Finnish Centres of Excellence in Research 2026–2033 (two-stage call)

At the core of the Research Council of Finland’s activities is to provide funding for excellent scientific research. The research we fund is also expected to have high scientific and societal impact and follow the principles of responsible science.

A Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a research community that is striving for or already at the international forefront of research in its field. CoEs may consist of one or more research teams working closely together under a joint research plan.

The units granted Centre of Excellence (CoE) funding by the Research Council of Finland are scientifically first-rate research communities that have capacity for renewal and high societal impact. The CoE programmes contribute to the renewal of science by, for example, supplying new research topics, new methods and approaches, and new research teams. Thanks to the long-term funding provided in collaboration with CoE host organisations, the funding instrument effectively works as an incentive for risk-taking and new initiatives in research.

The Research Council of Finland selects CoEs based on international reviews and science policy objectives. The CoE term is eight years. In terms of the research plan, there are three primary review criteria: scientific quality, contribution to science renewal and scientific impact. The eight-year CoE term is split into two parts (5 + 3 years).

The funding can be applied for by consortia composed of research teams. The consortium parties may represent one or several research organisations.

A consortium application is an application built around a joint research plan, where each party to the consortium applies for funding. The Research Council of Finland treats a consortium application as a single application, although the funding is granted to each subproject separately. Consortium compositions cannot be changed after the call deadline. Read the guidelines for consortium applications.

In addition to a doctorate, the CoE director and team leaders must have other significant scientific merits. Usually the PI is a researcher at the professor or docent (adjunct professor) level. In addition, the applicant must have a close connection with Finland to support the implementation of a multi-year project. This connection must be evident from the application.

The PI of the application (i.e. the CoE director, vice director or team leader) cannot be changed while the application is being processed (after the call has closed but before the decision). The only exception to this is if the PI dies.

Special terms and restrictions

In the 2024 CoE call, applications by a project PI, deputy PI or research team leader of the 2022–2029 CoE programme will not be considered, nor will applications by a project PI of an ongoing Finnish Flagship project.

An application by a principal investigator of an SRC consortium can be considered if the PI will no longer have overlapping SRC consortium funding after 31 December 2025.

Other special terms

You must immediately notify us if you receive funding from other sources for the same purpose after you have submitted your application to us.

We will not consider (process) an application by a person who has participated in the planning of the call to an extent likely to give them a comparative advantage over other applicants.

We will not consider (process) a funding application if the applicant has been found guilty of research misconduct in the three years preceding the year of the call.

If the application includes cooperation with Russia or Belarus, you must take into account our policies on the matter.

If you have not submitted a final report on a completed or ongoing Research Council of Finland-funded project according to the guidelines and by the set deadline, we may decide not to consider (process) your application.

An application will not be considered (processed) if the applicant or the application does not meet the competence requirements or other key requirements set for the call, or if there are otherwise no conditions for processing the case.

A scientific council or another decision-making body may decide not to fund an application based on science policy objectives, or if it is apparent for some other reason that the applicant cannot receive funding with the submitted application. Read more about the circumstances that may cause us not to consider or process an application.

We will not consider (process) an application if the applicant is a member of the Research Council of Finland’s Board or scientific councils or the Strategic Research Council.

The Board of the Research Council of Finland decides the criteria for the Research Council’s funding decisions.

The letter of intent submitted at the first call stage consists of a form completed in the online services as well as PDF appendices. As an applicant, you have the right to submit your application in Finnish or Swedish, but we ask that you to submit it in English to facilitate the international review.

CoE applicants draft and submit their letters of intent as consortium applications in the Research Council of Finland’s online services.

The application submitted by the CoE director includes the details on the director’s own subproject as well as the joint abstract, public description and plan of intent of the candidate CoE.

The team leaders/subproject PIs will complete their own applications, filling in their own subproject’s funding plan as well as all other required fields.

Before the call opens

Check your eligibility

• Read the section Who can apply? to see whether you meet the eligibility criteria.

Plan the contents of your application

• Start drafting the plan of intent and your CV.
• Draft the above appendices on our templates (see Application parts in the online services). Read the instructions on using the templates. You have access to the templates even before the call opens.
• Read the review guidelines and review form. Write your plan of intent in such a way that reviewers can easily find the answer to the review questions.

Plan the funding of your project

• Draft the budget in line with the guidelines of your organisation. Read more about the amount of funding and the terms and conditions in the call text under Funding to be applied for and funding period.
• Contact your organisation’s support services now if you have any budget-related questions.
• Also read our funding terms and conditions. If you are granted funding, you are also bound by the terms and conditions.

