For grant applicants

In what areas or subjects can grants be applied for?

Kone Foundation supports bold initiatives in research and the arts.

Funding can be applied for:

• academic and / or artistic work
• the advancement of academic and / or artistic work (e.g., a project whose aim is to develop a field)
•  work based on academic research and / or artistic work (e.g., making research or art available to wider audiences)
• other kinds of cultural work.

Focal points

Kone Foundation seeks bold initiatives. By ‘boldness’ we mean the ability to question and examine the world from a new, critical perspective; we believe that it is through such an outlook that understanding of a particular subject deepens. Boldness can also mean crossing – and even breaking – boundaries. Our conception of boldness therefore includes experimental approaches, the courage to explore as-yet unrefined ideas, and to avoid predetermined definitions. The future holds a multitude of opportunities, and we seek to foster their development.

Priority will be given to areas and subjects that are multidisciplinary and also seek to view things from new perspectives and to question prevailing ideas. We also encourage applicants to engage in diversified projects that combine art and science, as well as collaboration between journalists and researchers. We do not favour the instrumentalisation of research and art.

Until 2020, we will emphasise our The changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland programme.

The research supported by the Foundation may be in the humanities, arts or social or environmental sciences, or it may be multidiscipline research relating to the above-mentioned fields. In artistic research, artistic and investigative work are done in tandem; it is usually carried out at art institutes. Artistic research is generally connected to the author’s own artistic or art pedagogy work.

In general, grants are not awarded for psychological, theological, law or business without an interdisciplinary dimension. In our funding decisions for research, we emphasise both postdoc research by people who have recently defended their doctoral theses and work by researchers who are more advanced in their careers.

We favour internationality, such as Finns working abroad and foreign applicants working in Finland.

Kone Foundation also seeks to promote academic writing in Finnish and the accessibility of academic results. That is why we also fund Finnish nonfiction and other activities aimed at increasing social interaction in the field of research.

We especially grant funding for academic and artistic work. We also grant support for other costs necessary for the implementation of projects. When applying for travel expenses, applicants are encouraged to travel in an environmentally responsible way and to avoid domestic flights.

Who can apply?

An individual, a working group or an established organisation with a Finnish business ID can apply for funding from Kone Foundation. If a working group is applying for funding, the group members must elect a team leader who will be responsible for the project.

Kone Foundation grants are mainly intended for Finnish nationals working in Finland or abroad or for other nationalities working in Finland. If you do not have a Finnish background and are working outside of Finland, your work should have a connection to Finland.

For more information on the thematic application calls, see Themed calls for applications.  On applying for the Lauttasaari manor residence, please read the guidelines under Lauttasaari manor residency.  

Information on applying for the Saari Residence can be found here.   

For which period are grants applied?

The grants awarded after the September funding call can be used, at the earliest, at the start of the following year. Grants are not awarded retrospectively.

Grants may be funded for a maximum of four years at a time. We may support long-term initiatives both in academic research and the arts.

A Kone Foundation grant must be used for the purpose for which it has been awarded. One-year grants must be used within three years of the funding decision. For two-year, three-year and four-year grants, the periods of use are four, five and six years, respectively.

We also organise thematic grant calls. The aim of the thematic calls is to promote a multi-disciplinary approach and draw attention to current phenomena in the fields of Finnish research, arts and culture. Over the years 2016–2020, specially allocated grant calls will, in particular, be organised under the themes of the changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland programme. 

In 2019 a separate thematic call will not be organised.

Thematic grant call in 2018:

In autumn 2018, we held a thematic grant call on the neighbourliness of humans and other biological species.

Our vital neighbours (1.–15.9.2018). 

 

Alongside the Kone Foundation general application call, a special funding call will be arranged for grantees and projects already supported by the Foundation, as well as for those arriving to the Saari Residence in 2020. The aim of the call is to support encounters that are environmentally responsible.

Travel related to art and research is a notable source of carbon dioxide emissions. Kone Foundation is already compensating for the emissions resulting from such encounters by establishing the Kulla Nature Reserve in Southwestern Finland. But since avoiding emissions is even more important than offsetting them, a special funding call is being held.

Kone Foundation grantees will be able to apply for funding for more sustainable, slower travel, which is often more expensive than flying. We also support virtual conferences and meetings and potential new forms of sustainable encounters. The requirement is that the environmentally responsible encounter being supported takes place during the Kone Foundation grant period. No personal working grants will be awarded from this call. Saari recidency guests for 2020 can apply for travel expenses for slow travelling to avoid flying.

