Guidelines and forms for reviewers
The guidelines for reviewers include practical guidelines for experts who review funding applications submitted to the Research Council of Finland. The review forms show the review questions used in each funding instrument. Applicants should also read the guidelines and forms when preparing their applications.
The guidelines aim to ensure the quality and accountability of the review process and to streamline the work of the reviewers.
We are committed to the principles of responsible evaluation (PDF) and follow them in all our application guidelines and scientific review criteria and in the practical guidance for review panels.
The review guidelines and forms are continuously improved on the basis of changes to funding schemes or review practices and with the help of feedback we receive.
As our review process is based on international peer review, the review guidelines are entirely in English.
Learn more about responsible researcher evaluation.
Review forms for spring call 2025
- 2025 Call for clinical research (PDF)
- 2025 Call for research into forest biomass in Finland (PDF)
- 2025 Call to strengthen R&D activities and cooperation in wellbeing services counties (PDF)
- 2025 Funding for research into sustainable energy solutions of the future (PDF)
- 2025 Proof of Concept funding 2025 (PDF)
- 2025 Special funding for international collaboration in high-performance computing (PDF)
- 2025 Thematic research infrastructures: Local research infrastructures to strengthen regional R&D activities (PDF)
Instructions for reviewers, spring call 2025:
- 2025 Call for clinical research (PDF)
- 2025 Call for research into forest biomass in Finland (PDF)
- 2025 Call to strengthen R&D activities and cooperation in wellbeing services counties (PDF)
- 2025 Funding for research into sustainable energy solutions of the future (PDF)
- 2025 Proof of Concept funding 2025 (PDF)
- 2025 Special funding for international collaboration in high-performance computing (PDF)
- 2025 Thematic research infrastructures: Local research infrastructures to strengthen regional R&D activities (PDF)
Review forms for winter call 2025
- Academy Project Funding (PDF)
- Academy Research Fellowship (PDF)
- Clinical Researcher Funding (PDF)
- Academy Professorship (PDF)
- ACTIVE programme (PDF)
Instructions for reviewers, winter call 2025:
- Instructions for reviewers (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewers ACTIVE programme (PDF)
- Review principles (PDF)
Strategic research calls 2025:
Instructions for reviewers:
Application review forms:
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Letter of Intent Review Questions
- Application review form 2025 - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact
- Application review form 2025 - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for scientific quality
- SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Other review forms 2025:
Other instructions for reviewers 2025:
Review forms for winter call 2024
Instructions for reviewers, winter call 2024:
Strategic research calls 2024:
Instructions for reviewers:
- Instructions for reviewing letters of intent (LOI) – panels
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – scientific
quality panels - Instructions for reviewing funding applications – societal
relevance panels - SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Application forms:
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Letter of Intent Review Questions
- Application review form 2024 - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact
- Application review form 2024 - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for scientific quality
- SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Other review forms 2024:
- Application review form - Centres of Excellence Programme 2024 1st-stage evaluation, plan of intent
- Application review form - Centres of Excellence Programme 2024 2st-stage evaluation, full proposal
- Application review form – Antarctic research call 2024
- Application review form – Special funding for international collaboration in high-performance computing 2024
- Application review form - Proof of Concept 2024
- Application review form - FIRI 2024
- Application review form - FIRI 2024: Membership in international research infrastructures
- Application review form - Profi 8
Other instructions for reviewers 2024:
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – Centre of Excellence Programm
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – Antarctic research call 2024
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – Special funding for international collaboration in high-performance computing 2024
- Instructions for review funding applications - Proof of Concept 2024
- Instructions for reviewing applications – FIRI 2024 roadmap call for
national research infrastructures - Instructions for reviewing applications - FIRI 2024: Membership in international research infrastructures
- Instructions for reviewing funding application - Profi 8
Review forms for April 2023 call:
- International research infrastructures, where Finland is a member – membership fees, invited call
- FIRI2023: Roadmap 2021-2024 research
