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 also means 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. 

In academic research, we support humanities, social sciences, environmental research, and artistic research. Projects can be multi- or interdisciplinary and can combine artistic and scholarly approaches.

We encourage applicants to engage in diversified projects that combine art and research, as well as collaboration between journalists and researchers. In the selection process, emphasis will be placed on initiatives that are multidisciplinary and diverse and which approach their topic from a fresh perspective.

We can fund co-operation on equal terms between scholars, journalists, or activists. Such a co-operation should begin already in the planning stage of the project, and should be visible in the project budget.

Until 2020, we will take into account the emphases of our The changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland programme.

As far as research careers are concerned, we may fund both scholars working on their doctorates and researchers working at more advanced stages.

We also favour crossing national borders, such as Finnish applicants working abroad or foreign scholars performing research in Finland. Our geographical focus is on the regions surrounding the Baltic sea.

In non-fiction writing, we mainly fund the authoring of non-fiction books in Finnish, translations of works into Finnish and translations from Finnish into other languages.

In the arts, we prefer to fund initiatives in which art has an intrinsic value. Projects that concern creative economy or applied arts are less central to our mission.

In art, we favour especially:

• artistic and cultural projects that renew and invigorate the field
• projects that seek to find and apply new, unforeseen and experimental methods or views

We mainly award grants for artistic work, but other expenses can also be compensated for.

 

Who can apply?

An individual, a working group, or an established organisation 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 with 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 following the September funding call can be used at the start of the  following year, at the earliest. 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 organize thematic grant calls. The purpose of these 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 grants will, in particular, be organised under the themes of the changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland programme. 

Thematic grant call in 2018  

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

Our vital neighbours (1.–15.9.2018). 

 

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, an orchestra or an association organising an arts-based festival or event.

The residency period can last 1–4 months and may take place between April 2019 and April 2020. 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 working 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 the 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 also has the opportunity to use a 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 2018 until 15 September 2018, 16.00 (Finnish time).

The guest’s CV, total budget and working plan (which shall include the goals and planned forms of cooperation related to the residence period) should be attached to the application. The application must specify the duration of the work and the preferred dates.

Before applying for a grant, please read through the 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. The grants awarded following the September funding call can be used at the start of the following year, at the earliest. Grants are not awarded retrospectively.

The applicant must select whether the grant that is 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 scientific research or artistic work, are usually awarded with personal working grants instead of salaries. If the work is not artistic or scientific, a grant must be applied for 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 career stage must be included on the application.

Grant classifications:

• Grant 1: beginning of career (doctoral thesis) €2,400 /month (€28,800 /year)
• Grant 2: mid-career (post-doctoral level) €2,800 /month (€33,600 /year)
• Grant 3: experienced researcher (adjunct professor level) €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 other expenses, such as travel, materials, wages or purchasing services?

If your application includes a grant for other expenses, please attach a budget plan for these expenses.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 are requested to inform Kone Foundation immediately 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 of any paid work related to the project to be funded.

Compulsory attachments?

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

Will I need to ask for a reference?

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 it is worth noting that the applications will generally be assessed by the expert selected as the first choice.

If you are applying for a grant to write a doctoral thesis or 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, we provide the option to choose thematic evaluation in the arts instead of a field of arts. The applicant can choose an expert of a field or of an artistic theme. The applicant can decide if the method or the contents is more important in the work and its evaluation.

 

The fields and artistic themes in the 2018 application call are:

Artistic field

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

Artistic theme

• Community
• Decolonisation
• Encounter
• Form
• Posthumanism
• Sex, gender
• Time

Research disciplines for the 2018 application call are:

• Administrative Science
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Artistic research on music
• Artistic research on performing arts and film studies
• Artistic research on visual arts
• Biological and ecological environmental research
• Communication studies
• Contemporary culture studies
• Environmental technology
• Ethnology
• 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 on the Global South 
• Research on Politics
• Social and political  history
• Social psychology
• Societal-environmental-research
• Sociology
• Visual arts studies

This section includes guidelines for the online application service. Please read the instructions carefully before writing your application. After logging in, detailed information on 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 has been renewed for the 2018 application call. Choose ‘Register as an grant applicant’, even if you would have a prevoius grant from Kone Foundation or you have applied for a grant previously.

After the registration a confirmation email is sent to the given address. The email address is used as a username on the application. Please check also your Junk mail folder, if you don’t receive the confirmation email within few minutes.

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: application cannot be edited in any  way after the deadline.

After submitting the application status of the application will be ‘Application recieved’ and (within a week after 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 the elements of an application can be in Swedish.

1. Type of project

The applicant must choose a category for the project:

• Work that combines academic research and artistic work, or work based on such
• Academic research or work based on it
• Artistic work or work based on it
• Another kind of cultural work

Keywords or fields that the project is related to can also be listed on the form. Please add fields or keywords that best describe your project and its themes.

 

2. Core information on the project

In the summary (max 1,500 characters), please provide a short description of the main content of your study or project and methods of implementing 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, what aspects of their Project is/are bold (max 500 characters). More information on the definition of ‘boldness’ and other focal points of Kone Foundation, see For what purposes does the Kone Foundation grant funding?.

The summary and description of the bold initiative are  important in the evaluation of the application. The Foundation may use the title, summary and the given definition of ‘boldness’ for communicative purposes (for example, on it’s 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 state whether the project has previously received funding from Kone Foundation.

