This page contains useful information on applying for a grant. The Foundation for Economic Education’s grants are intended for research and education in business and economics. Most grants are awarded to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. In addition, grants and awards from special funds are awarded to specific target groups designated by donors.
How to apply for a grant?
You can apply for a grant from the Foundation for Economic Education either through the annual grant call or via joint grant programmes offered by foundations and funds.
Who can apply for a grant?
A grant may be applied for by an individual, a research or working group, or an organization. The applicant’s background may be from a field other than business and economics, provided that the supported project fulfills the purpose of the Foundation for Economic Education.
An applicant for a personal grant must have an affiliation with a Finnish higher education institution during the grant period. A research group grant is applied for by the PI (Principal Investigator), whose own funding comes from a source other than the Foundation’s grants for the group members. An application by an organization must include a named person responsible for the project.
In addition to a working grant, individuals may apply for a expenditure grant for one conference trip, research visit, or other study trip. Organizations may apply for a target grant to organize a conference or seminar. These activities may take place from 1 October onwards in the application year. No advance decisions are made.
Grants are not available for undergraduate or Master’s-level studies, including Master’s theses, or for pursuing a second doctoral degree.
Grant call
Grant applications are submitted through the grant system during the application period 1 June–15 August. Grant decisions are announced in November–December on the Foundation’s website, and applicants are notified by email.
About the application process
Apply for a grant through the electronic application system. You can access the system via the button at the bottom of the page.
Application
- Application period: from 1 June to 15 August.
- The application and the required attachments are submitted through the electronic application system.
- The applicant registers as a user in the application system and selects the type of application.
- The application consists of forms that the applicant can complete in any order they choose.
- Only applications submitted through the system by the deadline will be processed.
Application attachments
The application must include the essential documents required to assess the content, feasibility and significance of the project. Please submit all attachments electronically through the application system by the deadline. All applicants must provide the following:
- Project description (1 page): what is being researched in the project, why it is important, and how the research relates to the development of Finland’s economy and business.
- Research and funding plan (2–3 pages / research groups 3–5 pages): an overview of the research topic and the work planned for the grant period, including research questions, methods, and expected results; for conference travel grants, an abstract (1 page) is sufficient.
- Curriculum vitae (CV): CV of the responsible applicant; for research and working groups, also the CVs of the group members.
- In addition, an interim report must be submitted on a grant previously awarded by the Foundation for Economic Education if the research project has not yet been completed and the grant recipient is applying for continuation funding.
- Notification of acceptance or invitation for a conference or trip, if available during the application period.
Important to note
- Explore the application forms well in advance and read the application instructions. The application can be saved in progress and edited until submission.
- Indicate in the application any other grants received and pending applications for the same project.
- Attachments are an essential part of the application. Please review the attachment requirements in advance.
- The application, attachments, and supervisor’s statement can be in Finnish or English.
- The grant application deadline is 15 August, at 24:00 (UTC+3).
- The Foundation for Economic Education announces the grants following the Board’s decision by the end of November. No advance decisions are made.
Grant application instructions
Apply for a grant in the electronic application system between 1 June and 15 August 2026. To submit an application, you must first register as a user in the system. The deadline for the application and all attachments is 15 August 2026 at 24.00 (UTC+3).
The full-time 12-month working grants in the 2026 application round:
- Doctoral research: €27,000
- Postdoctoral research: €32,000
Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers may also apply for one additional conference or travel grant through a separate application.
- Three-year research group grant: €150,000–€300,000 (€50,000–€150,000 per year). The application must be submitted by the group’s Principal Investigator (PI).
Working grants include the statutory MYEL insurance and other costs related to the research work. Additional costs must be itemized in the application form and in the research and funding plan. The final amount of the awarded grant depends on the intended use, the length of the grant period, any official or study leaves, and other funding sources indicated in the funding plan.
The application form asks for basic information about the applicant and the grant applied for. In addition, the applicant is asked to describe his/her background, working situation during the grant period, and the key details of the project, such as its purpose, field, duration, and the amount requested.
You will be asked to select the Foundation’s focus area that best fits your project. The 2026 focus areas highlight topics important to the growth and renewal of Finland’s economy and business and encourage high-quality, impactful research. The choice does not limit your research perspective or scientific approach, and you may also define your own priority if it aligns with the Foundation’s purpose.
The thematic special project “Innovations, Commercialization and Growth” focuses on key areas for Finland’s competitiveness. Its core themes are value-based pricing, value creation, productization, and marketing and sales processes which are central to strengthening the competitiveness of Finnish companies. The application form includes an optional section with more detailed thematic questions.
If you are applying for a three-year research group grant as the Principal Investigator (PI), please follow the research group application instructions. This application differs from personal grants, for example, in the role of the PI and the project duration.
All applications must include information on grants already awarded for the project and any other pending applications.
The length of the grant period is closely related to the purpose of the grant. Personal working grants are mainly applied for periods of 4–12 months for the calendar year following the application round. An application under the thematic special project may also cover a grant period of 24 or even 36 months (including research group applications).
A research group grant is applied for a period of 36 months.
The duration of work funded by the grant does not necessarily correspond to the timing of the project in calendar months. For example, if a grant for a research visit is applied for as an expenditure grant, no duration is selected for the grant period (0 months).
A significant share of grants is awarded from special funds, and no separate application is required. In some cases, special funds have specific target groups or eligibility criteria that differ from the general grant guidelines, for example based on the field of research or industry.
You can select the special fund application on the application form. Please review the special funds’ application criteria before applying.
A reference from the professor supervising the research is required for doctoral researchers and early-stage postdoctoral researchers. A supervisor’s reference is also required for expenditure grants.
The supervisor – named by the applicant in the application – submits the reference through the electronic reference system no later than 31 August 2026 at 24.00 (UTC+3). The statement may be submitted in Finnish or English.
Submitting the application
Submit the application and all required attachments in the electronic grant system by 15 August 2026 at 24.00 (UTC+3). After submission, the application or its attachments can no longer be edited. During the application period, the technical service provider of the grant system assists in the deletion of incorrectly submitted applications: hakemustuki@datalink.fi.
