Emil Aaltosen Säätiö: Research Grants and How to Apply

Emil Aaltosen Säätiö (the Emil Aaltonen Foundation) is a private Finnish foundation that gives research grants to Finnish-speaking researchers in any discipline. It is a funder, not an identifier registry, so there is no account or record number to register: you apply through the foundation’s online grant service, which is in Finnish. This guide walks through the process in English, using the exact Finnish labels you will see on screen.

What the Emil Aaltonen Foundation is

The foundation’s website states that it has supported research since 1937 and that it awards grants for scientific research work regardless of discipline. Its official name is Emil Aaltosen Säätiö; the English form of the name is Emil Aaltonen Foundation. It publishes its main pages at emilaaltonen.fi, with a separate page titled “Eligibility (in English)”.

The foundation lists several things on its site that are useful to a researcher before applying: yearly lists of awarded grants (Myönnetyt apurahat), reports on how grants were used (Selvitykset apurahojen käytöstä), and its contact page (Yhteystiedot). For other Finnish private funders, see the guide to the Kordelin Foundation’s science grants; for the public funder, see the Research Council of Finland.

Who can apply

The foundation’s English eligibility page says it offers grants “as a rule to Finnish-speaking researchers”. That rule has three practical parts:

• Language. A Finnish-speaking researcher is the default applicant.
• Non-native speakers. An applicant whose first language is not Finnish can still receive a grant if they are working in what is effectively a Finnish-speaking research community, such as a Finnish-language university or research institute, and are closely integrated into it. They may be expected to manage in Finnish and to communicate in Finnish within the research community. Referees may be asked to confirm the applicant’s Finnish skills.
• Residence. The applicant is generally expected to live permanently in Finland.

The foundation especially aims to support researchers working on a doctoral dissertation and doctors continuing their research. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree by 15 February of the application year. If the official degree certificate is not yet available by the end of the application period, you attach a provisional certificate or confirmation that all required studies are complete, and you record your degree as pending in the form.

The application form itself is available only in Finnish. The foundation’s referee (opinion) system is also offered in English.

Grant types

Personal grants

Personal grants (henkilökohtaiset apurahat) go to researchers in all disciplines, especially for dissertation work and for doctors’ follow-on research. The foundation lists full-year and part-year working grants (työskentelyapurahat) as well as incentive and targeted grants (kannustus- ja kohdeapurahat).

Project grants

The project grant (projektiapuraha) is EUR 225,000 over three years. It is meant for researchers at an early career stage who are setting up their own research group. Applications are assessed on the scientific significance of the project, its novelty, the approaches proposed, and the applicant’s track record and expertise. The foundation’s news item from June 2026 reports 415 project grant applications and twelve research groups funded at EUR 225,000 each, EUR 2.7 million in total.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check the call dates on the official site. The foundation states that the application period runs every year from 15 January to 15 February. Check the foundation’s current call notice before relying on exact times.
2. Open the online service. The foundation’s grant portal is called Apurahojen verkkopalvelu (online grant service). The foundation says you can use it to apply, report payment details, and submit the reports and final accounts for personal and project grants. The service guides you through the application and reporting step by step.
3. Fill in the application form. The form page is labelled Hakemus. In the personal-grant form there is a tick-box Väitellyt (has completed a doctorate). If your thesis is approved for defence but the date is not fixed, the foundation says you may attach a copy of the permission to defend (väittelylupa), tick Väitellyt, and enter the last day of the month in which the defence will most likely take place.
4. Attach your documents. See the next section.
5. Submit before the deadline. The application must be sent within the application period.
6. Change a submitted application if needed. During the application period you can withdraw a submitted application: next to the application (status Lähetetty) choose Näytä, then under Toiminnot choose Peruuta hakemus. Your saved data is kept, but if you do not resubmit after making changes, the application will not be processed at all.

