ACADEMY OF FINLAND

SoCa
SOCIAL CAPITAL AND NETWORKS OF TRUST

RESEARCH PROGRAMME MEMORANDUM

 9.4.2003

1. Background 

2. Why a research programme on social capital?

3. Aims of the research programme

4. Possible approaches

5. International research cooperation

6. Implementation of the research programme

6.1. Timetable 
6.2. Plan of intent
6.3. Application proper

7. Funding and cooperation

7.1.	Funding bodies with application processes administered by the Academy of Finland
7.1.1.   Academy of Finland
7.1.2.   Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
7.1.3.   Ministry of Labour

7.2.	Funding bodies with their own application processes
7.2.1.	National Technology Agency Tekes
7.2.2.	Finnish Work Environment Fund

Appendix 1. 	Websites related to research and datasets on social capital
Appendix 2.	International networks or programmes concerned with social capital 

1. Background

The concept of social capital has rapidly emerged into the social science debate. Social capital is usually understood as referring to the values and norms prevailing within the community, to the networks that are based upon those values and norms, and to the social trust that evolves through those common values and networks. On the other hand, social capital has also been used to refer to the social and cultural capacity of individuals.

The Academy of Finland Research Council for Culture and Society received in 2000 an initiative for a research programme on Social Capital, Innovations and Welfare, which was entered in the action plan and budget of the Research Council that ended its term on 31 December 2000. The new Research Council that began its term at the beginning of 2001 continued work to make preparations for the programme and appointed a steering group to prepare the programme. The steering group was chaired by Professor Marja Järvelä and its members were three members from the Research Council for Culture and Society (professors Erno Lehtinen, Paavo Okko and Juha Sihvola), Professor Elina Hemminki from the Research Council for Health and two members outside the Academy of Finland (Director-General Reino Hjerppe from the Government Institute for Economic Research VATT and Director Hannu Uusitalo from the Central Pension Security Institute). The working group organised in November 2001 an international exploratory workshop on the subject. Some 70 researchers mainly from universities but also sectoral research institutes and other stakeholders took part. In March 2002, the steering group invited Jouko Nikula, PhD, to serve as its  expert secretary.

The steering group completed its preparatory work in September 2002 and the Research Council for Culture and Society submitted to the Board of the Academy of Finland that it provide the necessary funding for the research programme. The Board decided on 13 November 2002 to earmark 6 million euros for purposes of supporting the research programme as from 2003. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Technology Agency Tekes, the Ministry of Labour and the Finnish Work Environment Fund also committed themselves to supporting the programme.

At the programme drafting stage it was noted that the concept of social capital has developed more or less independently along somewhat different lines in two separate research traditions. In the Anglo-American tradition, the concept of social capital has been employed to ask questions about cooperation and mutual trust among community members, with social capital interpreted as a collective resource in the community. In the French tradition, on the other hand, social capital is seen as a means of power and used to explain the emergence of social differences and conflicts. Indeed there is good reason to ask whether social capital is a culturally bound concept that has been shaped in different ways by the different challenges faced by American and French society.

The steering group has committed itself to neither of these schools of social capital research. Instead, the group has considered it important to raise the question as to whether and how different methodological approaches can be fruitfully combined in the programme. Another relevant question is whether it is necessary to adapt the concept of social capital according to the distinctive characteristics of Finnish society. It has become clear during the steering group’s work that the subject can be approached from various different angles, but it is not at all clear which of them is the most relevant to current information needs. On the basis of its discussions the steering group has settled on the programme title, “Social Capital and Networks of Trust”. As well as presenting a scientific challenge in its own right, the title hopes to take into account current national information needs in a globalising information society and to leave the ground open for the application of different theoretical premises.

2. Why a research programme on social capital?

From a social policy point of view there are certainly good grounds for launching the research programme. International, European and global pressures of change are calling for local solutions and innovations. National, regional and human welfare cannot be based on technological development and economic growth alone. The growth of social capital may also be a precondition for economic development and an innovative society. Multidisciplinary research in social capital is also interested in opening up better prospects for a better future, such as for sustainable development and a sense of moral responsibility for the promotion of social justice and equality.

