Grants Application

Basic information about grants

The Helsingin Sanomat Foundation has launched a two-phase-application process. In the first phase, the applicant submits a concept paper in maximum of three pages. The concept paper should provide key details about the research, such as the research question, purpose, methods, and research group as well as the length of the research period and amount applied.

Based on the concept papers, The Foundation selects the most promising projects to the second phase. Those selected, are asked to submit a detailed grant application including research plan, budget, and other relevant attachments.

The Foundation welcomes concept papers related to research on media, communications, and freedom of speech.

The Helsingin Sanomat Foundation arranges directed calls on regular basis.

In addition, the Foundation awards fellowships to Finnish mid-career journalists to enable them to study at top universities abroad.

Assessment of the application

The applications are assessed by the following evaluation criteria: innovativeness, novelty value, outcome to the academic community, media and society, clarity and feasibility of the research plan, use of funding as well as skills and resources of the research group. Also interdisciplinarity, international cooperation and cooperation between different organizations may be used as evaluation criteria.

Applications may also be sent for evaluation to the members of the scientific committee.

Application form

The Helsingin Sanomat Foundation uses an electronic grant application system to handle grant applications. All the applications are to be sent via the electronic system only. Through the system you can submit grant applications and requests for payment, report the progress of the research projects and use of funding and update your contact information.

To log in the system, you need an e-mail address and a password. Application can be found: https://www.apurahat.net/hssaatio/. When you have logged in the system, you can see your unfinished applications, active projects, reports, project history and pending actions listed on the main page. The main page is empty if you have not used the system earlier. On the front page you can also see current information regarding grants.

To make a new grant application, click the Make an application button. An application will always get a new project number. You can modify an unfinished application through the main page. The electronic applications with attachments are sent to the Foundation by clicking the Send button. You cannot modify the application after this. Immediately after submission you will get a confirmation by e-mail.

Grant applications are also evaluated by the Scientific Board and other experts. Decisions are informed through the electronic grant application system. The funded projects are also posted at the Foundation´s website and published in the annual report.

Attachments

Obligatory attachments are research plan, CV of the head of research, list of publications of the head of research and detailed budget. CV should not be longer than two pages and the list of publications only from the last five calender years. Attachments must be in pdf-format. The largest allowed file size is 2 megabytes.

References

The contact information of the referees can be  given by the electronic grant application system or the references can also be sent directly to the Foundation office. References are not required.