When the call opens

• Sign up or log in to our online services. Check and update your personal details. Your up-to-date email address is important when we are in contact with you.
• Instructions on how to fill in the application form are available in the online services.
• Read the consortium application guidelines before you start drafting the application.

Application parts in the online services

The different parts of the application are listed below. A comprehensive A–Z index of application guidelines is available on our website. Instructions for filling in the application form are also on the tabs of the form.

• Personal details
• General information: Topic, keywords and scientific disciplines of the CoE candidate, and details on the site of research
• Consortium parties: In the consortium application, the consortium PI names the team leaders.
• Abstract
• Public project description
• Funding and commitment by site of research. See section ‘Funding to be applied for and funding period’ in the call text.
• Salary costs of principal investigator
• Collaborators: list of collaborators. Briefly describe the collaboration in the plan of intent.
• Affiliation to research infrastructures, Centres of Excellence and Finnish Flagships
• Research ethics
• Most relevant publications and other outputs: up to ten of their own/the consortium’s own most important project-relevant publications and up to ten of their own/the consortium’s own research outputs. Detailed instructions available on the application form.

Appendices to be appended on dedicated tabs

You must use our templates for the following appendices:

• Template for plan of intent
• Curriculum vitae

Other appendices

• The full list of publications is an obligatory appendix to the application.

Submitting the application in the online services

You can submit the application when you have filled in or attached all the necessary information. A red warning triangle tells you that there is an error or information missing.

The joint consortium application is submitted by the consortium PI. They can submit the consortium application only after all subprojects have tagged their applications as complete.

You can authorise a person to edit or view the application on the tab ‘Authorisation’.

Submit your application in good time. You can supplement and edit the application and change appendices until the call deadline.

The full application submitted at the second call stage consists of forms completed in the Research Council of Finland’s online services as well as PDF appendices. As an applicant, you have the right to submit your application in Finnish or Swedish, but we ask that you to submit it in English to facilitate the international review.

The second stage of the call (full applications) opens in the online services on 21 May 2025 at the earliest. The deadline for full applications is 11 June 2025 at 16.15 Finnish time. The deadline is non-negotiable.

The CoE full application is a consortium application. The applications and appendices of consortium subprojects will be joined together with the consortium PI’s application. The joint consortium application is submitted by the consortium PI. They can submit the consortium application only after all subprojects have tagged their applications as complete. Consortium PIs must follow the completion of the consortium application in the online services to make sure that the application is submitted on time.

The application submitted by the CoE director includes the details on the director’s own subproject, the joint abstract and public description of the candidate CoE, a short data management plan as well as the consortium’s joint research plan.

The team leaders/subproject PIs will complete their own applications, filling in their own subproject’s funding plan as well as all other required fields.

Before the call opens

Plan the contents of your application

• Start drafting your research plan and CV.
• Draft the above appendices on our templates (see Application parts in the online services). Read the instructions on using the templates. You have access to the templates even before the call opens.
• Read the review guidelines and review form. Write your research plan in such a way that reviewers can easily find the answer to the review questions.
• Contact your collaborators. Request letters of collaboration from national and international collaborators that are relevant to the implementation of the project. The letters must be appended to the application before the call deadline.

Plan the funding of your project

• Draft the budget in line with the guidelines of your organisation. Read more about the amount of funding and the terms and conditions in the call text under Funding to be applied for and funding period.
• Contact your organisation’s support services now if you have any budget-related questions.
• Also read our funding terms and conditions. If you are granted funding, you are also bound by the terms and conditions.

When the call opens

• Log in to the online services. Check and update your personal details. Your up-to-date email address is important when we are in contact with you.
• Instructions on how to fill in the application form are available in the online services.
• Read the consortium application guidelines before you start drafting the application.

Application parts in the online services

The different parts of the application are listed below. A comprehensive A–Z index of application guidelines is available on our website. Instructions for filling in the application form are also on the tabs of the form.

• Personal details
• General information: Topic, keywords and scientific disciplines of the CoE candidate, and details on the site of research
• Consortium parties: In the consortium application, the consortium PI names the team leaders.
• Abstract
• Public project description
• Funding and commitment by site of research. See section ‘Funding to be applied for and funding period’ in the call text.
• Research costs. On this tab, fill in the funding of all parties with the funding sources for the first five-year CoE period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.
• Salary costs of principal investigator
• Collaborators: list of collaborators. The collaboration should be described in the research plan.
• Affiliation to research infrastructures, Centres of Excellence and Finnish Flagships
• Short data management plan
• Research ethics
• Progress report on all Research Council of Finland-funded projects that have not yet submitted final reports
• Most relevant publications and other outputs: up to ten of their own/the consortium’s own most important project-relevant publications and up to ten of their own/the consortium’s own research outputs. Detailed instructions available on the application form.