All Kone Foundation grantees with an ongoing funding period or whose grant period will start in 2020 or later, can apply for funding. Please use the online application service. The application period is from 1 September 2019 to 15 September 2019, 16.00 (Finnish time, EEST). 

Do attach a plan and a budget in pdf-form. See detailed information under Attachments. The results will be published in December 2019. 

The Lauttasaari Manor Residency programme is a new initiative that aims to support international and collaborative projects, research, and networking amongst Finnish and international art and research professionals. Residency guests are selected through an application process held during the Foundation’s annual grant call. The residency is also targeted toward organisations who wish to invite a foreign expert to work with their team in Finland for 1–4 months.

The application call is open to Finnish arts and research organisations and those working in the fields supported by the Foundation, including all fields of art and research in humanities as well as social and environmental studies. Organisations with a Finnish business ID may apply for the residency on behalf of their international guests. The applying organisation may be a working group (such as a research unit or think-tank), a group of artists or curators, an art gallery, a musical ensemble or an association organising an arts-based festival or event.

The residency period can last 1–4 months and may take place between April 2020 and April 2021. In the application process, small organisations offering fresh initiatives are generally favoured over established institutions. We also prefer initiatives aiming for a longer residency period of 3–4 months.

In addition to applying for the residency, the applicant, along with its guest, is responsible for setting the goals of residency, as well as organising a guest programme and other practical arrangements. The overall objective is to support the international networking of Finns operating in the academic and artistic spheres. The visiting expert’s activities should include work performed in a public space and/or with communities. Residencies should primarily focus on interaction and knowledge sharing. Please review Kone Foundation’s key issues and themes for more information on this topic.

In addition to the accommodations at the residence’s apartment, the residency includes a monthly working grant and, if necessary, a grant cover other expenses, as well as the possibility of a separate working space for the guest. For more information on grant sums, please see Instructions for the online grant service > ‘Funding in detail’ for more information on the grant sums.

The Foundation provides support in the practical arrangements of the visit at Lauttasaari Manor and the possibility to host discussions or other events during the residency. Guests have the opportunity to engage in discussion with other professionals and to organise events for establishing contacts and exchanging ideas. The staff at Lauttasaari Manor support residency guests by inviting them to joint meetings with those working at the manor and through other open activities or events organised by the Foundation.

Facilities

The residency apartment (38m2) is located on the island of Lauttasaari in Helsinki, on the second floor of the Red Villa in the courtyard of Lauttasaari Manor. The apartment comprises a bedroom, a combined living room and workspace, a kitchenette and a bathroom with a washing machine. The residency guest may also use the workshop space in the manor’s yard or a shared office in the manor’s main building.

 

How to apply 

Apply for the residency by submitting your application, along with the required attachments, using the online application service. The application period for the Lauttasaari Manor Residency is open from 1 September 2019 until 15 September 2019, 16.00 (Finnish time).

The guest’s CV, total budget and work plan (which shall include the goals and intended forms of cooperation related to the residence period) should be attached to the application. (See our guidelines more detailed information on attachments.) The application must specify the duration of the work and the preferred dates.

Before applying for a grant, please read through this checklist to plan your application according to our guidelines.

How long will your project take? Are you applying for a grant for several years or just a few months?

Personal monthly grants are usually awarded for full-time work for a minimum of one month. Grants may be funded for a maximum of four years at a time. We may support long-term initiatives both in academic research and the arts. Grants awarded following the September funding call can be used, at earliest, at the start of the following year. Grants are not awarded retrospectively.

The applicant must select whether the grant being applied for is for a multi-year project, for a project lasting less than a year, or for a kickstart grant for project development or piloting. The kickstart grant is intended for a maximum of 6 months of work.

On applying for the Lauttasaari manor residence, please read the guidelines under Lauttasaari manor residency.

A personal monthly grant or salaried work?

Individuals performing academic research or artistic work are usually awarded personal working grants instead of salaries. If the work is not artistic or academic, individuals must apply for a grant to pay wage costs and to cover fees and salary expenses.

Amounts of monthly grants?

The amount of the personal monthly grant varies, depending on the stage of your career. If the applicant applies for the larger monthly grant, a description of the applicant’s current career stage must be included in the application.

Grant classifications:

• Grant 1: early career applicants and those working on their doctoral thesis €2,400/month (€28,800/year)
• Grant 2: mid-career applicants and those working at the post-doctoral level €2,800/month (€33,600/year)
• Grant 3: late career applicants and experienced researchers (e.g., adjunct professor level, “dosentti” in the Finnish academic system) €3,500/month (€42,000/year).

