Who can apply?

Grants can be awarded to Finnish citizens, communities or workgroups. International scholars that have established strong ties with Finnish universities are also eligible.

Applicants are usually required to have a business or engineering degree or experience from these fields.

The Foundation primarily awards grants for university post-degree studies and for young research fellows. The Foundation also provides financial support for education and the creation, assembly and publication of research and data within business and engineering.

Grants are not awarded for medical, biotechnology, law, or economics research.

The Foundation does not support basic higher education degree studies or continuing education such as MBA studies. (The Foreign Trade Special Fund’s rules restrict their travel grants to Aalto University School of Business students.)

Kaute Foundation’s grants

The application period will be organized in the beginning of the year 2019.

Post Docs in Companies program

Grants under the Post Docs in Companies program can be applied for in March 2019. Read more at www.podoco.fi

Tutkijat maailmalle program

International researcher exchange grants under the Tutkijat Maailmalle program can be applied for in March 2019. Read more at www.tutkijatmaailmalle.fi

How to apply

Applying for grants happens through KAUTE’s grant service, which is open during the application period. Paper applications will not be considered. Applications must arrive by the end of the application period. Late applications will not be considered.

Requirements for receiving a grant

The signatory of the grant application is responsible for providing correct information in the application and its appendices. Incorrect and untruthful information may lead to the cancellation of an awarded grant or to a recovery claim for money already awarded.

Notifications related to the grant will be sent to the signatory at the email address provided in the grant application. The signatory must on their own initiative notify the Foundation about any change to their contact information during the grant usage period. Application appendices must be provided to the Foundation as PDF files through the grant service.

  • Criteria

    Applicant ability

    Assessment of applicant ability takes into account the applicant’s former achievements in research or elsewhere. Applicants are expected to show passion for their own research and that they have, or aim to have, international networks. Grant decisions will also take into account the applicant’s overall funding situation.

    Scientific ambition of the research

    The research subject is new and relates to recent scientific conversation. Multidisciplinary approaches or research methods are also considered a merit.

    Relevance of research to Finnish society and business life

    It is important to discuss the practical relevance of the research. Where possible, the applicants should describe how their research and its results could be utilized in education or business. From 2015 to 2017 the KAUTE Foundation emphasises research in the field of digital economy.

    We value researchers’ interest in interacting with the Finnish society at large and spreading the word about their research results. We hope that grant recipients would also write accessible articles and blogs, or for example Tweet about their research. We will provide grant recipients with communications training for creating video material, among other things.

  • Frequently asked questions

    Is it possible to also apply for grants to support teaching?

    Yes.

    One of my referrers has not received an email invitation to leave a referral in your system. How do we proceed?

    Ask them to check their email’s junk mail filter. If the message cannot be found, they can also send a scanned copy of the referral to [email protected]

    Do the required referrals also have to arrive by the end of the application period, or can they be sent in separately afterwards?

    The referral has one week from the end of the application period to send in the referral.

    Can the thesis supervisor send a referral related to my grant application directly to KAUTE Foundation?

    Yes – preferably so, that you add their contact information (email) in the section where it is requested. The program will send a referral request and web link to the referrer. The referrer has one week to send in the referral. If this is not doable, the referrer can also send a scanned PDF file to [email protected]

    Does a project description refer to a general description of the research subject, while the project plan covers the schedule and goals for the grant period being applied for?

    Research plans are often purely academic descriptions of the project’s content, with no insight regarding potential wider-ranging benefits.

    Should the plan and schedule cover the entire remaining research period and scope (for example, the next four years for a doctoral thesis) or only the next year’s work that the funding is applied for?

    Research work / research plan = academic research plan or its summary for the entire research project.

    Project description = a description of the work to be undertaken using grant funding.

    The main thing is to provide motivation for the project’s benefits and relevance, in other words why funding should be awarded for the purpose you are applying for.

    Will you accept the application in Finnish and appendices in English, or applications that are completely in English?

    Applications and/or appendices in English are fine.

    Do the special funds also award working grants (12 months)?

    Funds decide on grant recipients and grant sizes. Applicants do not need to take this into account ­– the Foundation will forward applications to the most suitable funds.

    Are special fund grants applied for using the same forms as the general grants? Where should I mention a special fund in the form?

    Applicants do not need to take this into account ­– the Foundation will forward applications to the most suitable funds.

Contact

For more information, contact Executive Director Jouni Lounasmaa at [email protected].