Appendices to be appended on dedicated tabs

You must use our templates for the following appendices:

• Template for research plan in second call stage
• Curriculum vitae

Other appendices

• The full list of publications is an obligatory appendix to the application.
• If necessary, append a letter of collaboration.

Submitting the application in the online services

You can submit the application when you have filled in or attached all the necessary information. A red warning triangle tells you that there is an error or information missing.

The joint consortium application is submitted by the consortium PI. They can submit the consortium application only after all subprojects have tagged their applications as complete.

You can authorise a person to edit or view the application on the tab ‘Authorisation’.

Submit your application in good time. You can supplement and edit the application and change appendices until the call deadline.

The Research Council of Finland is prepared to fund the selected CoEs with a total of up to 65 million euros during the first five-year period.

The CoE programme funding period starts on 1 January 2026. Based on reviews, funding will be granted for eight years. The first funding decision will cover the period 1 January 2026–31 December 2030. The progress of the CoE will be assessed after four years of operation, and the possible second funding decision will cover the period 1 January 2031–31 December 2033. It is not possible to transfer funding from one funding period to another.

CoE funding is primarily intended towards the salaries of researchers who work full-time on the project and for other project costs.

The funding to be distributed through this call depends on the Finnish Parliament’s decision to allocate the necessary funds in the 2025 and 2026 state budgets.

The funding is granted to a Finnish site of research (usually a university or research institute) through which the funding is paid.

The PI of the funded project must have a close connection with Finland to support the implementation of a multi-year project. The funded researchers may, however, spend time working abroad during their funding period.

Funding plan

As a rule, research funding granted by the Research Council of Finland is co-funding. The Research Council’s contribution to the funding is up to 70 per cent of the total costs, and the applicant’s site of research (host organisation) will cover at least 30 per cent of the total costs.

Before submitting the application, you must agree with the administration at your organisation on the contribution of the site of research to the funding of the project. You must check with your organisation whether the funding planned as the own funding contribution suits this purpose.

On the tab ‘Funding for the project’, provide the following information:

• cost estimate including an estimate of the annual amount of funding needed, itemised by type of expenditure
• all funding granted for the project as well as funding that will be provided by the site of research if the project is launched.

Only costs that pass through the books of the site of the research must be included in the total costs.

The cost estimate must be realistic.

Justify the most significant research costs by type of expenditure in the free-text field.

You can apply for funding to cover, for example, the following direct research costs:

• research team salaries
• PI’s salary costs (under certain limitations)
• salaries of researchers returning to Finland
• essential implementation costs
• travel expenses
• collaboration and mobility in Finland
• international collaboration and mobility
• preparation of international projects.

Our funding cannot be used for economic activity. Read more about the eligibility of economic operators.

Only for compelling reasons can government grants be awarded to cover salary costs in cases where the applicant has obstacles related to illegal employment, as referred to in section 7(2) of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Transfers.

In the letter of intent, each subproject will draft its own cost estimate, itemised by type of expenditure, on the tab ‘Funding for the project’.

In the full application, each subproject will draft its own cost estimate, itemised by type of expenditure. The application must include a cost estimate for the first funding period, showing an estimate of the annual amount of funding needed by the CoE. The cost estimate is justified in the full application’s research plan, which also includes a cost estimate for the entire duration of the project (first and second funding period). Specify all research costs in the free-text field in the online services on the tab ‘Funding for the project’.

Research team salaries

As a rule, staff hired with Research Council research funding must have an employment relationship. We recommend that they be hired for a period of employment no shorter than the funding period, unless a shorter contract is necessary for special reasons dictated by the implementation of the research project. Short-term research, studies or other assignments (max. duration six months) may also be carried out in the form of outsourced services.

Instructions on job titles at different stages of the research career.

Salary costs of principal investigator

The Research Council of Finland’s funding is primarily intended for the salaries of full-time researchers working on the projects and for other research costs.

As a rule, funding is not granted for the salary of the project PI. The PI’s salary costs may only under certain limitations and on justifiable grounds be incorporated into the total project costs. In order for the salary costs to be eligible, the PI’s tasks must be clearly specified and motivated.