Personal monthly grants are usually awarded for full-time work for a minimum of one month.

Smaller grants are available (25%, 50% or 75% of full grant) for part-time work.

Other expenses? Will you apply for a grant for expenses such as travel, materials, wages or services?

If your application includes a grant request for other expenses, please attach a budget for such. We also request an overall budget for larger projects that include funding from other sources. If you are applying for only a personal monthly grant, a budget is not required.

Attach a separate work or research plan to your application.

A research or work plan must be attached to all applications in PDF-form, in addition to the summary requested on the application form. For more guidelines on how to write a plan, see Attachments.

Will you be applying for funding for the same project from other sources?

Applicants must immediately inform Kone Foundation if other funding is received from any other source during Kone Foundation’s application processing or if your situation changes significantly after the application has been submitted. Research grant applicants must also indicate on their applications all salaried doctoral programs they have been granted or for which applications are still pending. They must also inform the Foundation of any paid work related to the project to be funded.

Compulsory attachments?

Before submitting your application, please check the Attachments section to see which attachments are required for your application.

Will I need references?

References are only compulsory for grant applications for doctoral studies. They are also useful in post-doctoral applications and can be submitted for other types of applications as well. Either the supervisor or another person familiar with the applicants’ work or the proposed project can submit a reference.

Selecting evaluators

The applicant must select which field they want the expert assessing their application to represent. A maximum of three selections can be made, but please note that the applications will generally be assessed by one’s first choice of expert.

If you are applying for a grant to write a doctoral thesis or if you are applying for a grant for a doctoral thesis in artistic research, please choose Profile 1 from the profiles listed under Research.

In order to promote multidisciplinarity, applicants may choose either an expert from a field of arts or an expert from within an artistic theme. The applicant can decide if the method or the content is more important in the work and its evaluation.

The fields and artistic themes in the 2019 application call are:

Artistic field

• Art curating
• Arts and cultural policy, museum work
• Arts criticism
• Conceptual art
• Film
• Literature and spoken art
• Media and sound art
• Music
• Performing arts
• Site-specific and time-based art
• Visual arts

Artistic theme

• Democracy
• Decolonisation
• Dialogue
• Diversity
• Form
• Hope
• Time

Research disciplines for the 2019 application call are:

• Administrative science
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Artistic research: music
• Artistic research: performing arts and film studies
• Artistic research: visual arts
• Biological and ecological environmental research
• Communication studies
• Contemporary culture studies
• Environmental technology
• Folkloristics
• Gender studies
• History of culture and art 
• Linguistics
• Literary  studies
• Musicology
• Performing arts and film  studies
• Philosophy
• Physical and chemical environmental research
• Political economy 
• Premodern history 
• Research: the global south 
• Research: politics
• Social and political  history
• Social psychology
• Societal-environmental-research
• Sociology
• Visual arts studies

This section includes guidelines for using the online application service. Please read these instructions carefully before filling out and submitting your application. Once you are logged in, detailed information about the different sections of the application form can be found behind the ‘?’ symbol.

Online grant service

Apply for funding by submitting your application and attachments using the online application service. The service is open during the annual application period in September. Applications cannot be submitted after the deadline.

Please note that the Kone Foundation online grant service was revised after the 2018 application call. Choose ‘register as a grant applicant’ even if you have received a previous grant from Kone Foundation or have applied for a grant between 2014 and 2017.

Once you have registered, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you have provided. The email address also serves as your username. If you do not receive the confirmation email within few minutes, please check your junk mail/spam folder.

Only applications submitted during the application period will be considered.

• Log in using your account information, or if you are a new applicant, register as a new user.
• Create a new application.
• Fill in the required information.
• Submit the application to Kone Foundation before the deadline.

Applicants who have submitted their application by the deadline of 15 September, 16:00 (Finnish time) can add or edit attachments until  18 September, 16:00 (Finnish time). Please note: after the deadline, applications cannot be edited in any way.

After submitting the application, the status of the application will be marked as ‘Application received’ and (within a week of the deadline) will update to ‘Application under evaluation’.

Language of the application

We recommend that Finnish-writing applicants or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers submit their applications and attachments in Finnish. If a Finnish-writing applicant or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers is submitting an application in English, they are requested to write the title and summary in Finnish.

All elements of an application can be in Swedish.

1. Project type

The applicant must choose a category for the project:

• Work that combines academic research and artistic work or work based on either
• Academic research or work based on it
• Artistic work or work based on it
• Another type of cultural work

You may also list keywords or fields related to the project and its themes on the form.