infrastructures and international research infrastructure memberships (PDF) - FIRI 2023 call for non-roadmap research infrastructures (PDF)
- ICT2023
- HPC 2023
Instructions for reviewers April 2023 call:
- International research infrastructures, where Finland is a member – membership fees, invited call
- FIRI 2023
- ICT 2023
- HPC 2023
Other review forms 2023:
- Academy programme - Development (PDF)
- Flagship Programme call 4
- Flagship Programme interim evaluation 2023
- International researcher mobility: China, Taiwan or Germany
- Mobility grant from Finland to Japan (JSPS Fellowship)
- Proof of Concept 2023 call
- SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Other instructions for reviewers 2023:
- Proof of Concept 2023 call
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications (Development) – panels (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – panel
Flagship Programme call 3 -interim evaluation
Flagship Programme call 4 - new Flagships PDF) - Instructions for reviewing funding applications – individual
reviewers - Flagship Programme call 4 (PDF) - SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Review forms for April 2023 call:
- International research infrastructures, where Finland is a member – membership fees, invited call
- FIRI2023: Roadmap 2021-2024 research
infrastructures and international research infrastructure memberships (PDF) - FIRI 2023 call for non-roadmap research infrastructures (PDF)
- ICT2023
- HPC 2023
Instructions for reviewers April 2023 call:
- International research infrastructures, where Finland is a member – membership fees, invited call
- FIRI 2023
- ICT 2023
- HPC 2023
Other review forms 2023:
- Academy programme - Development (PDF)
- Flagship Programme call 4
- Flagship Programme interim evaluation 2023
- International researcher mobility: China, Taiwan or Germany
- Mobility grant from Finland to Japan (JSPS Fellowship)
- Proof of Concept 2023 call
- SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Other instructions for reviewers 2023:
- Proof of Concept 2023 call
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications (Development) – panels (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing funding applications – panel
Flagship Programme call 3 -interim evaluation
Flagship Programme call 4 - new Flagships PDF) - Instructions for reviewing funding applications – individual
reviewers - Flagship Programme call 4 (PDF) - SRC programme director (PDF, in Finnish)
Review forms for September 2022 call:
- Academy Project (PDF)
- Academy Research Fellow (PDF)
- Clinical Researcher (PDF)
- Sport Science Project (PDF)
- International researcher mobility: Taiwan or Japan
- International researcher mobility: Japan, China or Germany or mobility seminars with China (NSFC)
Instructions for reviewers, September 2022 call:
Review forms for April 2022 call:
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2022 RRF
- FIRI call for local infrastructures
- ICT2023
- PROFI 7
Instructions for reviewers April 2022 call:
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2022 RRF (panels)
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2022 RRF (individual esperts)
- FIRI call for local infrastructures
- ICT 2023
- PROFI 7
Other review forms 2022:
- Application review form - Intent Review Questions - Strategic Research Programme Call: Letter of Intent Review Questions (PDF)
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact (PDF)
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for scientific quality (PDF)
Other instructions for reviewers 2022:
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - Instructions for reviewing letters of intent – panel (PDF)
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - IInstructions for reviewing funding applications – societal relevance panels (PDF)
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - Instructions for reviewing funding applications – scientific quality panels (PDF)
Review forms for September 2021 call:
- Academy Project (PDF)
- Academy Research Fellow (PDF)
- Clinical Researcher (PDF)
- Postdoctoral Researcher (PDF)
- Sport Science Project (PDF)
- International researcher mobility: Taiwan, Russia or Japan (excluding joint seminars)
- International researcher mobility: India, China, Germany or joint seminars
Instructions for reviewers, September 2021 call:
Review forms for April 2021 call:
- Critical Materials in Circular Economy of Cities
- ICT 2023 targeted call
- FIRI2021 call for infrastructures included in Finland’s roadmap for research infrastructures 2021-2024
- FIRI2021 call for non-roadmap research infrastructures
Instructions for reviewers April 2021 call:
- The FIRI2021 call for infrastructures included in Finland’s roadmap for research infrastructures 2021-2024
- The FIRI2021 call for non-roadmap research infrastructures
- Academy programmes and targeted calls
Other review forms 2021:
- EuroHPC
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2021
- Tandem Forest Values 3 – Sustainable value chains from forest raw material
- Application review form - Intent Review Questions - Strategic Research Programme Call: Letter of Intent Review Questions
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact
- Application review form - Strategic Research Programme Call: Full application Review questions for scientific quality
