RESEARCH GRANTS 2026

The strategy of the Cancer Society and the Cancer Foundation Finland is their pledge to act decisively to promote health, prevent cancer, support people with cancer and reduce the adverse effects of cancer throughout the country. The strategy will guide the work of the Cancer Society and Cancer Foundation Finland over the period 2026 – 2030.

Applications for grants that open for application in 2025 are submitted in the Cancer Foundation Finland’s new electronic grant application system. A research plan and a list of the principal researcher’s publications from 2016–2026 shall be appended to the application. Applications can be submitted between 1 June and 19 August 2026. The grant application system closes on Wednesday 19 August at 23:59. Applications cannot be supplemented after the deadline. Late applications will be rejected, as will applications that do not comply with the instructions.

In the review of applications, particular attention will be paid to the scientific quality and feasibility of the research plan, the applicant’s scientific merits and the project’s relevance to cancer research. Grants are only awarded for research that has a clear connection to cancer or cancer prevention, detection, treatment or rehabilitation. The applicant must demonstrate this connection in the application.

Only one application per applicant will be considered. A researcher may have only one Cancer Foundation Finland grant at a time.

Grants are awarded to support research conducted in Finland. The research grants are intended for senior-level researchers. It is not possible to apply for Cancer Foundation Finland funding for research and product development projects at companies.

The Cancer Foundation Finland does not award research grants to researchers or research teams that are funded by the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry includes any company or group of companies that derives a major portion of its income from the manufacture or marketing of tobacco or other nicotine products.

The Board of the Cancer Foundation Finland decides the grants to be awarded based on proposals from the Grants Committee. When reviewing and deciding on applications, account is taken of the conflict-of-interest principles approved by the Board.

A condition for paying the grant is that the researcher has reported and provided financial accounts on previous grants in accordance with the Cancer Foundation Finland’s instructions.

Applications are completed in English.

The Cancer Foundation Finland emphasises that the research plan must clearly indicate the purpose of the grant. A general description of the research area is not a research plan. Only applications that clearly express the objective can be considered.

As regards the research grants, applicants are requested to include a popular, Finnish-language summary in their applications. The summary is public and should not include confidential information about the project. The summary may be in English if the native language of the project’s principal researcher is not Finnish.

The summary should include the rationale for the project (why the research should be carried out, what the aim is), the methods (how the research will be carried out) and the expected results and benefits of the project. From the perspective of the Cancer Foundation Finland’s communications, it would be particularly important to describe the expected societal impact of the project: how the research, if successful, could contribute to cancer prevention, diagnostics, treatment and patient support.

PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS

The Board of the Cancer Foundation Finland decides the grants to be awarded based on proposals from the Grants Committee.

Awarded grants will be announced in December 2026.

A condition for paying the grant is that the researcher has reported and provided financial accounts on previous grants in accordance with the Cancer Foundation Finland’s instructions.

For more information on the Cancer Foundation Finland’s grant process, see our website: Cancer Foundation Finland’s grants.

RESEARCH GRANTS

Established research groups may be awarded research grants for 1–3 years. This year, as in previous year, funding decisions will prioritise longer funding periods. Research grants are intended for senior-level researchers. In addition, a similar grant may be awarded to a newly established research group if the leader of the group has completed a successful postdoctoral period and the research plan is particularly robust

The grants are awarded for a period of one, two or three years. Even if a researcher applies for a grant to cover several years, it is possible that it will be awarded for a shorter period. However, grants will not be awarded for a longer period than the period applied for. Researchers can still apply for a one-year funding period if this is justified by the research plan.

Recipients of research grants will not be awarded separate travel grants. They must budget for research and conference travel in their grant applications.

CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION BY FIELD OF RESEARCH

Applicants indicate their main field of research on the application form. The alternatives are basic research and clinical research (incl. epidemiological research). The application may be transferred to be reviewed under another field in order to ensure the most expert review possible.

