Instrumentarium Science Foundation opened 2027 grant call

The foundation will award a total of EUR 2 million in funding for research and research-based innovations in the 2027 call, making it one of the largest funding rounds in the Foundation's history.

Funding is available through doctoral grants, postdoctoral grants, Instrufoundation Fellow Grants, and Silmu Grants.

Key changes in the 2027 call

For the 2027 funding round, the Foundation has further developed both the grant scheme and the application process.

"The changes are based on feedback received from applicants, reviewers and research organisations. The main updates for the 2027 call include the introduction of an overhead allowance for the Fellow Grant, a simplified application form, and an increase in the Silmu Grant," says Markku Lämsä, Attorney of the Foundation.

The Silmu Grant, intended to support research-based innovations and the development of new businesses, will increase from EUR 50,000 to EUR 60,000.

"The increase is intended to strengthen the opportunities for researcher-innovators and science entrepreneurs to commercialise research results and accelerate the creation of new products, services and companies. The Silmu Grant is paid directly to the company."

Overhead allowance added to the Fellow Grant

The Instrufoundation Fellow Grant, aimed at researchers returning to Finland from international research environments, will remain at EUR 150,000.

As a new practice, the Foundation will also pay an overhead allowance of 15% to the host research organisation in addition to the grant amount. The purpose of this change is to strengthen research organisations' ability to provide Fellow researchers with a high-quality research environment and the support services required for their work.

Application form revised

The application form has been redesigned to make the application and evaluation process clearer and more efficient. In addition, the guidance concerning the research environment, research feasibility and budgeting has been clarified, and the overall structure of the form has been simplified.

These changes are intended to improve the quality and comparability of applications and to streamline the review process.

Evaluation of applications

Applications submitted to the Instrumentarium Science Foundation are assessed on the basis of scientific quality and impact. Applications are evaluated by independent experts appointed by the Foundation.

The evaluation places particular emphasis on the scientific quality, originality and feasibility of the proposed research, the applicant's qualifications, and the scientific and societal impact of the project.

"Applications must be submitted through the Foundation's online application system. Before submitting an application, applicants should carefully review the call announcement, the evaluation criteria and the application guidelines," Lämsä reminds applicants.

For more information about the funding opportunities, please see the 2027 Grants section.

We warmly welcome applications for funding to support impactful research and research-based innovations.