Under ‘Salaries’ on the tab ‘Funding for the project’, choose the purpose for which funding for the PI’s salary is sought. Justify the salary on the tab ‘Salary of principal investigator’.

You can apply for funding to cover the PI’s salary costs for the following purposes:

Project management and supervision of doctoral theses

• The salary costs must not be significant in relation to the project’s total costs. For example, a four-year research project must not include more than six months of the PI’s effective working hours for project management.

Carrying out research

• The Research Council may grant funding for the PI’s salary for no more than a year for well-justified reasons, such as working abroad, returning to Finland or transferring to another research organisation or a company in Finland. Possible business collaboration must fulfil the terms set out in our funding terms and conditions.
• The funding cannot be used for this purpose unless it is mentioned in the special conditions accompanying the funding decision.

If the PI does not have an employment relationship

• If the PI does not have an employment relationship with, for example, a university or research institute for the duration of the funding period, they must explain how their salary will be covered during the funding period.
• Retired researchers can be granted funding on the same grounds as other researchers.

Mobility aid in research projects

The mobility aid is applied for as research costs related to the implementation of the research plan. The aid is applied for in accordance with the practices of the site of research. To obtain further information, you should contact the personnel and financial administration of the site of research.

In the online services, the aid is applied for on the tab ‘Funding for the project’ under ‘Travel expenses’. The mobility aid must be justified. Read more about the mobility aid in the funding terms and conditions.

What is required from the site of research?

The site of research is a Finnish research organisation such as a university or a research institute.

We require that the site of research provides the research project with all necessary basic facilities. These are determined based on the nature of the research and are the same as those available to other research staff at the site: office and laboratory premises, equipment (incl. computer equipment), and telecommunications, telephone, mailing, copying and library services.

The costs of ensuring immediate open access to peer-reviewed articles are included in the overheads of the site of research. The costs associated with storing and sharing research data are regarded as overheads for the project’s site of research. Only exceptionally and for justified reasons can they be accepted as research costs to be covered by Research Council of Finland research funding.

The site of research also commits to ensuring that the data management plan can be implemented at the site of research, and that the measures to be taken comply with good data management practice. After a positive funding decision, the site of research will also approve the data management plan of the project.

When accepting the funding, the site of research is responsible for ensuring that necessary statements and permits from ethics committees have been obtained before the start of the project.

The application must include the overheads percentage, indirect employee costs and coefficient for effective working hours of the site of research. The site of research maintains these in the online services under the site’s details. The information is provided as percentages.

When the site of research is a university or a research institute, as a rule, the funding must be applied for VAT included. Consult the financial administration at the site of research for more information. Our funding may also cover VAT costs, but only on certain conditions (see VAT and read more in our funding terms and conditions).

Read more in the guidelines for sites of research.

How to submit and supplement the application

The non-negotiable call deadline also applies to consortia. We will not consider (process) an application that has not been submitted by deadline.

The first call stage (letters of intent) closes on 25 September 2024 at 16.15 Finnish time. The second call stage (full applications) closes on 11 June 2025 at 16.15 Finnish time.

The joint consortium application is submitted by the consortium PI. The PI can submit the consortium application only after all subproject PIs have tagged their applications as complete.

Make sure to submit the application in good time before the deadline. The system will only accept applications that contain all obligatory information. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the content of the application appendices is correct.

You can edit and supplement the application until the deadline. For example, you can change the appendices to the application.

If you notice that your application lacks important information after the deadline, immediately get in touch with us via our helpdesk, so that the application can be reopened for supplementation. We will consider the supplemented information only if it is possible in view of the review and decision-making process.

We may ask you to supplement the application. In that case, you will receive a supplementation request by email.

If you do not supplement the application by the given deadline, or if the application is substantially incomplete even after a request for supplementary information, we may declare it inadmissible (i.e. it will not be processed). Make sure that your email address is up to date.

How the application becomes pending

According to section 17 of the Finnish Administrative Procedure Act and section 8 of the Act on Electronic Services and Communication in the Public Sector, the sender is responsible for the application arriving by the set deadline. An application becomes pending when the online application and the obligatory appendices have been submitted in the online services. The system will confirm a successful submission by sending an email to the address you have provided.

Publicity and data protection

Except for the research plan, plan of intent, abstract and progress report, which are primarily confidential, the application and its appendices are public documents. For example, the CV is a public document and as such must not include any confidential information. This publicity is based on the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

We are committed to following regulations on data protection. The applicant is responsible for the disclosure of the personal data contained in the application and, where appropriate, for requesting the consent of the parties concerned.