3. Aims of the research programme

The research programme on social capital aims to inspire a wide range of expertise in the study of culture and society. The programme lends itself excellently to comparative research at home as well as in international settings. The purpose is to set up high-quality research teams within individual disciplines and to encourage researchers to join forces in interdisciplinary groups. It is particularly important to transcend the boundary line between the humanities and social sciences and between social studies and economics.

The scientific challenge is to try to explain and understand how and where social capital is created. The aim is also to explore the innovation and welfare potential as well as the conditions for the emergence of such potential that can be mobilised by synergy that is generated in the study of culture, working life and the economy. A second challenge is to explore the impacts of social capital upon economic development, the capacity for change in the labour markets as well as the implementation of political reform. Furthermore, it is important to study the dysfunctions related to social capital, such as exclusion from the social fields, obstacles to social innovation or structural and cultural changes that undermine social security. The concept of social capital shall be understood as an integral part of the structures of political, social and cultural power and the practices of the new economy.

The research programme is expected to provide answers to the question of how social trust evolves and transforms, how innovation potential is created and becomes networked in action. The question of trust as an element of social capital can be approached not only at the level of institutions and organisations, including comparative analyses, but also at the level of society as a whole. The definition of the content of social capital is itself a challenging task. Social capital can be analysed into various different categories which vary in terms of their weight and significance in different social arenas; their birth-places and growth-places can be traced and identified from global to local. Ultimately it should be possible to see how social capital compares in terms of its explanatory power with such rival concepts as cultural capital, human capital, social cohesion, social innovation capacity or community and individual welfare resources.

A further object of the research programme is to develop research methods and know-how that will allow for an empirical analysis of social capital and networks of trust and their manifestations. This will require the development of new methods of data collection with which information can be obtained on networks. On the other hand, new kinds of tools are needed for analysing the material describing network structures. In general it is important to know how social capital shall be measured.

4. Possible approaches

Economics researchers have recently been looking at social capital as a specific production factor that might help to explain differences in the growth rates of national economies. New growth theory has emphasised the nature of human capital as a partly self-made production factor that can be strengthened by making investments in it. Likewise new growth theory stresses the role of institutional solutions in explaining economic growth. Social capital ties in with these community features that find expression in the mutual trust required by market economy and in the respect for contracts required by network economy. Studies concerned with growth, income distribution and the labour markets, for instance, are all connected with the theme of social capital. Social capital needs to be examined both as a micro-level behavioural phenomenon and as a macro-level characteristic of society. Under conditions of globalisation the structures of social capital in different societies are also affected, causing new tensions and patterns of interaction. For instance, differences in organisational cultures are a bigger problem in situations of direct investment and international mergers than they are in the more traditional context of international commodity exchange. This is why an international comparative approach to social capital is an interesting angle from the point of view of economics, too.

The regional perspective is also closely related to issues of social capital because even in the global economy, communities are always formed on a regional basis. The development and transitions of social capital are influenced most particularly by various cultural processes of regional differentiation and integration: to gain a deeper understanding of the combined effects of these processes it will be necessary to have locally focused research designs both nationally and internationally. For instance, the role of media in modern community is an issue of great importance in any study of the distinctive features of today’s social communities, the nature of social interaction and the conditions for the growth of social trust in different fields of action.

The study of social capital must also take into account the historical dimension. The concept of social capital ties in closely with the growth of modern civil society and its voluntary associations from at least the eighteenth century. Historical research may help to shed light on various themes related to social capital at both the macro and micro level. At the macro level this means tying up the growth of social capital with cycles of economic growth, regional and local trends and with comparable trends in development in different societies. At the micro level, suitable objects of study might include different types of associations and their relationship to questions that have to do with social cohesion and national identity, for instance. It is also necessary to look into the role of associations and other organisations in processes of creating social capital in different kinds of communities, processes that have to do with growth, innovation, networking and social cohesion. Apart from studies of work organisations, research is needed to compare the development of urban, suburban and rural communities and to examine their interactions. An historical approach to economics can help to throw light on the evolution of different modes of commercial exchange and relations of trust as well as their impacts on business costs and economic development.

