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Instructions for applying for funding - general call

Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation annually invites grant applications. A research group can submit only one application at a time. A new research project is usually not supported if the research group has an ongoing Nessling-project. Research projects can be funded for several years; usually up to three years for PhD-projects and two years for post doc -projects. Funding is, however, granted for one year at a time. Please note that those projects that have been accepted as continued projects (i.e. that are intended to be funded for several years) also have to re-apply for funding within the regular application period of the Foundation each year.

Electronic E-NESSI system

To make an application, you have to log in to E-NESSI system (if you have already used the system) or register to the system (if you are a new user). To make a new grant application, click the Make an application button. Please note that E-NESSI considers the person making the application to be the project leader, meaning that the project leader has to register first, and the application is then made using his/her login information. On the Make an application screen you have to first selcet the option general call. Then it is possible to select also the option copy the information from an old application to a new application.

Especially in continued projects, it is recommended to copy the information from an old application to a new application. After selecting this option, you can choose the intended old project from the menu. Please go through the application carefully and remember to update all the necessary information. If you want to use the appendices from your old application, open the old application through the main page of E-NESSI, save the appendices to your computer, and attach them to your new application. Please note that the year code of financed projects means: funding period / planned duration of the project, for example: a new one-year project 1/1, the second year of an intended three-year project 2/3, etc.

An application will always get a new project number. You can modify an unfinished application through the main page. When making the application, fill in the requested information into the fields on all the screens. Be sure to save the screens to avoid losing your information if the session is interrupted. You can also copy/paste text into the fields. You can always view or print the application by clicking the View printable form button (PDF icon). Those applications that have not been sent can be deleted on the main page by clicking the trashbin icon on the right-hand side of the application.

General information

Grantees and other researchers: Research grants are only awarded to researchers with a higher academic degree. Doctoral students of PhD-projects must have graduated (master's degree or equivalent) in odrer to be eligible for a personal grant. Post doc -researchers must have finished their doctoral degree not more than five years before the beginning of the project. Naming the grantee in the application, or the grantee him/herself acting as the applicant (i.e. project leader), are considered to be of benefit to the application.
Research assistants and laboratory technicians can be employed as assisting personnel.
Foreign research partners should submit a written commitment by e-mail or regular mail to Foundation’s head of research by the application deadline.
Supervisors and recommenders: The supervisors of PhD-studies should be mentioned, otherwise it is not necessary to nominate a supervisor or recommender. Foundation’s head of research will follow the progress of the projects but in larger research projects the Foundation may appoint a steering group and nominate a suitable senior researcher as a coordinator.
Name of the project: The title of the project has to be easily understandable and it should cover all possible sub-projects. The title must be given both in English and Finnish.
Research area: Choose one appropriate research area from the list:

Atmospheric research; Air pollutants: composition and behaviour, monitoring and evaluation of climate change
Research on the water environment; Structure, functioning and diversity of ecosystems, impact of environmental loading
Research on terrestrial and soil ecosystems and groundwater; Structure, functioning and diversity of ecosystems, impact of environmental loading
Research and development in environmental technology; Process technology aimed at reducing emissions, structural solutions, clean-up and treatment technology
Research on environmental social science; Means to affect societal change, environmental management, environmental legislation, environmental policy
Environmental conferences and meetings; Conferences, seminars, etc. for the scientific community
Communication of environmental research; Events and publications enhancing the use of research results and environmental knowledge in decision-making. It is an advantage to applications of this type if the planned activities can, through the Foundation, be integrated to Ympäristötiedon foorumi, a national forum enhancing the use of science in decision-making.

Aims of the research: When needed, this can be used for dissemination purposes.
Applicability in environmental protection: This is of considerable importance when making funding decisions.

Funding of the project

Personal grants can only be paid to the project leader or other researchers in the group, not to assisting personnel. The grantee cannot, at the same time, hold a full-time salaried position, be on parental leave or serve in the military. The amount of the yearly grant is 20 000 euros (1666,66 euros/month) for PhD-students and 23 000 euros (1916,66 euros/month) for post doc -researchers. The mandatory social security costs must be paid from the grant sum. Personal grants paid to the Baltic countries, Russia and Poland are half of the amounts paid to Finland.