2. Core project information

In the summary (max 1,500 characters), please provide a short description of the main content of your study or project and the intended methods for implementing the work. You must also provide a more detailed work or research plan as an attachment.

Kone Foundation’s goal is to advance bold initiatives in research and the arts. In the application form, applicants should highlight which aspect/aspects of their project is/are bold (max 500 characters). For more information on the definition of ‘boldness’ and other focal points of Kone Foundation, see For what purposes does the Kone Foundation grant funding?.

Applicants’ summaries and descriptions of their bold initiatives are important in the evaluation of the applications. The Foundation may use applicants’ titles, summaries and their particular definition of ‘boldness’ in the Foundation’s communications (for example, on its website), and these sections will be published if the grant is awarded.

The applicant must provide a brief description of the duration of the project and its timetable on the application form and must state whether the project has previously received funding from Kone Foundation.

Check the box to indicate whether the project is related to Kone Foundation’s The changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland -programme.

3. Information on the applicant(s)

If the applicant is a working group, the members of the group must elect a leader to submit the application in his/her/their own name. You may also give your working group a name.

If the applicant is an organisation with a with a Finnish business ID, a leader must be selected for the project.

Individual applicants must fill in the application under their own name. Research applicants using the ORCID-identification code can add this to their applicant data.

The details for working group members who are not applying for a personal monthly grant must also be listed on this page. The names of the members of the working group will be published on Kone Foundation’s website.

4. Funding in detail

Primary purpose

On the application form, select the primary purpose for the funding:

• Scientific research and / or artistic work
• Development of the field (e.g., forming a network)
• Organising an event (performance, exhibition, academic event, etc.)
• Publication or other content production

For the last two alternatives, please state the intended target audience.

Multiyear grant, funding for a year at most, or a kickstart grant?

The applicant must select whether the grant request is for a multiyear project, a project lasting a year at most, or a kickstart grant for project development or piloting.

The kickstart grant is intended for a maximum of 6 months of work. A granted kickstart funding is not an agreement for further funding of the project from Kone Foundation.

If you are planning a multiyear project: we recommend applying for funding for the same project at once, for example a doctoral thesis.

 

Personal monthly grants and other expenses

Individuals doing scholarly or artistic work are usually awarded personal working grants instead of salaries. Because funding for salaries often requires at least 30% higher expenses per person, we may fund more researchers and artists. Grants awarded by private foundations, such as Kone Foundation, are exempt from taxes below the limit of the Finnish state grant for artists.

Kone Foundation grants are specified as monthly funding and other expenses on the application form.

Monthly grants

The amount of the personal monthly grant varies, depending on the stage of your career. If the applicant applies for the larger monthly grant, a description of the applicant’s career stage must be included on the application.

Grant classification:

• Grant 1: early career applicants and those working on their doctoral thesis €2,400/month (€28,800/year)
• Grant 2: mid-career applicants and those working at the post-doctoral level €2,800/month (€33,600/year
• Grant 3: late career applicants and experienced researchers (e.g., adjunct professor level, “dosentti” in the Finnish academic system) €3,500/month (€42,000/year).

If you are applying for grant 2 or 3, please state why on the application form.

Personal monthly grants are usually awarded for full-time work for a minimum of one month.

Smaller grants are available (25%, 50% or 75% of full grant) for part-time work.

The names of the recipients of the personal monthly grants are published on the Kone Foundation website.

Compensation for work lasting less than a month, such as a performance fee, can be applied for under ‘other expenses’ but not as a monthly grant. When applying for a grant to cover fees and salary expenses, the applicant can include taxes and additional costs in the total amount being applied for, if necessary.

Other expenses

If funding is required for expenses other than personal monthly expenses (e.g., travel, salaries, materials), the reasons must be stated on the application form. In such a case, a budget must be included as an attached PDF.

6. Research facilities

Applicants who apply for research funding must answer how they plan to arrange their research facilities, meaning the space where the research is performed and the equipment needed. On the form, indicate whether you have made an agreement with an institution or whether you will personally arrange for research facilities (e.g., by working at home).

7. Funding from other sources

Please list all grants received during the preceding three years and any applications pending at the time of applying for Kone Foundation funding. Applicants are requested to inform Kone Foundation immediately if other funding is received from any other source during Kone Foundation’s application processing for the same purpose. For projects, applicants must indicate on the application if they have sought funding for the same project from other sources.