APPENDICES TO APPLICATION FOR RESEARCH GRANT

  1. Research plan of no more than five pages including references. The font size must be at least 12 pt.Indicative structure for research plan:
    1. Background
    2. Research objective
    3. Research implementation and methods
    4. Schedule
    5. Division of labour among research team members
    6. Basis for cost estimate
    7. Ethical considerations
    8. Impact of research
  2. List of principal researcher’s publications from 2016–2026. The publication must have been printed or published electronically in 2016 or thereafter. A publication may be “in press”, but it must have been approved for publication. “Submitted” does not yet count as a publication. Only enter five key publications on the application form. A more complete list of publications is appended to the application.
  3. When applying for a grant for a clinical interventional study/trial, please enclose a study protocol. If this is not available, enclose a synopsis of the planned study/trial.

RESEARCH TEAM IN RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATIONS

On application form, applicants shall indicate the time spent on the research project (percentage of a person’s total working time that is used for this project) by the members of the research team. Research team members are individuals who are involved in the publication of the research results in an author capacity. Assisting staff members are not counted as members of the research team.

Only the principal investigator’s CV shall be appended to the application. The research plan shall describe the expertise of the group members that is essential for the implementation of the project.

REIMBURSEMENT OF OVERHEADS IN RESEARCH GRANTS

A maximum of 15 per cent of a grant can be paid to the site of research as reimbursement of overheads.

PAYMENT OF RESEARCH GRANTS

After the award decision, the applicant shall submit their payment details through the grant application system. Research grants are paid into the account of the site of research in equal instalments every six months. The first instalment will be paid in January 2027.

A grant for which sufficient payment information has not been provided will be transferred back to the Cancer Foundation Finland one year after the award decision was notified, unless otherwise agreed with the researcher.

GRANTEES’ SOCIAL SECURITY AND NOTIFICATION OBLIGATION

Mela, the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution of Finland, provides comprehensive pension cover and social security to farmers and recipients of scientific or artistic grants and scholarships. The Cancer Foundation Finland notifies Mela of all grants where the grant period exceeds four (4) months and where the grant is at least 1570 euros.

A grantee resident in Finland must take out social security insurance if they work on the grant for at least four (4) consecutive months, and if the grant comes to at least 1,570 euros. It is the responsibility of the research team leader to notify Mela of any grants and scholarships paid to members of the research team that meet the criteria. Grants paid to members of the research team are not awarded by the Cancer Foundation Finland, but by the research organisation. Read more on Mela’s website.

NOTIFYING THE TAX ADMINISTRATION OF RESEARCH GRANTS

In personal grants the Cancer Foundation Finland notifies the Tax Administration of the amount in euros of grant money it pays and the personal data of the grantee. If a grantee also pays research scholarships or grants to research team members, the organisation making the payment (e.g. a university) must notify the Tax Administration of the sums paid and the personal data of the recipients.

A notification to the Tax Administration requires that the recipient has a Finnish personal identity code. The personal identity code is provided with the payment details via the grant application system. Read more on the taxation of grants on the Tax Administration’s website.

REPORTING ON RESULTS AND ACCOUNTS STATEMENT

When receiving a grant, the researcher undertakes to report on the results attained with the grant. Grantees also provide an accounts statement on the use of the funding.  Recipients of major grants decided in 2026 must provide their reports by the end of June 2031. Reporting form will be open at the application system

If there is grant money left over at the end of the grant period, grantees may have the grant period extended by special (free-form) request and sufficient justifications. If the extension is granted, the accounting period is extended respectively.

The Cancer Foundation Finland may require a grant to be returned, if the recipient fails to provide a report or account statements don’t cover the whole granted amount. Failure to account for the use of a previously awarded grant may preclude the payment of future grants.

CHANGES TO INTENDED USE OF RESEARCH GRANTS

If necessary, grantees may apply to change the intended use of the grant. The procedure must be agreed in advance with the Cancer Foundation Finland.

COMMUNICATIONS GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH GRANTS

When referring to the grant in their communications, we hope that grantees take into account the following:

The grant has been awarded by Cancer Foundation Finland sr (in Finnish Syöpäsäätiö sr, in Swedish Cancerstiftelsen sr).

We hope that grantees will also notify interesting research findings to the Cancer Foundation’s Communications Department by email at [email protected].

The Cancer Society of Finland consists of 12 regional cancer societies and six national patient organizations. The CSF maintains the Finnish Cancer Registry. Cancer Foundation Finland is a charitable organization and the main private funder of cancer research in the country.