The GDPR-compliant privacy notice concerning the research funding process is available on our website under Data protection.

Research Council of Finland funding is granted based on peer review. We mainly use foreign experts as reviewers.

Letters of intent are peer-reviewed by individual international experts. The experts assess the scientific quality of the CoE applicant, the feasibility of the plan, the capacity for renewal, the added value generated and the merits of the researchers involved.

The plans of intent and the review statements on the letters of intent are discussed in a preparatory group composed of members of the Research Council of Finland’s decision-making bodies. After this discussion, the General Subcommittee appointed by the Board decides which CoE applicants are invited to the second call stage based on the review reports, the views of the preparatory group and at their own discretion. Successful applicants will be asked to submit full applications.

The full applications are peer-reviewed by panels of experts. Based on the panels’ expertise, each application will be assigned to a panel that will interview the applicants. The panel will assess the applications assigned to them and prepare a written review report on each application.

The full applications and the review reports are discussed in a preparatory group composed of members of the decision-making bodies. After this discussion, the General Subcommittee appointed by the Board will decide which CoE applicants are selected to the CoE programme based on the review reports, the views of the preparatory group and at their own discretion.

Review criteria

• scientific quality, innovativeness and novelty value of the research described in the plan as well as the impact within the scientific community
• feasibility of the plan (incl. responsible science)
• competence of applicant/research team in terms of project implementation
• quality of research environment and collaborative networks
• added value of collaboration between consortium parties

Read the rating scale and the review questions that will be used in the review: first-stage review form (PDF), second-stage review form (PDF), review guidelines (PDF) and review principles (PDF). The review guidelines and forms and the review principles are only available in English.

Each review panel will also rank the applications.

The funding decisions are based on the review reports and panel rankings. Additionally, the decisions will be prepared considering the Research Council of Finland’s criteria for research funding decisions and other guiding policies. Read about how funding decisions are made.

The decisions on the first call stage (letters of intent) will be made in April 2025. Those selected to the second stage will be asked to submit full applications in the online services by 11 June 2025. The General Subcommittee will decide in October 2025 on the CoEs to be selected. The funding decisions will be made in December 2025 and January 2026.

The names and project titles of the funding recipients will be posted on the Research Council of Finland’s website.

A consortium application is treated as one single application. When a consortium is granted funding, each subproject of that consortium receives a separate funding decision and the funding is allocated to each subproject’s site of research.

Once the General Subcommittee has selected the CoEs, it will enter into negotiations with the CoEs on their objectives before making the final funding decisions. The aim of the negotiations is to reach an agreement on joint objectives for the research and to nail down the final funding budget.

You will receive an email notification after the funding decision has been made. After receiving the email, you can log in to the online services with your user ID to view the decision and its justifications.

In the online services, you will also have access to the review report(s), which may include the panel ranking (panels rank the best applications).

How to receive the funding

A positive funding decision is accompanied by the funding terms and conditions. They include instructions on how to receive the funding (section 1.2). If the funding is subject to conditions that differ from or specify the Research Council’s funding terms and conditions, these are indicated in the specific conditions of the decision notification.

This must be done within eight weeks of the decision date, unless otherwise stated in the special conditions of the decision notice.

Before you accept the funding:

• If necessary, update the popular project description. If a project is granted funding, we will publish a description of the project on our website. It is important that the public description is written for a general audience.

Append the full data management plan to the application (in consortium applications, only the consortium PI appends it).

Once you have accepted the funding, the system will send a notification to the commitment issuer at the site of research. That person must also accept the granted funding. See the how-to guide: Decision notification, review reports and accepting funding.

The funds can be paid only after the applicant and the representative of the site of research have accepted them. The system will then notify the funding to the finance administration of the site of research, whereupon the funds will be ready to use.

• Contact us primarily at coe@aka.fi.
• You can also use the helpdesk (Division of Research Environments)
• Get in touch via our helpdesk (Division of Information Management) if you encounter technical issues in the online services.
• Call info 18 June 2024: material
• Frequently asked questions (PDF)
• Our telephone number (switchboard) is +358 295 335 000.
• Our email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname(at)aka.fi.

Research environments

• Maiju Gyran, Senior Science Adviser

Natural sciences and engineering

• Kati Sulonen, Senior Science Adviser
• Samuli Hemming, Senior Science Adviser

Biosciences, health and the environment

• Suvi Broholm, Science Adviser
• Anni Kleino, Science Adviser

Social sciences and humanities

• Satu Huuha-Cissokho, Senior Science Adviser
• Rose-Marie Peake, Science Adviser