Academy Professor applications to open in autumn 2024 in connection with winter call

The Board of the Research Council of Finland made decisions in June regarding the Academy Professor funding scheme. The number of funding periods will be limited to one, and the funding period will be extended to six years.

On 6 June 2024, the Board of the Research Council of Finland discussed the Academy Professor funding scheme and strategic objectives. The Research Council’s funding instruments and activities are designed to support the organisation’s strategy and vision: Bold research for Finland and the world.

In support of the strategy, the aim of the Academy Professor funding scheme is to ensure the capacity of research for renewal and reform, support scientific breakthroughs and solutions, and facilitate better and higher-impact skills and competence. Earlier in April, the Board of the Research Council decided to move to a single-decision model for Academy Professors, with flexibility in the use of funding.

New policies on duration and number of Academy Professor funding periods

The Board decided that the number of funding periods for an Academy Professor will be limited to one. This will allow a greater number of top-tier researchers a chance to receive Academy Professor funding during their research careers.

With this policy, the Board also wants to support scientific renewal. The wish for more researchers to be able to apply for an Academy Professorship was also expressed in many of the responses to the Research Council’s surveys on the funding scheme. The funding period limit will enter into force from the call opening in autumn 2024.

The Board also decided to extend the Academy Professor funding period to six years. This means that the funding period will be extended by one year. The Board wanted to ensure that there is time to carry out significant new research and apply for other funding during the Academy Professorship. For example, the Board considered it very important that researchers at the Academy Professor level apply for more EU funding. The idea is that the extension of the funding period and the limit on the number of periods will, among other things, guide researchers to apply for funding from the European Research Council.

Application and review process for Academy Professorships

The call for Academy Professor applications is set to open in autumn 2024 in connection with the winter call. The call is a single-stage call, with a deadline for full applications in early January 2025. Applicants must choose whether they are applying for Academy Project Funding or an Academy Professorship, as only one application can be submitted in the same call round. However, applications will be reviewed in two stages: The first review is carried out by experts invited to review applications submitted to the winter call. The strongest applications will proceed to a panel review. The funding decisions will be made no later than December 2025, and the funding periods can start on 1 January or 1 August 2026.

Information on call schedules will be posted on our website.