Funding granted to 20 new Academy Research Fellows in the field of culture and society

The Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Culture and Society today decided to fund 20 new five-year research posts as Academy Research Fellow based on applications submitted in the Academy’s September 2017 call. The Research Council’s total funding for the new posts amounts to some 8.7 million euros over the five-year funding period.

The Research Council’s aim with the Academy Research Fellow grants is to provide an opportunity for mid-career researchers to advance their scientific competence as well as to support international and cross-sector mobility.

The new Academy Research Fellows will explore topics such as eye-contact difficulties in the early detection and intervention of autism spectrum disorder, entrepreneurship and population ageing, and surrealism and knowing.

The Research Council had 155 applications for Academy Research Fellow funding reviewed following the September 2017 call. The funding applications were reviewed by using international peer review, that is by panels of scientific experts consisting of esteemed international researchers in each field concerned. Among the advantaged of international peer review is that it shows how the proposed research compares with international standards. It also makes it possible to support the most highly rated projects.

The competition for Academy Research Fellow funding is fierce. In this round, for instance, the Research Council for Culture and Society was able to grant funding to a mere 13 per cent of applicants. Women account for 50 per cent of the funding recipients. The five-year Academy Research Fellow funding is the Research Council's most important instrument for supporting researcher careers.

The Research Council paid special attention to high-quality research, science renewal and research impact, and to facilitating scientific breakthroughs. More information about the Research Council’s funding criteria and policies is available on our website.