Finance Finland, the Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center and the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre are donating funds, through the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, for scientific health research conducted in Finland, particularly impact studies on the treatment and rehabilitation of traumatic injuries and occupational diseases as well as research on decline in fitness for work caused by such injuries and diseases. The research to be funded must be practical and based on a long-term approach. In addition, research cooperation in Finland will be considered an asset. Funding decisions will take into account the exploitation potential of the research in the treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and occupational diseases resulting from traffic or occupational accidents.
The maximum amount of funding available is €50,000 per year. The funding may be used for researchers’ grants and research expenses, but not for salaries. The funding will be granted for one to two years at a time. Applications can be submitted by individual researchers, research communities and research groups.
The first funding period will last from the date of the funding decision until 31 December 2024. The research grant for 2024 must be used by 31 December 2024. Recipients of funding commit to submitting a one-page report on the results and use of funds each year, the first of which by no later than the end of January 2025.
Applications will be assessed by a working committee appointed by the Faculty of Medicine. The committee members represent various universities and expert organisations. The dean of the Faculty of Medicine will decide on the grant recipients upon the committee’s proposal in February 2024. All applicants will be notified of the decision.
The research groups or researchers involved in the research work are responsible for research ethics procedures and compliance with them. The researchers themselves must see to the pension (Mela), tax and other obligations and notifications associated with the grant. Further information is available at www.mela.fi/en.
The application round will open on 1 November 2023. Applications must be submitted using an electronic form by 15 December 2023 at 23.59 Finnish time. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Link to the form: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/108416/lomake.html
The application must be accompanied by the following documents (as a PDF file):
- Research plan (max. 10 pages, including sections 1) Purpose and goals, 2) Implementation, 3) Research group and partners, 4) Research integrity, 5) Societal impact, 6) References)
- Funding plan (informal)
- CV (2–4 pages) and list of publications (10 key publications from the past five years) of the person in charge of the research
Criteria for the assessment of applications: the application is targeted at the content indicated in the call for applications and the research generates impact particularly on the development of treatment and rehabilitation as well as the promotion of fitness for work. Other assessment criteria include scholarly quality, innovativeness and novelty of the research described in the research plan within the academic community, qualifications of the applicant or the research group to carry out the project, feasibility of the research plan (including research ethics) as well as quality of the research environment and collaboration networks.
Further information about the application process can be obtained from Mila Hyytinen, Specialist at Research Services, University of Helsinki (mila.hyytinen@helsinki.fi).