Not only linguistics but the social sciences have shown growing interest in recent years in how cultures are constructed by means of language. Language is an integral part of social capital. It is a tool that is used for purposes of establishing social bonds: the presence of this type of social capital leads to togetherness, its absence to exclusion. On the one hand the significance of communication between cultures has grown, on the other hand there are growing concerns about the trend  towards increasingly one-sided language skills. Social networks are created on the strength of both one’s own mother tongue and foreign languages; both are part and parcel of modern social capital.

The welfare resources of social capital also include health. The absence of health, in turn, may translate into loss of social capital. Research into the social dimension of health is a well-established problem in the social sciences and epidemiology. This programme provides an opportunity to create new openings in health research, to establish new ways of approaching health-related phenomena and problems by taking departure from the theoretical vantage-point of social capital or by focusing on empirically measurable questions of health and welfare that are linked specifically to aspects of social capital. The associations of social capital particularly with mental health failures and various burnout phenomena as well as with their prevention represents a major challenge indeed in the context of the research programme. Another idea that may serve as a useful point of reference is the notion that social capital may remain very shallow in any social organisation or institutionalised relations of interaction if there is not enough time or space for interaction.

One of the aspects that is traditionally important to research in the social sciences and humanities is the reproduction of social capital, for instance the breakdown of cultural mentalities, their reproduction and passing them on across generations. Families and the relations of interaction within families represent permanent sources of social capital and trust. However the family institution is witnessing some profound changes now, most basically as a consequence of the structural changes going on in society at large. The family and its role as a source of social capital and trust is a common focus for contemporary debates on social problems. It is this same process of family change that gives rise to many of the questions concerning the gendered nature of the development of social capital, although many of the more challenging issues regarding the sex/gender order of social capital occupy other spaces of social life, such as work organisations and civic activity. From a social policy point of view it is important to study how social capital impacts the way that organisations and institutions work, the capacity of society for regeneration as well as the welfare of individual citizens. All in all the world of social commitment, trust and role conflicts is nowadays examined and analysed in very different kinds of arenas of social action.

The concept of social capital has also been linked up with the idea of network society and its innovation potential. This is important so long as it is borne in mind that networks not only tie people together and increase communication, but they may also exclude people, push them into the margins and create new strategic arenas of action and new elites that exercise power over others. From the point of view of social innovation it is important to establish how knowledge, skills and expertise are interwoven into good cycles, whether these have to do with the immediate growth of economic potential or more broadly with welfare and the ‘economy of happiness’.

5. International research cooperation

It is the Academy of Finland’s objective to try in its research programmes to promote international research cooperation. This programme is no exception. Having said that it should be stressed that the aim in this programme is to produce information that can help to gain a better understanding of the processes of change under way in Finland as part of a process of European integration and globalisation. In other words the main focus of attention in the empirical component of the study is on phenomena and changes happening in Finnish society. At the same time, though, the programme does encourage researchers to carry out international comparisons.

Projects that have no interests within Finland shall not be considered for inclusion in this programme unless there are good grounds to suggest that they will serve the general objectives of the programme and shed light on how social capital and networks of trust are constructed in Finland.

International research cooperation within the programme will be primarily comparative research carried out through international research consortia, for example. Foreign researchers can also work in Finnish research teams, or the project can network with foreign research teams. The call for research appropriations will be an internationally open call.

International cooperation can be realised in many different ways. Possible forms include joint research projects, international cooperation among networks, international workshops, researcher visits to and from Finland. The Academy of Finland shall promote the internationalisation of the research programme once it is under way. Preparations have already been made to network the research programme with ongoing programmes focusing on social capital. International research programmes and projects are described in Appendix 2.

6. Implementation of the research programme

Projects admitted into the Social capital and networks of trust (SoCa) research programme will receive funding for a period of no more than four years between 1 Jan 2004 and 31 Dec 2007. The Board of the Academy of Finland has earmarked 6 million euros for purposes of supporting the programme. The programme will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Technology Agency Tekes, the Ministry of Labour and the Finnish Work Environment Fund: these bodies will contribute to the funding of projects that support their own policy objectives.

