Information for grant-funded researchers

Funding opportunities of foundations can be found from the Heimo-sites of UEF. Current funding opportunities are informed on UEF´s yammer site of research funding, so join also this group when joining the yammer groups linked to your own research field at the beginning of your doctoral studies. The Association of Finnish Foundations offers a lot of information about foundation funding opportunities, but also about other things connected to the position of a grant researcher, such as taxation. Extensive foundation funding opportunities can be found from Aurora -database, where one can search for foundations by research field. Research professional -database offers international funding possibilities for researchers who have proceeded further in their research career. Primarily ask your supervisor about the funding opportunities suitable for your research.

Writing a good research plan is extremely important especially in the beginning of doctoral studies. With a research plan one applies for the right to doctoral studies, doctoral researchers salary-paying positions, as well as research grants.  Research plan should be updated every now and then as the research work proceeds. The first research plan is usually written with the help of one´s supervisor.

Philosophical Faculty and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies organize a course “How to write a successful research plan” twice a year. The course is very popular and the success rates of participants have increased. Also the Faculty of Science and Forestry and the Faculty of Health Sciences organize “Writing a grant application” -course annually. Learn more about the course of the Faculty of Science and Forestry and the course of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

• Read the call for applications and instructions carefully. Don´t apply funding from all the foundations, but  instead concentrate on the ones usually funding your field of research and from calls that best fit your research interests. Prepare the application carefully in order to fit the call as well as possible and if needed, adjust the research plan to meet the criteria and goals of the foundation.
• Adhere to the instructions and deadlines given. These are often unnegotiable. Make sure you have all the necessary attachments well in advance.
• If a letter of recommendation can be attached, ask for one from your supervisor in good time. Supervisors often have lots of letters of recommendation to write!
• The reviewers often do not represent your specific research field. Therefore when writing your research and funding plan, be precise, concise and popular.
• Update your CV, portfolio and list of publications. The CV model of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) is generally used.
• Be honest, realistic and optimistic. Do not underestimate your abilities, but do not make promises you cannot keep either. Many foundations appreciate brave thinking and doing on a large scale.

The grants awarded by private foundations are taxable only for the amount that exceeds the Finnish state artist grant, which varies almost annually. Information about maximum tax-exempt amounts of grants can be found on Taxation of grants, scholarships, awards for merit and other awards- webpage. If this limit is exceeded, you need to pay taxes. The Association of Finnish Foundations updates the annual threshold amount on their webpage and offers widely information about the taxation of grant researchers, also giving tips for the most general problems about their taxation.

The Finnish tax administration receives information about paid grants directly from the foundations. Please note that when calculating taxes the first possible day to cash the grant is considered to be the starting date of your grant period. Therefore, when awarded several grants a year, please contact your local tax office. From Vero.fi webpage you can find more information and forms for report your grants, but also links to webinars meant for grant researchers. Also note that the rent of your working space and many materials, such as books, are tax-deductible.

Grant-based researchers are responsible to take care of their pension and workplace accident insurances themselves. These are handled by the Farmer´s social insurance institution (Mela). Researcher with a working grant longer than 4 months is obliged to take out their statutory pension and workplace accident insurances. Also, researchers with a shorter funding period are allowed to seek for insurance from Mela. The insurance should be taken also when working abroad or you come from abroad to work in Finland.
Please note that the statutory insurance for grant researchers does not include insurance for leisure-time. Anyhow it´s possible to take MATA-insurance for leisure-time from Mela. Membership of some unions, like FOORT, include leisure time insurance. Also some foundations offer their own extra-insurances.

If you as a grant-based researcher cause the breakage of the university’s research equipment, if certain conditions are met, the university is compensated for the damage under the university’s property insurance. The university’s property insurance covers property, so it does not matter who causes the breakage. If the damage has been caused intentionally or negligently, your liability for damages is investigated separately, in which case compensation may also be sought under your liability insurance policy, if you have one. Grant-based researchers are not covered by the university’s liability insurance.

A working grant usually blocks the unemployment benefits, but when it comes to travelling grants and small nonrecurring grants consideration may be used.
You may be entitled to Finnish social security coverage (e.g. child benefit, basic unemployment security, and sickness and parental allowances), if your residence in Finland is considered permanent and if your income is sufficiently high. You may also be entitled to apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which guarantees necessary medical treatment when you travel or stay temporarily in another EU or EEA country or in Switzerland. Read more about Kela benefits for incomers, social security coverage for researchers, and EHIC on Kela's webpages.

All grants are considered to be income when determining housing allowance and income support. A grant awarded for a dissertation will not be considered as income when determining the sum of day-care fees.

The amounts of maternity, paternity and parental allowances are determined on the basis of the most recent work income confirmed in taxation. If you have received a grant and been MyEL insured, maternity, paternity and parental allowances are determined according to the work income that formed its basis. If, however, the work income earned in the six months preceding the allowance has increased from the in-come confirmed in taxation, the allowance will be paid according to this more recent income. If you have had no work income, the minimum allowance will be paid. Read more about Kela benefits for families with children on Kela's webpage.