Other instructions for reviewers 2021:
- EuroHPC - Instructions for review panels (PDF)
- EuroHPC - Instructions for individual reviewers (PDF)
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2021 - Instructions for review panels (PDF)
- Key Areas of Green and Digital Transition 2021 - Instructions for individual reviewers (PDF)
- Tandem Forest Values 3 – Sustainable value chains from forest raw material (PDF)
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - Instructions for reviewing letters of intent – panel (PDF)
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - IInstructions for reviewing funding applications – societal relevance panels (PDF)
- Strategic Research Council (SRC) 2022 programme calls - Instructions for reviewing funding applications – scientific quality panels (PDF)
Review forms for September 2020 call:
- Academy Project (PDF)
- Academy Research Fellow (PDF)
- Clinical Researcher (PDF)
- Postdoctoral Researcher (PDF)
- Centre of Exellence (PDF)
- Sport Science Project (PDF)
- Mobility programmes with foreign funding agencies: China and Germany (DAAD) (PDF)
- Mobility programmes with foreign funding agencies: India, Japan, Taiwan and Russa (PDF)
Instructions for reviewers (September 2020 call):
- Instructions for review panels(PDF)
- Instructions for individual reviewers (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing Centre of Excellence applications (PDF)
Other review forms 2020:
- COVID-19 (PDF)
- Academy Professor 2nd stage (PDF)
- Competitive funding to strengthen university research profiles (PDF)
- International Co-Investigator Scheme: engineering fields (PDF)
- FIRI: Research infrastructures as collaborative platforms (PDF)
- Finnish Flagship Programme (PDF)
- Special funding for RDI partnership networks (PDF)
- Special funding for system-level research into climate change mitigation and adaptation (PDF)
- Special funding for research into crisis preparedness and security of supply (PDF)
- Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Letter of Intent (PDF)
- Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Full application Review questions for scientific quality (PDF)
- Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact (PDF)
Other instructions for reviewers 2020:
- Instructions for reviewing applications – Special funding for RDI partnership networks (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications – Finnish Flagship Programme, panels (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications – Finnish Flagship Programme, individual reviewers (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications – COVID-19 (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications – Academy Professors, 2nd stage (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications - Special funding for research into crisis preparedness and security of supply (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications – Centres of Exellence (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications: special funding for system-level research into climate change mitigation and adaptation, panels (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications - Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Letter of Intent (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications - Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Full application Review questions for scientific quality (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications - Strategic Research Programme 2021 calls, Full application Review questions for societal relevance and impact (PDF)
Review forms for April 2020 call:
Guides for reviewers (April 2020 call):
- Instructions for reviewing applications, individual reviewers (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing applications, panels (PDF)
- Instructions for reviewing research infrastructure roadmap applications, FIRI 2020 panel (PDF)
September call 2019:
Guides for reviewers:
- September Call 2019 – Instructions for reviewing research applications - panels (pdf)
- September Call 2019 – Instructions for reviewing research applications – individual reviewers
- September Call 2019 – Instructions for reviewing Academy Professor applications
Application evaluation forms::
- Review form 2019 – Academy Project (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – Academy Professor (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – Academy Reseach Fellow (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – Clinical researcher (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – Academy Postdoctoral Researcher (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – Sport science project (pdf)
- Review form 2019 – DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) (pdf)
Other guides for reviewers 2019:
- April Call 2019: Instructions for reviewing FIRI 2019 - panels (pdf)
- April Call 2019: Instructions for reviewing research applications - panels (pdf)
- April Call 2019: Instructions for reviewing research applications – individual reviewers (pdf)
Other application evaluation forms 2019:
- Review form 2019 – Academy Programme
- Review form 2019 – Call 1 FIRI2019
- Review form 2019 – Call 2 FIRI2019
For more previous guides and application forms please contact kirjaamo(at)aka.fi.