Projects applying for admission are expected to fall within the scope of the programme and to show high scientific standards. A multidisciplinary orientation as well as national and international research cooperation relevant to the programme are both considered an advantage. Chapter 7 below describes the objectives of the bodies funding the research programme as well as the criteria set by the Academy of Finland for admission into the programme.

Responsibility for programme coordination will rest with the University of Jyväskylä. Pertti Jokivuori from the Agora Center at the University has been appointed programme coordinator. Among the coordinator’s responsibilities are to
-	support communication and cooperation between research teams involved in the programme; 
-	organise researcher meetings and seminars; 
-	promote contacts and visits of domestic and international researchers as well as researcher exchange; 
-	organise cooperation with domestic and international research programmes most relevant to the programme;
-	monitor the programme and provide guidelines to the projects involved for reporting on their research results;
-	maintain active contact with other funding bodies and end-users of the research results; 
-	promote the practical application of the results and compile syntheses of the results with a view to their effective integration;
-	organise the programme’s internal and external communication in close collaboration with the Academy of Finland’s Communications unit; and
-	make preparations for and organise the international evaluation of the programme.

It is the express objective of the programme to create synergy effects between the projects involved by means of supporting active information exchange and cooperation. This will allow individual projects to support and strengthen one another and engender new lines of research.

All researchers in charge of the projects admitted to the programme are expected to commit themselves to active collaboration with coordination during the course of the programme as well as during the evaluations carried out upon its completion.

Among the duties of the researchers in charge of the projects admitted to the programme are to
-	assume responsibility for and report on the scientific progress of the projects as well as on the application of funds in accordance with the guidelines issued by the coordinator and funding bodies;
-	attend all meetings, seminars and workshops organised by the programme coordinator and ensure the attendance of all other members on their teams; 
-	take part in work to produce reviews, summaries and information materials related to the research programme; and
-	actively disseminate information on how the programme is progressing in scientific as well as general-interest publications.

The research programme is governed by a steering group chaired by Professor Marja Järvelä from the Research Council for Culture and Society. Vice Chair is Professor Elina Hemminki from the Research Council for Health, and the other group members are as follows: Eija Ahola, Head of Research at the National Technology Agency Tekes (substitute member Director Markus Koskenlinna); Medical Director Markku Alén, Research Council for Health; Director Riitta-Liisa Lappeteläinen, Finnish Work Environment Fund (substitute member Research Ombudsman Ilkka Tahvanainen);  Professor Erno Lehtinen, Research Council for Culture and Society; Ministerial Adviser Juho Saari, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (substitute member Ministerial Adviser Marja-Liisa Parjanne); Director Matti Salmenperä, Ministry of Labour (substitute member Senior Officer Tiina Hanhike); Professor Juha Sihvola, Research Council for Culture and Society and as standing expert member Director-General Reino Hjerppe, Government Institute for Economic Research VATT (substitute member Research Professor Jaakko Kiander). Other experts may be invited to join the steering group as necessary. Serving as the steering group’s secretary is the programme’s scientific secretary; once the coordination appointments have been made these responsibilities will be taken over by the programme coordinator. The programme subcommittee that makes the final funding decisions for the Academy of Finland consists of the Research Council members mentioned above.

Upon completion of the research programme an evaluation shall be carried out to review its implementation and outcomes. Among the main issues addressed in the evaluation will be the following:
-    the attainment of programme objectives; 
-	implementation of the research programme (coordination, role of steering group, participation in programme);
-	results and outcomes of the programme, integration of its results and preparation of synthesis at programme level;
-	scientific standard of the results achieved in the programme;
-	evidence of any scientific, social or economic outcomes pursued through the programme; 
-	researcher training and the promotion of professional research careers; and
-	national and international cooperation.

6.1. Timetable

Applications to the programme will be processed in two phases. In the first phase applicants are invited to submit their plans of intent; applications proper will then be invited from projects shortlisted on the basis of these plans of intent.

The plans of intent shall be submitted to the Academy of Finland no later than 15 May 2003. The steering group will submit its proposal for a shortlist of projects; the final decision on that shortlist will be made in June by a subcommittee consisting of members of the Academy’s Research Councils. Projects going through to the second round will be invited to submit their applications proper by 15 September 2003. The funding decisions will be made in November 2003. An opening seminar will be held to mark the beginning of the programme. Funding for the projects involved will be available no sooner than from 1 Jan 2004 and will end no later than 31 December 2007. An international evaluation of the programme will be carried out in 2008.

