The basic funding for the maintenance and management of the research station is provided by the University of Helsinki. Faculties and Departments as well as research projects coordinated from the University of Helsinki contribute to the research infrastructure of the station.
The Steering Group and the Advisory Board nominated by the Rector of the University of Helsinki support the Director of the Research Station in operational management, and in promoting and developing research, higher education and active social interaction at the research station.
Most previous and current research projects that use the services of research station are funded by the Academy of Finland. Another important donor is the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland which has supported development cooperation projects implemented in the Taita Taveta County, and utilized the research station's facilities. Also different Finnish companies have provided financial support and equipment for studies implemented in the Taita Hills.
The Rector of the University of Helsinki nominated the following members to the Steering Group of Taita Research Station (1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025):
The Rector of the University of Helsinki nominated the following members to the Advisory Board of Taita Research Station (1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025):
Six Faculties (Science; Medicine; Agriculture and Forestry; Social Sciences; Biological and Environmental Sciences; and Veterinary Medicine) and the Finnish Museum of Natural History of the University of Helsinki provide core funding to the basic management and maintenance of the Taita Research Station. This funding is administrated by the Faculty of Science.
Most research projects of the University of Helsinki that have used the facilities of the Taita Research Station in the Taita Hills, Kenya have received funding from the Academy of Finland:
REACT – Regenerative agricultural systems for climate resilience in agroecological gradient in East Africa. 2022–2026. Professor Petri Pellikka, Professor Laura Alakukku and University researcher Janne Heiskanen.
SMARTLAND – Environmental sensing of ecosystem services for developing climate-smart landscape framework to improve food security in East Africa. 2018–2022. Professor Petri Pellikka, Professor Timo Vesala and Professor Laura Alakukku.
Preparedness for emerging zoonotic infections in Kenya. 2018–2022. Professor Olli Vapalahti
DENGMARK – Detection and burden of Dengue. 2014–2017. Professor Olli Vapalahti.
DF-TRAP – Development of cost-efficient fog and dew collectors for water management in semiarid and arid regions of developing countries. 2012–2016. Consortium led by Professor Markku Kulmala.
TAITAWATER – Integrated land cover-climate-ecosystem process study for water management in East African highlands. 2013–2016. Professor Petri Pellikka
TAITASCAPE – Forest structure, landscape fragmentation and population dynamics – a geoinformation approach. 2007–2008. Professor Petri Pellikka
The European Union DeSIRA (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture) initiative funds a research and development project on livestock management and pastoralism:
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has funded four development cooperation projects with a focus on research and capacity building in the Taita Hills.
In Kenya
In Europe