Research group application instructions

In the Foundation for Economic Education grant round, researchers will be encouraged to carry out pioneering research and to compile and acquire new materials and databases, with the aim of integrating research into innovation ecosystems. The three-year research group grant can be applied for by groups of people led by PI (Principal Investigator).

Pay particular attention to the following research group application criteria:

• The PI (Principal Investigator) as a person in charge of the project is employed by a Finnish university or other host organization. The group’s researchers working on the grant may come from more than one organization, but in the project they will join the host organization named by the application. Research group applications will not be considered for organization or consortium applications. (As an organization, the university can apply for a Foundation for Economic Education grant for a project of up to one year.)
• The application is submitted by the principal investigator, who as the person in charge of the project names all the researchers, their tasks and allocated working times (e.g. the role of the senior researchers and their allocated working time). As an exception, first-year PhD researchers can be left unnamed (in the application “N/A”). The research and funding plan is 5-8 pages long. The plan includes sections on communications, publications, and international networks.
• The grant application for the research group is for a three-year period, for which the applied sum is EUR 150,000–300,000 (EUR 50,000–150,000 / year). The Foundation for Economic Education may also grant shorter grant periods from the three-year applications. The plan and budget for the first year are described in detail in the application and annexes.
• Applicants for a grant for the use of a research group select the application of the research / working group from the electronic application forms. The research group members’ working grant portions follow the level indicated for a full-time 12-month working grant. See: General application instructions.
• The application specifies the working shares and the common costs of the research group. PI cannot work on the grant applied for to the research group (only costs are possible). The working shares of the group members are distributed to the researchers in the form of personal grants. The common costs are shared in the payment of the grant to the host organization, but as a general rule they do not correspond to the university overhead allowances.
• Pay special attention to the attachment of one-page (A4) project presentation which describes in summary the research object or topic, pursued results and their significance for one’s own research field, the benefits of the project for business (especially in Finland) and other societal relevance, and the project’s cost estimate and finance.
• The CV’s of the Principal investigator and the members should be attached as one file to the application.