Research grant applicants must also indicate on their applications all salaried doctoral programs for which they have been awarded a grant or for which applications are still pending. They must also inform of any paid work related to the project or any other overlapping funding for this application.

If an applicant is granted funding without having informed the Foundation of funding from other sources, Kone Foundation repeal its decision.

Kone Foundation grants are usually not awarded to applicants who have already secured financing for the project in question (grant or salary) for the entire upcoming year.

Please state on the application form if the same project has recieved funding from Kone Foundation previously.

We also wish to know has the applicant applied funding from Kone Foundation before and has this same project include work or planning done during a Saari manor residency period. This does not affect the evaluation of your application.

8. Evaluator

Please check the separate guidelines for Selecting the evaluator of the application.

9. Attachments and links

See the section Attachments.

10. References

See section Appending a reference to the application.

11. Proximity to the foundation

According to the Foundations Act, all foundations are required to provide information on their related party transactions. The act has a broad definition of a related party of a foundation. Please note that related parties may apply for funding from Kone Foundation. Foundations are required to disclose if they award funding to persons within the ‘narrow’ definition of a related party. The executives of the foundation cannot participate in the processing of applications from related parties in the broad sense. For these reasons, all grant applicants will be asked about their relationship to key Foundation personnel.

The question is based on the new Foundations Act, in place from 1 December 2015 onwards.

12. Weak signals and feedback

We ask our applicants for feedback. Your feedback does not affect the evaluation of your application.

13. Submit

Applicants who have submitted their application by the deadline of 15 September, 16:00 (Finnish time) can add or edit attachments until 18 September, 16:00 (Finnish time). Please note: after the deadline, applications cannot be edited in any way.

If, after submitting your application, you wish to edit it before the deadline, please choose ‘cancel application’. This does not clear your application data. After editing the application, you need to submit the application again.

After submitting, the status of the application will be ‘Application received’, and (within a week of the deadline) it will update to ‘Application under evaluation’.

Only applications submitted via the online service will be considered.

All applicants must agree to the description of the processing of personal data and other conditions mentioned in our Privacy Policy. Research applicants can also give premission to share information on awarded grants to the National Research Information Hub. National Research Information Hub gathers and shares data about research conducted in Finland.

The applicant’s ability to successfully complete the project is evaluated based on the work plan, the curriculum vitae and other supporting documents attached to the application.

Applicants may upload attachments until 18 September, 16:00 (Finnish time), if the application is submitted before the deadline of 15 September, 16:00 (Finnish time).

Degree diplomas and permissions for the public defence of academic dissertations awarded after the deadline can be sent using the online application service by 15 November. Applicants can also inform the Foundation of funding received from other sources using the online application service.

All the necessary attachments should be uploaded to the online application service and attached to the application as a PDF. The maximum size for one file is 3 mb. Please select the file type from the drop-down list on the online application form.

Please note that we cannot accept attachments by mail or email.

Required attachments:

Individual applicant:

• research or work proposal
• Curriculum vitae
• budget (a budget is included in the application if the applicant is applying for more than a monthly grant)
• portfolio (applications for artistic work or artistic research)
• reference (doctoral researchers)
• copy of degree certificate (individual research applicants)

Work group:

• research or work proposal
• Curriculum vitae for each project member (or summaries)
• budget
• portfolio (applications for artistic work or artistic research)

Organisation with a Finnish business ID:

• research or work proposal
• Curriculum vitae for each project member (or summaries)
• budget
• portfolio (applications for artistic work or artistic research)
• copies of the annual report, financial statement and auditor’s report from the previous year

Please note: if the applicant has received a grant from Kone Foundation for the same purpose before, include a short description of the progess in your work/reserach plan.

In the Lauttasaari Manor residency call, all compulsory attachments for working groups or organisations listed above must be attached to the application. In this case, the invited guest’s CV, the total budget and a work plan, which includes the goals and intended forms of cooperation related to the residence period, should be attached to the application. The application must include a plan for the duration of the work as well as preferred dates.

In the Special funding call: Environmentally Responsible Encounters all applicants (individual, work groups and organisations) must include a work plan (max. 4 pages) and a budget. The work plan should include a description of plans for slow travelling, virtual conferences and meetings or other environmentally responsible encounters and their connection to the funded project.  Do not include the progress of the overall project or the general plan of the original project in the  work plan.

Description of attachments

Research and work proposal

The maximum length of the research or work proposal for individual applicants is 4 pages, including bibliography. The maximum length of a research or work proposal for work groups or institutions is 8 pages.