6.2. Plan of intent

Applicants are invited to submit their plans of intent to the Academy of Finland no later than 15 May 2003. All applications shall be prepared in English on the Academy of Finland application form SA1.2003E, with the programme acronym "SoCa" indicated on the first page. Applicants must indicate under item 38 of the application if they also plan to apply for funding from the Finnish Work Environment Fund or the National Technology Agency Tekes. The applications shall be filed in 15 identical bundles (original and 14 copies). Applications can also be filed in electronic format through the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/eng  > Electronic services. 

The only appendices that need to be attached to first-round applications are the plan of intent, a short CV of the researcher in charge and a list of key publications by the researcher in charge (and by any other senior researchers responsible for the research). If the project involves several research teams that are based at different locations, the application shall be filed in the name of a consortium. Each party to the consortium shall complete an application form for its own part, complete with its own plans of intent and other relevant appendices. In addition, the applications shall be followed by a one-page description of the consortium which illustrates its division of labour as well as the added valued it is expected to generate.

The plan of intent should be no more than five pages in length and include the following components:
1.	an account of why the project is thought to fall within the scope of this particular research programme;
2.	aims of the research project, its theoretical premises and research methods; 
3.	researchers involved and division of labour within the project, resources, plans for researcher training, national and international research cooperation relevant to the project; 
4.	expected outcomes, publication plan and application of results; and 
5.	schedule of the research project.

6.3. Application proper

The projects going through to the second round shall be selected on the basis of the plans of intent in June 2003. These projects will be listed on the Academy’s website during the last week of June at the latest, and successful applicants will be informed of the Academy’s decision in writing.

The programme steering group may suggest that applicants going through to the second round join forces with other applicants, or that they modify their original plans if it is thought that this might contribute to a more coherent programme structure.

Applicants invited to submit an application proper shall file the necessary documents no later than 15 September 2003. The applications shall be prepared in the English language on application form SA 1.2003E, with the programme acronym "SoCa" indicated on the first page. The applications complete with the relevant appendices shall be filed in 20 identical bundles (original and 19 copies). Applications can also be filed in electronic format through the Academy’s website at www.aka.fi/eng > Electronic services. The applications shall be addressed either to the Research Council for Culture and Society or to the Research Council for Health as appropriate. Applicants must indicate under item 38 of the application if they also plan to apply for funding from the Finnish Work Environment Fund or the National Technology Agency Tekes. In other respects applicants are advised to follow the guidelines set out in the Academy of Finland’s Guide for Applicants (1 March 2003 – 29 Feb 2004) and in the May 2003 call for proposals.

If the project involves several research teams based at different locations, the application shall be filed in the name of a consortium. Each party to the consortium shall complete an application form for its own part, complete with relevant appendices. The research plans shall describe the work that the consortium members shall be doing together as well as detail their own individual contributions. Research plans for consortium projects shall be followed by consortium descriptions no longer than one page in length: these shall give an account of the division of labour in the project as well as the value added it is expected to generate.

The scientific standard of the applications shall be reviewed by an international panel of experts. The programme subcommittee will make its final decisions on programme funding in November 2003. Funding for the projects shall be made available no sooner than 1 Jan 2004 and end by 31 December 2007.

7. Funding and cooperation

The bulk of funding for the research programme will be provided by the Academy of Finland. In addition, the Academy has agreed on funding cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Labour, the Finnish Work Environment Fund and the National Technology Agency Tekes. These funding bodies have committed themselves to supporting projects that represent and promote the general objectives of the programme as well as their own specific aims and interests.

A single research project may be funded by one or more funding bodies: for example, most of the project funds may come from the Academy of Finland, with additional funding provided by some other body. Funds obtained from other funding bodies (partial funding) may be for periods other than the programme term from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2007.