Research assistants and laboratory technicians can be employed as assisting personnel. Assisting personnel is funded only for especially justified reasons,  principally together with a personal grant. Please note that the statutory social and pension security and insurance payments must be taken into account when calculating the expenses of assisting personnel.

The purpose and target of funds for travels, consumables, analytical services, equipments and other expenses have to be explained in detail. These expenses can principally be covered only together with a personal grant. Daily allowances may not be paid from the Nessling grant. 

The Foundation can pay an overhead expense if the research site requires it. The expense is not added to the personal grant. It can be max. 15 % of research expenses and it has to be included in the budget. For example: If you are applying for 20 000 euros for a personal grant and 5 000 euros for research expenses (such as travel and equipment) and the overhead expense required by the research site is 10 %, the amount of overhead is 500 euros.

Please note: Potential surplus from earlier years will be taken into account when determining the sum granted for continued projects.

Funding received/applied from other sources

Please report all the funding received and applied for (even if not yet granted) from other sources for the same purpose. Also report all major funding received during the recent years. The proposed project should form a reasonable entity, not only a supplement to other funding sources.

Progress report

This report is filled in if funding is applied for a continued project or the project leader has other ongoing Nessling projects. Only one progress report can be submitted per application. Therefore, if you have several ongoing projects, report only the continued project.

Appendices

Appendices must be submitted in PDF-format. Instructions on preparing PDF-files can be found in E-NESSI (under 'Appendices'). Please try to avoid uploading big files. To keep the size of files down, avoid unnecessary coloured or high resolution pictures and graphs. If you find it necessary to send appendices by regular mail (e.g., books), write the name of the appendix to 'Delivery by mail' and send it in one copy to the Foundation office not later than the deadline of applications. The Foundation will not return the appendices.

Research plan: The information given in the research plan forms the main basis for the funding decisions. The plan can be max. two pages long (row height 1, font size at least 10). The plan has to include the background of the study, objectives, methods and implementation, researcher training plans, links to other research projects and a financial plan. In the financial plan you are asked to identify the persons applying for a personal grant, justify the sums applied for and present the total funding of the project (including also other possible sources of funding).

If funding is applied for organising scientific programme of a conference, the following information should be given: the name of the conference, topic, purpose and target group, the dates and place, the organiser and the organising committee, the estimated number of foreign and Finnish participants, a draft of the conference programme and a budget that identifies the expenses to be covered by the Foundation and other possible funders. If a conference belongs to a regular series of conferences, the research plan should include new and innovative elements in comparison to the earlier events.

If funding is applied for attending a conference, the information on the conference (name, place, dates, etc.) and the role of the attendant in the conference (e.g. the title of oral presentation or poster) should be given. A grant of this type can be mainly provided for presenting results related to earlier research supported by the Foundation.

CV and list of publications: Use the name of the researcher as appendix title. If you have your CV and list of publications in the same file, you can attach this file under the title 'CV'. If the grantee has been named in the application, his/her CV must be attached.
Study plan for PhD work: If funding is applied for a PhD project, a short plan of the time schedule and contents of the dissertation and doctoral studies should be attached to the application. In continued projects, the progress of the PhD work in comparison to the previous years must be described.
Publications: Publications related to the research topic, max. two publications per research group. Use the name of the publication as appendix title.

Commitment

You can print the commitment for signing by clicking Print commitment (PDF icon). The commitment has to be signed by the project leader and by an official representative of the research site. The signed commitment is mailed or faxed in one copy to the Foundation office at the following address by the deadline, which in 2011 is Friday 16th September (i.e., it is enough to mail or fax it on that date): Fredrikinkatu 20 B 16, 00120 Helsinki, fax +358 9 43425555.

Sending the application

The electronic application and appendices are sent by 16:00 on the due date by clicking the Send button. You cannot modify the application after this. Immediately after submission you will get a confirmation about reception of the application. Please note that only the applications received before the deadline can be taken up.

Evaluation of the applications and decisions on funding

All applications are evaluated by a committee of environmental experts, the members of which represent universities, research institutes and business. Based on the statement of the expert committee, the governing board of the Foundation makes the decision on distribution of grants. This year, the desicions will be concluded in early November. The funded projects will be posted at the website of the Foundation. The recipients of grants will also be informed by mail.