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

3. Information on the applicant

If the applicant is a working group, the members of the group must elect a leader to submit the application in his/her own name. The working group can also be given a name.

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

Individual applicants must fill in the application under their own name.

The details of 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, scientific event, etc.)
• Publication or other content production

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

Multi-year grant, funding for a year at most or a kickstart grant?

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

Personal monthly grants and other expenses

Individuals doing scholarly or artistic work, are  usually awarded with personal working grants instead of salaries.  Thus we may fund more researchers and artists, since funding for salaries would require at least a30% additional expense per person. 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: beginning of career (doctoral thesis) €2,400 /month (€28,800 /year)
• Grant 2: mid-career (post-doctoral level) €2,800 /month (€33,600 /year)
• Grant 3: experienced researcher (adjunct professor level) €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.

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 side costs in the total amount being applied for, if necessary.

Other expenses

If the funding is required for expenses other than personal monthly expenses (eg. travel costs, salaries, material costs), the reasons for this must be stated on the application form. If other costs are applied for, a budget must be added as an attachment in PDF-form.

 

 

6. Facilities for research

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 that are 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 projects, applicants must indicate on the application if they have sought funding for the same project from other sources.

If an applicant is granted funding without having informed the Foundation of funding from other sources, the Kone Foundation decision may be repealed.

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.

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 of any paid work related to the project to be funded.

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 the key persons of the foundation.

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 the 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: application cannot be edited in any way after the deadline.

If you wish to edit your application after submitting it before the deadline, please choose Cancel application. Cancelling 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 recieved’ and (within a week after the deadline) it will update to  ‘Application under evaluation’. 

Only applications submitted via the online service will be considered.

Applicants must agree to the description of the processing of personal data and other conditions mentioned in our Privacy Policy Statement.

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.

It is possible to add 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 permits 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 in PDF format. 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 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, the applicant must include with their application a short report (max. 2 pages) indicating the state of progress of the project.

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

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: there is no need for citations in the research proposal itself, but it is recommended to include 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.

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
• Account of how any possible multidisciplinarity or interdisciplinarity is factored into the project.

A work plan must be attached to projects that are not research projects. A good work plan gives answers to questions Why, How, When, Who and Whom with.

The work plan should include:

• Aims and objectives of the project
• A description of the working methods
• Names of the participants and possible partners
• Schedule
• Ways in which the work is a bold initiative.

Progress report

If the applicant has received a grant from Kone Foundation for the same purpose, the applicant must include with their application a short report (max. 2 pages) indicating the state of progress of the project. The report should give a brief account of what has been accomplished during the previous Kone Foundation funding period and the current state of the project. In addition to the progress report, applicants must include with their applications an updated research proposal or work plan.

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, central 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 expenses, material and equipment, additional labour force or salaries, outsourced services and other costs, must be specified in the budget on the form.

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 for the 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 or her 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 attach the link to this 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 inform the Foundation funding received from other sources using the online application service.

References have an important role in grant applications for doctoral studies. They are useful in post-doctoral applications as well 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 applicants’ work or the proposed project can submit a reference. If two applicants recieve 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 required to send to request. We also advise to contact a potential referee well in advance before the application deadline to provide enough time to submit the reference.

The referee then submits their reference using the emailed link, 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 included as attachments to the application, but no other information on your application.  Please note that updating or removing the attachment on the application will also update the version viewable in the recommendation service.

Sent references are not visible to applicants in the online service. Information whether the reference has submitted is not be 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 recieved a reference personally and wish to submit the reference, you may attach it to the application in PDF form as an attachment.

 

How are the applications processed?

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

There is usually one reviewer per application. We value that in this way we can choose  projects that our evaluators give value to than when the reviewers are many and who must then resort to compromise. Peer reviewers usually change each year in order to guarantee a  diversity of perpectives. 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 autumn meeting in late November or early December. The list of grantees will be published on our web site soon after the meeting of the Board. The grantees will be notified by email and  mail, and their names will be included in the Foundation’s annual report.

Criteria

The Board of Kone Foundation does not state the reasons for individual funding decisions. Among the criteria used in the reviewing process, one can list 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, new approaches, and boldness.
• If funding is applied for work on a doctoral thesis, do remember to include a reference from a supervisor or from another person familiar with the work
• In the decision process, the totality of the applications has its significance, too: 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, personal circumstances or any information relating to any 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 at the beginning of December.  We will send an email to all the 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. If a Finnish-writing applicant or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers is submitting an application in English, they must 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 be for 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: beginning of career (doctoral thesis) €2,400 /month (€28,800 /year)
• Grant 2: mid-career (post-doctoral level) €2,800 /month (€33,600 /year)
• Grant 3: experienced researcher (adjunct professor level) €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, you can indicate this in your application. The system of continuation applications has been discontinued. Please remember to apply for funding for the entire duration of the project in one go.

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 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 xx.

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 can 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 I apply for a grant for the finalization of my doctoral thesis?
Yes, you can.

Can Kone Foundation pay salaries for researchers through their universities?
For individuals doing scholarly or artistic work, Kone Foundation awards grants, not funding for salaries. These are paid directly to the grantees. For a research assistant and a project leader it is possibly to apply for funding for salaries, which can be paid through the university.

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 usually Kone Foundation does not award more than 15 % overhead, and overheads are only paid for the other expenses, not the 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 show 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 recieve 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 Foundatiod has received over 6,000 applications for any given year) and is unable to provide funding for the majority.