In the evaluation of proposals attention is paid to:

• merit (academic merit in research projects)
• topicality
• new perspectives
• boldness.

In general, the research proposal should include the following parts:

• Introduction: the background of the research and its subject matter, as well as the significance of the proposed research in light of this background.
• Aims and objectives: what is to be studied and why. The objectives must be indicated as clearly as possible, for example through proposed research questions.
• Research materials and methods: the research data or literature and the method chosen for analysing or handling these materials.
• Work outline: a short estimate of the expected duration of each phase of the project.
• References and sources: a concise list of the most important sources of the research.
• It is also important to highlight the way in which your work is a bold initiative.
• If you have received funding for the same purpose from Kone Foundation: The plan should provide a brief account of what has been accomplished during the previous Kone Foundation funding period and the project’s current status.

In addition to the above-mentioned, the research proposals for work group or institution should also include:

• Names of participating researchers
• Indication of applicants’ familiarity with the subject
• An explanation of any possible multidisciplinarity or interdisciplinarity factored into the project.

Projects that are not research projects must include an attached work plan. A sufficient work plan answers the questions: Why? How? When? Who? and Whom with?

The work plan should include:

• project aims and objectives
• a description of intended working methods
• names of the participants and possible partners
• schedule
• ways in which the work is a bold initiative.
• If you have recieved funding for the same purpose from Kone Foundation: The plan should provide a brief account of what has been accomplished during the previous Kone Foundation funding period and the project’s current status.

Curriculum vitae (CV) 

The purpose of the CV is to provide a concise overview of the applicant’s education and experience. It should include work experience, previous research, previously received grants, key publications, presentations given and teaching experience. It is especially important to include information of particular relevance to the project for which Kone Foundation funding is being sought. A researcher’s CV can be based on the template of the Finnish Advisory Board of Research Integrity. The CV should not exceed four pages. Please do not attach a separate publications list.

Budget 

If a personal monthly grant alone is required to implement the project, there is no need to attach a budget to the application form.

It is important to try to estimate costs plausibly and precisely in the budget. Other possible sources of funding must also be mentioned. Even if only a portion of the funding of a project is being applied for, the cost estimate for the entire project must be presented. In projects that span several years, it is better to devise the budget according to the years of activity rather than calendar years.

In addition to a separate, detailed project budget, the budget must be outlined in the online application form. The project’s annual personal monthly grants and any other expenses of the project (such as travel, material and equipment expenses; additional labour force or salaries; and outsourced services and other costs) must be specified.

Budgets must also include the overhead being applied for. Use the field ‘Other expenses’ on the online application form. Please note that Kone Foundation does not usually award more than 15% overhead, and overheads are only paid toward these other expenses, not the grants.

See budget example

Portfolio

Grant applications for arts and artistic research funding must include a portfolio. A portfolio showcases the artist’s ability in the relevant field and conveys an impression of him, her or them as an artist. A portfolio thus showcases the applicant’s level of artistic expression, quality of artistic thought and any other special proficiency that the applicant finds relevant to mention. You can also compile your portfolio on your own website and include the link in your application.

Copies of certificates

Individual researchers applying for a personal monthly grant must include a copy of their most recent academic degree or of the degree most relevant to the research project to be funded.

There is no need to have the copy stamped by a notary public.

A copy of a degree certificate can also be included in other applications, if desired, but it is most important for the CV to include education and qualifications.

Degree diplomas and permits for the public defence of academic dissertations awarded after the Kone Foundation deadline can be sent by 15 November using the online application service. Applicants can also use the online application service to inform the Foundation of funding received from other sources.

References play an important role in grant applications for both doctoral studies and post-doctoral applications and can be submitted for other types of applications as well, but references are not required as an attachment if you are not applying for a grant for doctoral studies.

Either the supervisor or another person familiar with the applicant’s work or the proposed project can submit a reference. If two applicants receive references from the same referee, the order of the applicants made by the same referee can influence the evaluations.

Requests for recommendations are sent to potential recommenders by email on page 8 of the application form. The email address of the referee is thus required in order to issue a request. We also advise that applicants contact a potential reference source well before the application deadline to provide enough time to compose and submit the reference.

The reference source then submits their reference letter using the link emailed to them via the Kone Foundation online grant service, which directs the reference as an attachment to your application. The request is automatically sent in Finnish and in English and can be replied to in both languages.

In the service, the recommender can view your project or research plan that have been included as attachments to the application but cannot view any other parts of your application. Please note that updating or removing the attachment on the application will also update the version viewable in the recommendation service.

