A look back at the Science Foundation’s year 2025
The year 2025 has been both positive and meaningful for the Instrumentarium Science Foundation in many ways. We announced the largest funding round in the Foundation’s 50-year history for next year’s grant call, amounting to a total of EUR 1.6 million. In addition, the Foundation received its second bequest.
The most extensive and significant undertaking of the year has been the evaluation of grant applications. This work has now been completed, and the assessments for the 2026 grant applications are finalized. The application period was open from 1 August to 15 September 2025, and nearly 400 applications were received by the deadline. The evaluation process began in October and was carried out by external experts appointed by the Foundation.
“Evaluations have now been completed across all thematic areas and grant categories. We extend our warm thanks to the experts who contributed to this process, as reviewing the applications is a crucial part of our work,” says Dr. Markku Lämsä, Attorney of the Instrumentarium Science Foundation.
Next, the evaluated applications will be ranked based on the scores received, and funding proposals will be submitted to the Foundation’s Board for final approval.
Funding decisions will be announced to applicants in January 2026, and the grant award ceremony will take place on 11 February 2026 in Helsinki. The Foundation has allocated a total of EUR 1.6 million for 2026 to support research in medicine, medical technology, and related fields of natural and economic sciences.
Bequest from Professor Jaakko Karvonen
In early April, we received sad news of the passing of Professor Jaakko Karvonen. His role within the Instrumentarium Science Foundation was exceptional: he served the Foundation until his death and was a member of the Board for 24 years, seven of those as Chair. Professor Karvonen was deeply committed to the Foundation’s scientific mission and played a significant role in its development. During his tenure, the Foundation’s activities became more diverse, and research funding was increasingly directed toward supporting young researchers and clinical basic research.
In his will, Professor Karvonen remembered the Science Foundation with a bequest of EUR 120,000 in shares. The donation has been added to the dedicated Karvonen Fund, which the Foundation established in honor of his 70th birthday in 2015.
Christmas donation to Doctors Without Borders
Again this year, the Instrumentarium Science Foundation has made a Christmas donation to support the vital humanitarian work of Doctors Without Borders.
As 2025 draws to a close, we wish everyone a peaceful Christmas season and a very happy New Year 2026.