As a grant researcher you are entitled to an unemployment benefit if you have been MyEL insured altogether for 24 months during the previous 48 months. In addition, you are entitled to earnings-related allowance, if you are a member of an unemployment fund and have been a salaried employee at least for 26 weeks over the review period of 28 months before the start of the unemployment. The unemployment benefit can be granted if the grant term is demonstrably over and you are seeking fulltime employment. When you become unemployed after a grant term you can, however, maintain your competence (e.g. familiarise yourself with new tools and methods, apply for grants, network in conferences) without this affecting your entitlement to unemployment benefits.
Grants are not taken into account when determining the amount of earnings-related unemployment benefit. Grant terms are not accepted for the employment condition of earnings-related allowance, but they extend the review period of the employment condition, which is why it is not recommend to withdraw from the fund during grant-funded work.

When working abroad with a grant awarded by a Finnish organisation you may, if certain conditions are met, be covered by the Finnish social security system and it is not worthwhile for you to terminate trade union or unemployment fund membership when leaving Finland.

A doctoral student receiving a grant may be entitled to financial aid for students (study grants, housing supplements and state-guaranteed student loans). More information about eligibility to financial aid on Kela’s webpage.

A part-time (10%) contract of employment will be concluded between the University of Eastern Finland and a grant-funded researcher when the following criteria are met:

• The grant has been awarded by an external organisation, meaning an organisation other than UEF.
• The grant-funded researcher has made sure that the funder’s grant decision allows the conclusion of a part-time, concurrent contract of employment with the university during the grant period.
  • The grant-funded researcher is responsible for ensuring that the organisation awarding the grant approves the concurrent contract of employment with the university.
  • Any other terms of the grant decision must also be taken into consideration.
• The research grant has been awarded and the research is linked or can be linked to:
  • doctoral research, of which researcher has the right to pursue postgraduate studies in a doctoral programme of the University of Eastern Finland) or
  • other research conducted at the University of Eastern Finland as a postdoctoral researcher or senior researcher.
• The duration of the grant period is a minimum of 12 months, which is also the minimum duration of the contract of employment.
  • The part-time (10%) contract of employment is always concurrent with the grant intended for full-time research.
  • The grant period of a UEF Grant-funded Researcher must continue for a minimum of 12 months after 1 June 2021 in order for a contract of employment of a minimum of 12 months to be concluded with them.
  • The 12-month grant period can consist of several grants awarded by an external organisation.
• The grant has been awarded for research work, a so-called working grant, and it must enable full-time research.
• Finland must be the country of work and residence.
• The duties will be defined separately in a work plan to be prepared in collaboration with the head of the unit concerned.
  • Researchers come under the total working time system, and the annual working time in a part-time, 10% contract is equivalent to 160 hours.
  • A contract of employment will be concluded if an agreement on the duties can be reached (160 hours/year).
• Depending on the person’s career phase, the professional title associated with the part-time (10%) contract of employment is either Early Stage Researcher (doctoral research/postgraduate studies) or Postdoctoral Researcher/Senior Researcher (post doc research).
• In addition to the part-time (10%) contract of employment, an agreement on working as a grant-funded researcher at UEF is always concluded and, when necessary, a separate agreement on the transfer of rights.
• The grant-funded researcher is responsible for finding out about taxation and pension related issues from the tax administration and from the relevant pension insurer.

• The grant-funded researcher must make an initiative to conclude a part-time, 10% contract of employment with the University of Eastern Finland by filling out an electronic form. NOTE! Before submitting this form, please familiarise yourself with the criteria on which grant-funded researchers at UEF can conclude a part-time (10%) contract of employment (above).
• A contract of employment is concluded without discretion whenever the criteria are met and an agreement on the duties can be reached.
• After the grant-funded researcher has submitted the electronic form, the process proceeds internally at UEF. The head of the unit will discuss the duties with the grant-funded researcher proposing a contract of employment, and the head of the unit makes sure that the criteria are met.
• If an agreement can be reached on the duties of the grant-funded researcher, and if the criteria for concluding a contract of employment are met, the head of the unit gives the unit's HR staff an assignment to start preparing a contract of employment as per the normal procedure, including the terms of employment, such as salary and title.
  This initiates the normal employment contract process, as part of which the employee is instructed to prepare a work plan in accordance with the university's guidelines pertaining to work plans.
• With the conclusion of a contract of employment, the grant-funded researcher also concludes an agreement on the transfer of rights as part of the contract of employment with UEF. In addition to the contract of employment, an agreement on working as a grant-funded researcher at the University of Eastern Finland is concluded for the same time period.

If a grant-funded researcher applies for a leave of absence from their part-time contract of employment, they shall be entitled to a part-time (10%) contract of employment of a corresponding length after their leave of absence, provided that their grant period continues. In these cases, the duration of the contract of employment may be shorter than 12 months, which otherwise is the minimum length.

How flexible is the time criteria?

A grant-funded researcher who meets the criteria listed below and who has a funding of at least 12 months, has a subjective minimum right to conclude a 10 % part time employment contract with the university. The departments are only bound by this minimum right, therefore you can negotiate about concluding the employment contract even before 1.6.2021 or for a shorter period than 12 months.

Is there supervision of work available?

The researcher will be familiarized with the working tasks the same way as any other new staff. The employee will have information about working in UEF and other guidance needed will always take place at department level.

What to do when confronting problems at work?

In confrontational situations at work you can contact the labour safety representative of your own unit concerned. When having health problems contact the occupational health care and when encountering inequality in university, contact the UEF contact persons of equality.

Does the opportunity to part time contract of employment concern only Phd students or post doc -researchers as well?

Part time employment concerns both PhD students and post doc- researchers. The research in both cases should be linked to research conducted at UEF.