Submitted references are not visible to applicants in the online service. Submission status of the reference is not visible either.

References must be submitted by 18 September, 16:00 (Finnish time). Only the references submitted during the application period are considered. If you have received a reference personally and wish to submit it, you may attach it to the application as a PDF form.

How are the applications processed?

The processing of applications is based on peer review. The reviewers are specialists in the relevant disciplines or fields.

Kone Foundation usually assigns one reviewer per application. By doing so, we can choose projects our evaluators ascribe true value to, rather than force reviewers resort to compromise while evaluating numerous applications. In order to guarantee a diversity of perspectives, new peer reviewers are typically assigned each year. The director general and the head of research funding are involved in assessing the feasibility of applicants’ plans.

We do not publish the names of the evaluators, as we wish to allow and encourage the anonymous evaluators and peer reviewers to make bold funding suggestions.

Decisions

The Kone Foundation Board of Trustees will make the funding decisions in its meeting in late November or early December; the list of grantees will be published on our website soon after. The grantees will be notified by email and mail, and their names will be included in the Foundation’s annual report.

Criteria

The Kone Foundation Board does not state the reasons for individual funding decisions. Among the criteria used in the reviewing process are the following:

• The application, the attached CV’s, and the other relevant documents are used to evaluate the capacities of the applicant(s) to carry out the project successfully. In evaluating the work plan, the reviewers focus on scholarly and / or artistic excellence, feasibility, topicality, fresh approaches, and boldness.
• If funding is being sought for work on a doctoral thesis, do remember to include a reference from a supervisor or another person familiar with the work.
• In the decision process, the totality of the applications poses significance: the applications are compared.
• The decisions are influenced by the Foundation’s strategy
• Moreover, other aspects relevant to society and to research and art policies are considered. With its decisions, the Foundation aims to promote the multifaced development of Finnish culture.

Privacy protection

All applications are handled confidentially. Persons involved in processing and evaluating the applications do not publicly discuss any applicant’s characteristics or personal circumstances or any information relating to an applicant’s economic situation.

The data that applicants convey about themselves by applying for Kone Foundation research funding are entered into a personal data register held by the Foundation. The registrar’s rights to collect, store, use and otherwise handle personal data are regulated by law. These general legal provisions are contained in the Act on the Protection of Privacy in Electronic Communications (516/20014).

Every ‘data subject’ (i.e., the person to whom the personal data pertains) has the right to access and inspect the personal data relating to themselves. According to Finnish privacy protection laws, secrecy regulations must not infringe upon the right of persons to obtain knowledge as to whether personal data pertaining to him or her is stored in a personal data register, and if so in what manner. The registrar must also respond to any requests for access to one’s own personal data by informing the person concerned of the sources of information in question. The registrar must also inform the person concerned as to how their personal data is used and of any third parties to which it is regularly released.

The right of access can be withheld in certain situations regulated by the privacy protection laws, and the right of access does not apply, i.e., to information collected for purely scientific and statistical purposes.

Requests for access to the personal registry data are to be sent to Kone Foundation in writing or made in person at the Kone Foundation office. For more information, see Sections 26-28 of the Personal Data Act (523/1999). The required information must be given without undue delay, in an intelligible form and in writing if requested. If carried out only once per year, the right of access is free of charge.

Information on Kone Foundation’s research grant applicant and recipient register and on implementing one’s right of access can be found in the description of Kone Foundation’s data protection procedures.

When are the decisions on the awarded grants made?
The decisions are announced in December 2019. We will send an email to all grant applicants. In addition, the grant recipients will receive a letter of notification by mail. We will also publish the names of grant recipients on the website and in our annual report.

Can I apply for a grant with two different applications?
An applicant can apply for more than one grant. However, this must be mentioned on each application (application section ‘Other funding’). Please also mention if you are applying for a grant for the same purpose from elsewhere.

Language of the application?
We prefer that Finnish-writing applicants or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers write their applications and the attachments in Finnish, unless a colleague who comments on the application does not understand Finnish. If a Finnish-writing applicant or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers is submitting an application in English, they are encouraged to write the summary in Finnish. Other applicants can use English. You can also submit an application in Swedish.

What is the difference between a personal monthly grant and other expenses? Can I apply for both?
A personal monthly grant is for individuals doing scholarly or artistic work. Such grants are paid directly to the grantees. The size of the personal monthly grant varies, depending on experience. Other expenses can include travel or materials, for example. Please note: compensation for work lasting less than a month, such as a performance fee, must be applied for under other expenses, not as a monthly grant. When applying for a grant to cover fees and salary expenses, the applicant must remember to take taxes and side costs into consideration.

