contains secret content other than content concerning yourself, you may not disclose it to a third party. Nor may you use such secret information for your own personal benefit or the benefit of another, nor for the detriment of another, with the exception provided for in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities. You must also take into account data protection legislation. Please do not disclose the name of the reviewer included in your review report, for example.
Can I contact the person who reviewed my application to ask for more detailed feedback?
Under the GDPR, publication or otherwise unauthorised disclosure of personal data without specific consent from the data subject is prohibited. In addition, according to the RCF’s guidelines on review and decision-making, contacting reviewers is prohibited.
Reviewers, too, are obliged to treat applications confidentially and are not allowed to discuss them or the reviews with third parties, including the applicant.
Learn more about responsible evaluation in our Review principles (PDF).
When will the 2027 winter call funding decisions be made, and when can I start using the funding?
The decisions on the 2027 winter call will be made in June 2027. The funding period starts on 1 September 2027. You will receive an email notification after the funding decision has been made. If you are granted funding, the decision is accompanied by the standard terms for funding, which provide instructions for accepting the funding.
After receiving a positive funding decision, the principal investigator shall check and, if necessary, update the public description of the project. It is important that the public description is written for a general audience. In addition, the PI shall attach the data management plan to the application and confirm receipt of funding. Once the PI has confirmed receipt of funding, the site of research must also do so. The confirmation must be made in the RCF’s online services by the deadline specified in the standard terms for funding.
Who gives the commitment by the site of research?
The organisation’s SARA administrator can define the commitment issuers for the organisation, from whom the applicant can choose a commitment issuer for their application. The applicant must agree on the commitment with the representative of site of research in advance. After the call has closed, the person indicated in the application as the issuer of the site’s commitment will receive an email notification requesting a commitment for the application. The commitment must be given within 14 days of the call's closing date, or the application may be inadmissible.
What should I do if, after the call has closed, I notice that my application has the wrong commitment issuer?
Contact us immediately (via our helpdesk; select ‘Application guidance, non-thematic calls’) to give the correct issuer. We will change the issuer and send them a commitment request from the online services (SARA).
How soon after the call’s closing date must the commitment of the site of research be given?
After the call has closed, the person indicated in the application as the issuer of the site’s commitment will receive an email notification requesting a commitment for the application. The commitment must be given within 14 days of the call's closing date, or the application may be inadmissible.
Is the research plan template the same as in the previous winter call?
The template has been updated for the 2027 winter call.
Write the research plan on our Word or LaTex template and append it to the application as a PDF appendix. The link to the template is available in the call text.
Does the research plan have to describe aspects related to responsible science?
Yes. In all funding, the RCF requires that the applicant 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 science will be followed. If any of the above descriptions are missing, the application will be inadmissible (rejected). More detailed instructions for writing the descriptions are available in the research plan template. The descriptions are also used as review criteria. Read more: Responsible science.
Must the application contain an appendix on research security?
Yes. All applications must include a research security appendix that contains a self-assessment of research security, a description of risk factors and, if necessary, a risk management plan. The appendix must be drawn up on the RCF’s template, which has been updated for the 2027 winter call. The link to the template is available in the call text.
Read more: Research security.
Has the panel structure changed?
The panel Robots, automation and production design will not be included in the 2027 winter call. The panel descriptions and keywords have been updated based on this change and the feedback we have received. You should carefully examine the different panels to find the one that best suits your application.
Why is my field missing from the panel structure?
The panel structure, the panel descriptions and the keywords are not an exhaustive list of the topics that will be covered in the panels. They are intended to help applicants choose the most appropriate panel. The application may therefore address a topic that is not necessarily specifically mentioned in the panel description. The panels are also typically multidisciplinary and thus do not necessarily contain a detailed description of a particular field. On the other hand, a field can also fit several different panels, which is why it is perhaps not mentioned.
If my application fits several panels, how do I make the choice?
Choose the panel whose description best matches the research questions in your application and the specific research you intend to carry out during the funding period.
How do I know if an organisation is eligible to apply and if it can act as the site of research?
We will not take a position on whether a certain type of organisation is eligible if the application is not yet pending. In other words, we do not give binding, prior opinions on eligibility. We will decide on the eligibility once the application is pending in our system.
Can a company apply for funding?
The RCF does not grant funding to support economic activity. If a research organisation is also engaged in economic activities, separate accounts must be kept of the activities, and the funding must be in line with the de minimis regulation (Commission Regulation 1407/2013). The application will be reviewed based on scientific criteria, and the applicant must have a substantial record of scientific work.
How do I submit the cost coefficients to the RCF?
The organisation’s information is updated centrally by a representative of the site of research (your organisation) who has administrator access to the RCF online services (SARA). Instructions on the features in the online services available to organisation representatives (PDF, in Finnish only).
