Fair practices in funded projects

Role of the person responsible for the project for working groups and organisations

Payment requests for organisations and working groups must be submitted by the person responsible for the project. Funding for other expenses is paid into the accout designated by this person. If there are changes to the project’s content, the composition of the working group, or any other key element, the person responsible for the project must submit a change request on the online service. The person responsible is also in charge of submitting the final report and, for multi-year projects, the progress report.

The person responsible for the project must inform the members of the working group about where to find information on grant taxation and MYEL insurance coverage for grantees (e.g., on Kone Foundation’s website (opens in a new tab) or through Mela (opens in a new tab) and/or the Finnish Tax Administration (opens in a new tab)). Additionally, they should guide working group members in notifying Mela of any changes regarding their grant payments.

The person responsible for the project ensures that the funding is used for the purpose for which it has been awarded. They may also create contracts with working group members. For example, Kone Foundation’s template for a cooperation agreement, is well-suited as a contract between members of the working group in grant-funded work. “Access rider” documents can also be used in collaboratively conducted grant-funded work. Access rider is a document in which an individual can outline their needs, preferences, and boundaries, helping to establish suitable working methods for everyone. Kone Foundation does not require or follow whether such contracts are created or not.

Agreements, changes, and ending collaboration

Please note that Kone Foundation’s grant recipients and those receiving a salary from the project are not in an employment relationship with the foundation.

We encourage collaboration agreements in group projects, covering such topics as who is responsible for what tasks and for how long. Agreements should ideally address potential disputes and how to handle possible disagreements during the project.

In addition to basic information, agreements may include sections on responsibilities, intellectual property rights, confidentiality, and individual work-related needs or limitations.

See a template for collaboration agreements for projects funded by Kone Foundation (opens in a new tab).

In case of changes, the person responsible for the project is required to inform all parties involved and discuss any changes within the group. If collaboration is to be terminated with someone working on the project, this must be agreed upon and communicated fairly and respectfully.

If the person responsible for the project presents Kone Foundation with acceptable grounds and the situation cannot otherwise be resolved, the foundation has the right to discontinue payment of a personal monthly grant to a person working on the project. Employment legislation applies to those who are employed in the projects.

Handling challenging situations within the project

If you experience difficulties in your project, do not hesitate to contact Kone Foundation for assistance. Please review the instructions below. 

If you are the person responsible for a project: 

• What is the situation of concern in your project?  
• Remember your role and responsibilities. 
• Foster constructive collaboration and communication. Keep group members informed about project plans, funding, insurance, taxation, and other official matters.  
• Ensure that all members receive the Kone Foundation newsletter and Grants+ updates.  
• Familiarise yourself with services available to grant recipients.
• Consider how you can promote respectful dialogue in the group. 
• Would work counselling (opens in a new tab) or workplace mediation (opens in a new tab) help resolve the issue?  
• Contact us if you would like to use some of the funding awarded for the other expenses to support collaboration in the project.
• What support do you expect from the Foundation?
• Do you have other networks (e.g., university administration, associations) you can rely on for support?  
• Contact Kone Foundation for further discussion. We will help assess the situation.  

If you are a grant recipient in a project:

• What is the current situation in the project?
• How can you foster constructive communication and working culture?
• What do you hope will happen next?  
• Explore the Grants+ services.  
• What kind of support do you expect from the Foundation?
• Do you have access to other networks or support structures (for example, university administration, associations, trade unions)?  (Note: The Foundation does not take a stance on credit distribution.)  
• Contact Kone Foundation for further discussion. We will help assess the situation.

Research funding: ethical considerations, reuse of research materials and open access

Academic researchers should follow the guidelines for responsible conduct of research issued by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (opens in a new tab) and the codes of conduct of the organisation in which the research takes place.

We recommend that data collected during research funded by Kone Foundation be archived for possible future use. More information on how to do this can be obtained from the Finnish Social Science Data Archive (opens in a new tab) or from the Language Bank of Finland (opens in a new tab).

We recommend that Kone Foundation research grant recipients make their research results freely available to all. Researchers can make their scholarly publications openly accessible by posting them on the internet in, for example, the open-access repository of the research institute or through a world-wide provider such as Researchgate.net (opens in a new tab) or Academia.edu (opens in a new tab).

Research results can also be published in scholarly journals, most of which make their articles openly accessible. When it funds projects, the Foundation can also cover the processing fees of open-access journals. However, if this is the case, the processing fees should be paid to journals that make all articles freely accessible rather than to journals that collect subscription fees.

How to act if you experience harassment?

If you experience or witness harassment, inappropriate behaviour, or if you feel uncomfortable in a project funded by Kone Foundation, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will listen and ask the person affected how they wish us to respond to the situation. The harassment contact person at Kone Foundation is Maria Roivas (maria.roivas@koneensaatio.fi) and at the Saari Residence Iiris Lahti (iiris.lahti@koneensaatio.fi).

We have also put together a document for grant recipients on what to do if you or someone in your community is being harassed online.

Download our Online harassment guide (PDF file, opens in a new tab)

A researcher may face harassment during their career. The Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers (FUURT) has an information page for researchers who face harrassment in working life, social media or private life. Zero tolerance to harassment!

Click here to see the instructions for researchers experiencing harassment (opens in a new tab).

Kone Foundation offers Someturva service (opens in a new tab) for grantees. From Someturva, you can get anonymous help if you face harassment, hate speech, defamation or targeting. The help is provided by Someturva’s team of experts, including lawyers, psychologists and social psychologists. If you would like to use the service, please contact us, koneensaatio@koneensaatio.fi.