Please remember to apply for a personal monthly grant and other expenses with the same application. It is also possible to apply only for a personal monthly grant or other expenses. It is important to make a realistic budget estimate.

What are the amounts of the Kone Foundation personal monthly grants?
The amount of the personal monthly grant varies depending on the stage of your career. If the applicant applies for the larger monthly grant, a description of the applicant’s career stage must be included on the application.

Grant classification:

• Grant 1: early career applicants and those working on their doctoral thesis €2,400/month (€28,800/year)
• Grant 2: mid-career applicants and those working at the post-doctoral level €2,800/month (€33,600/year)
• Grant 3: late career applicants and experienced researchers (e.g., adjunct professor level, “dosentti” in the Finnish academic system) €3,500/month (€42,000/year).

If the applicant applies for grant 2 or 3, the applicant must state reasons on the application form.

Personal monthly grants are usually awarded for full-time work for a minimum of one month.

Smaller grants are available (25%, 50% or 75% of full grant) for part-time work.

What if I have been funded by Kone Foundation for the same project?
If you have previously received a Kone Foundation grant for the same project, please indicate such in your application. The system of continuation applications has been discontinued. Please apply for funding for the entire duration of the project in a single application.

• If you have received funding for the same purpose from Kone Foundation: Your work/research plan should provide a brief account of what has been accomplished during the previous Kone Foundation funding period and the project’s current status.

Can I apply for a grant for my practical training or master’s degree studies?
Kone Foundation only awards grants for researchers who have already completed their master’s-level degree. Grants are not awarded for studies or practical training.

Can I apply for a grant for anonymous or as-yet determined group members?
We understand that it is not always possible to know all the names of those who will work in the group. In that case, you may omit the names and use code names; for example, Doctoral Student xx, Light Designer yy, etc.

Can I apply for a grant for a work group member who is working abroad?
Yes. Grants can be awarded for people working outside Finland. Payments can also be made to foreign bank accounts. However, the project members or the theme should have a connection with Finland.

Can I apply for a grant for my doctoral thesis if I am not enrolled at university?
Yes. You can apply for a grant if you submit a copy of your master’s degree certificate using the online application service by 15 November. You do not have to be in a doctoral programme.

I will only receive my permission to defend my thesis after the end of the application period. Can I apply for a grant despite this?
You can apply for a grant if you send your degree certificate or permission to defend your thesis using the online application service by 15 November.

Can I apply for a grant for one year for my doctoral thesis (grant level 1) and grant level 2 (post doc) for the following years?
If you are part of a research group, you (or the project leader) can apply for the grant level 1 for the first year and grant level 2 afterwards (for yourself). Please note, however, that we start to pay grant level 2 (post doc) after you have defended your academic dissertation (or completed your degree in a doctoral school outside of Finland).

Can Kone Foundation pay salaries for researchers through their universities?
For individuals doing scholarly or artistic work, Kone Foundation only awards grants, not funding for salaries. These are paid directly to the grantees.

Can I be a project leader and a project member in the same application and receive a monthly grant?
For individuals doing scholarly or artistic work, Kone Foundation awards grants. In research projects, however, salary funding is applied for research assistants, and it can be awarded to project leaders.

Can I apply for funding to cover an overhead required by the university?
Yes. The budget attachment must include the overhead being applied for. Use the field ‘Other expenses’ on the online application form. Please note that Kone Foundation typically does not award more than 15% overhead, and overheads are only paid toward other expenses, not grants.

What is a portfolio? Can it be a link to my website?
A portfolio showcases the artist’s ability in the relevant field. A portfolio should thus demonstrate the applicant’s level of artistic expression, quality of artistic thought and any other notable proficiency that the applicant finds relevant to mention. You can also compile your portfolio on your own website and include the link in your application.

My research proposal is longer than 4 pages, what should I do?
The maximum length of the research proposal or work plan for individual applicants is 4 pages, including the eventual bibliography. For group projects, the maximum length is 8 pages.

My supervisor just sent me a paper version of the reference. What should I do?
The best way to provide a reference is through the link provided send directly from the application. If you receive a paper copy, please scan and attach it to your application as a PDF.

My email address has changed. How can I order a new password?
Please create a new username.

Why was I not awarded a grant?
Unfortunately, we do not provide reasons for individual grant decisions. The Foundation receives a large number of excellent applications each year (in recent years, Kone Foundation has received over 6,000 applications for any given year) and is unable to provide funding for the majority of them.