Academy of Finland grants funding to Postdoctoral Researchers in biosciences and environmental research

The Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Biosciences and Environment has decided to fund 16 new posts as Postdoctoral Researcher. The funding amounts to some 4.3 million euros in total. The funding period is three years.

The Research Council had 131 applications for Postdoctoral Researcher funding reviewed following the September 2017 call. The applications were reviewed in ten panels. The applicant success rate (the proportion of applicants who were granted funding) was just over 12 per cent. Slightly more than one-third of the funding recipients are women.

A high-quality research plan and the applicant’s competence were the two primary criteria in making the funding decisions. The Research Council also considered the applicants’ opportunities to gain more independence during their projects and their international mobility.

Postdoctoral Researchers are expected to have established effective national or international collaborative networks. They are also encouraged to engage in international mobility and collaboration. The aim of the funding for research posts as Postdoctoral Researcher is to support the most talented researchers who have recently completed their doctoral degree in gaining competence for demanding researcher or expert positions.

As part of an ongoing development process targeting the Academy’s review practices, a model was tested in this call where the review panels both rated and ranked the applications (only those with rating 5 or 6) assigned to them. The Research Council used this information to support its decision-making.

Professor Kai Lindström, Chair of the Research Council for Biosciences and Environment, said: “The funding decisions emphasised the increasing independence of researchers and the search for new influences from other research environments. The mobility requirement is one way to promote these aspects.”