Other organisations that will be contributing to the programme through other than funding cooperation are the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health Stakes, Statistics Finland, the Government Institute for Economic Research VATT and the Finnish Social Sciences Data Archive, which maintain websites and databases related to research on social research (see Appendix 1).

The following briefly describes the special interests and the criteria that different programme funders will apply in reviewing funding applications. The application procedure is described in more detail under 6.2. and 6.3 above as well as separately for each funding body below.

7.1. Funding bodies with application processes administered by the Academy of Finland 

7.1.1. Academy of Finland

At the Academy of Finland the programme is coordinated by the Research Council for Culture and Society and the Research Council for Health. 

All Academy research programmes are geared to developing research environments; to bringing together scattered research capacities; to promoting multidisciplinary cooperation; and to developing cooperation between researchers, funding bodies and end-users of research results. Research programmes are expected to produce significant value added compared to individual research projects.

In reviewing applications it receives, the Academy considers the following criteria:
•	does the project support the objectives of the research programme; 
•	is the scientific content of the proposed project of a sufficiently high standard;
•	is the proposed research innovative and multidisciplinary;
•	is the applicant/research group competent enough to reach the objectives set out;
•	is the proposed research plan feasible;
•	does the proposed project promote national and international research, what kind of value added will it generate for the research;
•	what significance does the research project have for researcher training and for the qualitative development of research environments;
•	what kind of practical applicability will the research results have; and
•	what are the prospects for creating new research contacts and networks.

For further details, visit www.aka.fi and www.aka.fi/programmes/ link “Research programmes open for application in 2003”. 

The application procedure is described  in detail under 6.2. and 6.3. above. 

The Academy of Finland’s Guide for Applicants (1 March 2003 – 28 Feb 2004), the  May 2003 call for proposals, this programme memorandum and application forms can be obtained from the Academy’s website and the Registrar’s Office, where all applications should also be sent: POB 99, FIN-00501 HELSINKI (street address Vilhonvuorenkatu 6), e-mail keskus@aka.fi.

For any enquiries contact
•	Coordinator Pertti Jokivuori  (University of Jyväskylä, Agora Center /Psykocenter), tel. +358 14 260 4405, pertti.jokivuori@jyu.fi
•	Scientific Secretary Päivi Messo-Lindén (Cultures and Social Sciences Research Unit), tel. +358 9 7748 8224, paivi.messo-linden@aka.fi
•	Scientific Secretary Anna-Liisa Kauppila (Health Research Unit), tel. +358 9 7748 8291, anna-liisa.kauppila@aka.fi

7.1.2. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health emphasises the relationship between social policy and social capital, particularly the relationship of trust between individual citizens and public administration and the ability of organisations to cooperate with one another as boundary conditions for reforming social policy. In addition, the Ministry is interested in health-related projects. It will also support comparative projects. Projects funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health shall support the objectives recorded in the Ministry’s Social and Health Policy Strategies 2010 report.

For further information and a description of the Ministry’s strategy, go to www.stm.fi
Applicants seeking partial funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health must complete the Academy of Finland application form. 

7.1.3. Ministry of Labour

The environment from which the economy draws most of its resources is made up of the structures and cultures of working life. A key factor in both has to do with building up relations of trust between the social partners. The greater the knowledge intensity of work and the greater the economic significance of planning contents, the greater too will be the relative significance of creativity and innovations as the foundation of the economy. From this point of view a key dimension of social capital is represented by the structures of working life (relations of cooperation, management strategies, models of working) that in the workplace support creativity, entrepreneurship and innovations.

For further information, visit www.mol.fi
Applicants seeking partial funding from the Ministry of Labour must complete the Academy of Finland application form.

7.2. Funding bodies with their own application processes

7.2.1. National Technology Agency (Tekes)

The National Technology Agency’s involvement in the Research Programme on Social Capital and Networks of Trust is primarily motivated by its concern with technology research rather than with technology development. The programme is aimed at opening up new perspectives on technological change and the development of the innovation process. In particular, Tekes is interested in research dealing with the relationship between technological change and social capital. Research themes of special interest include the development of social capital in innovation processes, the role of social capital in the development of innovations and technology, the role of technology in increasing the value of labour (i.e. how and to what extent does technology increase social capital), and technology programmes and innovation processes seen from the point of view of social capital. 

