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Individual research grants 2025

The application period for the 2025 individual research grants is from 16 December 2024 to 27 January 2025.

Please open the application form here.

Guidelines for applicants

What are research grants awarded for?

Personal research grants are awarded to individuals for scientific research. The research topic must align with the foundation’s programmatic focus areas, which include skills and labor market matching, diversity in the labor market, and workplace well-being.

In line with our strategy, we aim to build the best labor market in the Nordic region in the Helsinki metropolitan area. We strive to create a deep understanding of labor market phenomena and support necessary changes within the region’s labor markets. The personal grants are allocated to those at the dissertation and postdoctoral stages and are intended as individual work grants.

The foundation’s board will decide on grant recipients based on the recommendations of the grants committee, no later than June 2025. Applicants will be informed of the decision via the email address provided in their application. They will also receive updates on the progress of the process through the email provided. In 2025, we have planned to award up to four personal grants.

Grant amounts in 2025

The amount of an individual grant for each year is equal to the tax-free annual grant set by the Finnish Tax Administration*. It is intended as an annual grant to compensate for loss of earnings while undertaking research work. It cannot be used in conjunction with other equivalent funding, such as a second working grant or a full-time salary.

During the grant period, grant recipients may work up to a maximum of 20 % of full-time hours, for example, on teaching or other research-related assignments. For justified reasons, funding may also be granted for a period shorter than one year.

Up to 20 % of the grant may be used for research-related costs. When declaring the amount of their annual income, the grant recipient must report the amount used on expenses to The Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution Mela, which provides pension insurance for recipients of scientific grants. 

An additional expense allowance of max. 10,000 euros may be awarded for a postdoc stage abroad, to cover upcoming expenses related to the research work. This expense allowance is only awarded in conjunction with an individual research grant, and it cannot be applied for on its own.

*The amount of the annual allowance is equal to the tax-free allowance set by the Finnish Tax Administration. The amount of the tax-free allowance for each year is fixed during the spring of that year. Read more on the Finnish Tax Administration’s website.

Continued funding

The same individual may be eligible for further funding for the same research. The same applicant can be funded up to four times for the doctoral stage and up to three times for the postdoctoral stage. Continued funding is applied for in line with the normal application deadline and guidelines.

Application drafting and assessment

Submit your application using the online form. If you do not complete your application immediately, you can request an email link from the system to continue your application later. Please note that the link may be end up in your email’s spam or junk folder.

The evaluation criteria for applications are:

  • the ability of the researcher to conduct high-quality scientific research.
  • Relevance of the research topic to the foundation’s programmatic focus areas and the overall program framework.
  • the quality and feasibility of the research plan.
  • The quality and feasibility of the researcher’s interaction plan.

The Foundation may request opinions on applications. The identity of the individual consulted and the content of the opinion are not public information. In addition, the Foundation may also invite applicants to a discussion at the Foundation. At the Foundation, applications are evaluated by the Grants Committee, which makes a recommendation to the Foundation’s Board.

Award decision

The recipients of individual grants will be announced on the Foundation’s website and applicants will be informed of the decision by email to the address provided in their application.

Advice for research grant recipients

Payment of the grant

The Foundation does not ask for the applicant’s social security number or bank account details during the application phase, but will require these from those who have been awarded a grant. Once the grant recipient has provided the Foundation with the required identification information, the grant can be paid into the bank account indicated by the recipient. The payment will be made in monthly instalments. As a general rule, the use of the grant must start within six months of the decision, although exceptions may be made by written agreement.

Pension insurance contributions

It is the responsibility of the grant recipient to make applicable pension insurance arrangements. The Foundation will accept a 20 % deduction for research-related expenses when calculating the annual income on which the pension insurance is based.

Reporting on work

Recipients of an individual grant are required to submit a report on their research work and the use of the grant after the research work has been completed, or at the latest five years after the grant was awarded. No further funding may be awarded without a report on the use of the previous grant.

The report is drafted on the Foundation’s report template and it describes the progress of the research in relation to the objectives set out in the application, the main results of the research to date (with research results presented in the final report), publications, conferences, seminars and courses during the grant period, and any coursework included in the doctoral degree during the grant period.

The grant recipient will also be asked to assess how the funding of their research has contributed to the Foundation’s vision and what, if any, further research topics emerged from the research.

Working during the grant period

Individual grants are intended for full-time work. During the grant period, grant recipients may work up to 20 % of full-time hours, for example, on teaching or other research-related assignments.

When can the grant be suspended or reclaimed?

The grant recipient must contact the Foundation if their research does not progress as outlined in the application. The grant must be used for the purpose for which it was awarded, and its use must relate to the research plan submitted in the application phase. The grant is not transferable to another person.

If the purpose of the grant or the research plan changes, please contact the Foundation immediately and agree any changes in writing. If the grant has been used in a way that does not comply with the guidelines, or if changes have not been agreed in writing, the grant may be reclaimed. At the applicant’s request, the grant may also be suspended for periods relating to, e.g., parental leave, extended sick leave, military service, or non-military civilian service.

Social debate

We present the research topic on our website, and from time to time we also address the topic in other Foundation communication.

We would like the grant recipient to write a blog post or give an interview about their research. We are happy to support the grant recipient’s participation in social debate and to provide communications support. We would also like to see the Ami Foundation logo used in research publications and other printed materials or on websites, for example. The logo can be downloaded via our graphic guidelines.

For other grant-related questions, please contact Head of Programmes Anna-Maija Aalto at apurahat@ami.fi.