Purpose
The Foundation’s purpose is to support research, education and development in natural, technical and economical sciences within the energy industry. To fulfil its purpose, the Foundation can accept grants, honorary awards or other such financial means to economically support actions relating to meeting its objective, and carry out communications and publication operations. Grants spanning more than one year may also be given for clearly defined purposes as a fixed sum commitment.
Focus Areas
In particular, we anticipate receiving applications related to climate change mitigation, emission reductions in energy systems, flexibility and customer-centered solutions, new alternatives for transport, as well as bio-economy and circular economy topics. Structural renewal according to the principles of sustainable development, interdisciplinarity and solutions exceeded sectorial boundaries are also essential elements.
Focus areas for 2024 are below. Please familiarize yourself with them before you fill out an application.
Grant decisions
The Foundation’s Board of Directors makes the decisions on the grants every year in June. The awardees will be personally informed after the decisions are made. Information about the decisions is sent to the awardees through the electronic grant management system by the end of June. Information of not accepted grants will also be sent through the electronic grant management system.
Information on the grant decisions is not given by telephone. The decisions are final, and the Foundation will not discuss the grounds for the decisions.
The names of grantees will be published on the Foundation’s website.
Application schedules
Fortum and Neste Foundation’s annual cycle is:
April: A normal application round, for all types of scholarships. Decisions in June, payment of grants begins in August.
The next application period is open from 2nd April until 22nd April 2024.
How to apply
The grants are applied through the electronic grant management system. You will find the link to system in the menu above.
Grant types
Postgraduate studies (B2)
A personal grant for postgraduate studies in Finland or abroad can be awarded if the work is in line with the Foundation’s objectives and the applicant has finished his/her undergraduate work, and the purpose of the postgraduate studies is to complete either a licentiate or a doctoral degree. The scholarship is meant for full-time postgraduate study. In 2024, the personal scholarship amount for study taking place in Finland is EUR 26 000. For those carrying out postgraduate studies abroad, the postgraduate scholarship can also include travel and accommodation expenses in accordance with estimated costs presented in the application.
The grant is accepted for a one year at the time. A B2 grant can be accepted for a maximum of three years for a licentiate degree and for a maximum of four years for a doctoral degree; however for a doctoral degree, the Board of the Foundation can award continuation to the grant by one year at a time. Note: If an applicant seeks additional funding for a project previously funded, a complete application must be submitted annually to ensure continued funding for the project.
Full amount postgraduate grants are paid once a month in instalments of EUR 2 166,67 over 12 months starting from the date of grantee’s choice. For multiannual grants, a new payment year begins once the Foundation has approved a report written by the grantee on the progress of his/her grant. The payments for the last two months (EUR 4 333,34) will be paid only after the Foundation has received a written progress/final report and in addition, a written statement from grantee’s supervisor.
In addition to the annual personal grant, the applicant may also apply for a grant to cover other costs (e.g., travel and equipment). These other expenses are paid in a single instalment.
In connection with a grant for graduates (B2), it is possible to apply for a grant to cover overhead expenses caused to the institute allowing the use of the work site and equipment, the amount of which is a maximum of 20% of the approved personal scholarship. A letter of permission for the work to be carried out at a certain institute, signed by the head of the institute in question, must be attached to the application. Money to cover overhead expenses is paid directly to the institute’s account in a single instalment.
Recipients of B2 grants covering 12 months can be awarded additional money to cover sickness, accident and life insurance. This insurance is paid by the Foundation, thus it is free for 12-month B2 grantees. Insurance protection can be applied for with the attached application form (below). Also read the attached insurance cover letter.
Application Form for Additional Grant and Letter of Authorization
Other personal grants (B3)
A personal grant is disbursed as a single instalment to support the execution of an individual project within the scope of the Foundation’s industry. Such projects may include, for instance, attending a conference to disseminate research findings. While there is no specific cap on the grant amount, applicants are restricted from concurrently seeking multiple grants for the identical project.
Social security
As the recipient is not in an employment relationship with the body issuing the grant, the grant does not entitle the recipient to social security provided by an employment relationship. The recipient must take care of his/her pension insurance payments, life and sickness insurances as well as other liabilities towards the employer. The amount of the grant exceeding the amount of the state’s artist grants, (from March 1, 2024 it is EUR 26.355,60 annually), is liable to taxation.
Recipients of grants who live in Finland are obliged to insure themselves with the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution if they work uninterruptedly for at least four months with a grant awarded from Finland. In addition, the grant should be at least equal to the minimal MYEL income level when converted into annual MYEL income. The recipient’s pension security is defined based on the confirmed MYEL income, in the same way as an agricultural entrepreneur. MYEL application is available in www.mela.fi. Mela sickness allowance is paid according to MYEL.
It is also possible to work abroad using the grant, subject to certain conditions. Mela issues insurance for working abroad on a grant as long as you are covered by Finnish social security. If the person wants to have Finnish social security while working abroad, please contact Finnish Centre for Pensions (www.etk.fi) before leaving abroad. If you will stay outside EU/EEA, you should also contact the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (www.kela.fi). If you stay within Europe, it would be beneficial to apply for a European Health Insurance Card.
The recipient is to pay on average 15% of the amount of the MYEL insured grant in statutory insurance payments.
Obligations
The recipient attests that the information given in the grant application is correct and that s/he has not left any information requested unanswered. S/he commits to carrying out the project as presented in the application and to following the documented instructions on the Fortum and Neste Foundation’s internet webpages and also to inform the Foundation without delay if the work financed by the grant is fully or partly terminated for one month or more or changed in relation to the submitted research plan. In such cases, payment of the grant will cease. If the interruption to work lasts for over a year, the share of the grant not paid because of the interruption will be cancelled. If the grantee does not submit a new notification of continuation of the work, the grant will be terminated and the Foundation holds the right to reimburse the already paid amount from the grant recipient.
If it emerges that information influencing the awarding of the grant is falsified, concealed or the grant has not been used in full for the purpose mentioned in the application, or the grant report has not been carried out within the allocated period, the body awarding the grant has the right to recover the grant in part or in full.
The grant recipient commits to taking care of his/her pension insurance payments, life and sickness insurances as well as other liabilities towards the employer.
The grantee gives permission for the awarding party to publish the grant recipient’s name, the amount issued and its purpose in its magazine or on its website.