Attachments and opinions

Opinions (lausunnot) are not mandatory but are recommended for personal grants; the foundation notes that applicants have most often requested one or two. No opinions are attached to project grant applications. The foundation’s electronic opinion system is called lausuntojärjestelmä:

• Each application has an opinion code (lausuntotunnus) on the Hakemus form page. You give this code to your referee.
• The system does not notify referees for you; you must ask them yourself.
• The referee fills in the electronic form with the code, your name and your research topic or title. An opinion can be left even before you have submitted your application.
• Opinions can be given until 20 February, when the system closes at 23:59:59 Finnish time (check the current year’s notice).
• An opinion received directly from the referee can instead be attached to the application as a separate file before the application period ends.

Other documents depend on your situation. A copy or proof of the permission to defend is needed if you want to be considered for a doctor’s-level grant before the defence. If you are awarded a grant on the basis of a provisional degree confirmation, payment cannot begin until you send a copy of the degree certificate to the foundation.

How awards are used and reported

Recipients of personal and project grants submit their reports and final accounts through the same online service. For a completed grant period, the foundation says the final report is submitted through the service within two months of the end of the grant period. The foundation also publishes the reports on grant use and the annual lists of awarded grants on its website, which is a good way to see what kinds of projects it funds. A new application for a continuing project should be made as if applying for the first time, with all requested details, including any new opinion.

Connecting ORCID and Scopus ID to a Finnish grant application

The foundation’s published application guidance does not specify an ORCID iD or Scopus Author ID field; it asks for the items described above. The foundation’s entry in the Finnish research.fi funding-call listing likewise shows only its name and the call dates, with no funder identifier. In practice, researchers keep their identifiers consistent so that a publication list in a CV or referee statement matches their records elsewhere:

• Make sure your ORCID iD record lists your current affiliation and works.
• If you use Scopus, link your Scopus Author ID to your ORCID record so the two profiles agree. See also the definition of a Scopus Author ID.
• For Finland’s national publication data, see VIRTA.

Common problems

• Applying without Finnish-language ties. The foundation’s rule is aimed at Finnish-speaking researchers; non-native applicants should check the English eligibility page first.
• Forgetting to resubmit after withdrawing. After Peruuta hakemus an application is back in draft and is not considered unless you send it again before the deadline.
• Assuming referees are notified automatically. The system does not email them; send them the lausuntotunnus yourself and allow for the 20 February cut-off.
• Missing degree evidence. If your master’s degree certificate is not yet available, attach the provisional certificate or confirmation that all required studies are complete; if you are close to your defence, attach the permission to defend and tick Väitellyt.
• Payment delay. Where a provisional degree confirmation was used, payment starts only after the degree certificate is delivered.

Frequently asked questions

What is Emil Aaltosen Säätiö?

It is a private Finnish foundation that, according to its own site, has supported research since 1937 and awards grants to Finnish-speaking researchers in any discipline.

When can I apply?

The foundation states a yearly application period of 15 January to 15 February. Check the official site for the current year’s call.

Can I apply if I do not speak Finnish?

Grants are given as a rule to Finnish-speaking researchers. Non-native speakers can be considered if they work in an effectively Finnish-speaking research community, and the foundation may expect functioning Finnish and permanent residence in Finland. The application form is in Finnish only.

How much is a project grant?

EUR 225,000 over three years, for early-career researchers establishing their own research group.

Are recommendation letters required?

No. Opinions are optional but recommended for personal grants, and are not attached to project grants.

Do I need an ORCID iD?

The foundation’s published guidance does not list one as a requirement. Keeping your ORCID record current is still useful for the CV and publication list you submit.

Sources

• Emil Aaltosen Säätiö, “Apurahan hakeminen” (application guidance): https://emilaaltonen.fi/apurahat/hae-apurahaa/. Checked 29 October 2026.
• Emil Aaltosen Säätiö, “Eligibility (in English)”: https://emilaaltonen.fi/saatio/eligibility-in-english/. Checked 29 October 2026.
• Emil Aaltosen Säätiö, home page and news: https://emilaaltonen.fi/. Checked 29 October 2026.
• research.fi, funding call listing for Emil Aaltosen Säätiö: https://research.fi/en/results/funding-call/10901. Checked 29 October 2026.

Dates, amounts and rules change between calls. Confirm them on the foundation’s official site before you apply.