Since Tekes is committed to supporting applied research, it is specially interested in the practical application of research results. In contrast to the technology development projects supported by the agency, the technology projects admitted to this programme are not expected to involve business partners. Rather than focusing on a particular business company, the research should deal with a certain phenomenon.

At the stage of submitting their plans of intent, applicants should only file Academy of Finland application forms with relevant appendices and under item 38 of the application indicate that they will also be seeking funding from Tekes. In the second round applications shall be filed with both Tekes and with the Academy of Finland. The research programme subcommittee will recommend to Tekes that funding is awarded to projects that have received a favourable scientific review. The final funding decision will be made independently by Tekes itself.

For further information, go to www.tekes.fi

Enquiries:
Head of Research Eija Ahola, tel. +358 10 521 5806
Director Markus Koskenlinna, tel. +358 10 521 5820

7.2.2. Finnish Work Environment Fund
 
The Finnish Work Environment Fund supports research and development efforts aimed at improving working conditions and at promoting the safety and productivity of workplaces. Research projects concerned with related issues are invited to file applications under this research programme: the Fund considers issues of innovativeness, relations of trust and forms of cooperation in the workplace to be of special interest. The nature of the research programme as a broad and comprehensive undertaking highlights the contribution of research consortia and multidisciplinary research teams in studying the role of different forms of social capital in workplace participation.

It is recommended that applicants contact the Work Environment Fund and prepare their plans of intent and their applications proper in close consultation with the Fund. In the first round applicants shall only complete the Academy’s application form with relevant appendices and under item 38 indicate that they intend to apply for additional funding from the Work Environment Fund. In the second round applicants shall file their applications proper with both the Work Environment Fund and the Academy. The applications will first be processed in the Academy’s review process. The Fund will subsequently make its own assessments, and the Board of the Fund will eventually make the final funding decisions for applications that have been approved by the Academy and that have additionally been submitted to the Work Environment Fund.

For further information, go to www.tsr.fi

Enquiries:
Managing Director Peter Rehnström, tel. +358 9 6803 3310
Research Ombudsman Ilkka Tahvanainen, tel. +358 9 6803 3313

					APPENDIX 1

Websites related to research and datasets on social capital

Statistics Finland

http://tilastokeskus.fi/tk/el/sospaaoma_etusivu.html

Government Institute for Economic Research VATT

http://www.sosiaalinenpaaoma.net/

National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health STAKES

http://www.stakes.fi

Finnish Social Sciences Data Archive

http://www.fsd.uta.fi/

European Social Survey, ESS

www.europeansocialsurvey.org

A major comparative survey material covering 23 countries and numerous batteries of questions useful in research on social capital. The material will be available as from July 2003. For further details, contact Heikki Ervasti, heikki.ervasti@utu.fi

International networks or programmes concerned with social capital	APPENDIX 2

Networks or programmes supported by European funding organisations corresponding to the Academy of Finland

United Kingdom
Economic & Social Research Council, www.esrc.ac.uk 

Families and social capital
A national research programme 2001 - 2005. http://www.sbu.ac.uk/families/

Democracy and Participation, a national research programme
http://www.essex.ac.uk/democracy/

ESRC’s research database (projects, programmes, networks)
http://www.regard.ac.uk

Norway
Norges Forskningsråd, www.forskningsradet.no
The national research programme Welfare Research Programme 1999-2008
http://program.forskningsradet.no/vfo/english.php3

Switzerland
Swiss National Science Foundation, www.snf.ch
Social Integration and Social Exclusion
The national research programme NRP 51, 2003-2006. 
For further details, go to http://www.snf.ch/NFP/NFP51/Home_e.html, link to programme memorandum

European Science Foundation, www.esf.org
Citizenship, Involvement and Democracy. An extensive European network.
For further details, go to http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de/projekte/cid/ 

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EU Sixth Framework Programme
Several programme initiatives related to social capital have been submitted. Browse by using the search word “social capital” at http://eoi.cordis.lu/search_form.cfm

Tekes partner search pages, links 
http://www.tekes.fi/eu/fin/partnerinhaku/index.html