grants
26
finnish cultural foundation
annual report 2012–2013
T
he Central Fund received 8,300
grant applications. The number
has risen at about 500 a year, the
biggest increase being in the arts. The
arts now accounted for 58% and science
for 40% of the applications. Funds were
sought most for artistic work, but increas-
ingly also to cover the costs of events.
The largest number of applications was
for theatre. In science, the proportion of
post doc research has risen particularly in
recent years, attracting most applications
from the biosciences. However, nearly one
third of the grants were awarded for work
on a doctoral dissertation and almost as
many for artistic work.
The size of a 12-month working grant
was raised to EUR 22,000 and the grant
for scientific post doc work to EUR 26,000.
As the size of the grants increased, ever
fewer applicants received a grant. An arts
grant was awarded to about 10% of the
applicants, a science grant to around 12%.
The proportion of female applicants
rose to 57%, and to no less than 62%
in science. There has each year been a
moderate increase in the percentage of
non-Finnish citizens as both applicants
and recipients. This year, 8.5% of the ap-
plicants and recipients were foreigners,
and there were clearly more in science.
In addition to the grants awarded by the
Central Fund at its annual gala, the Cultural
Foundation finances applicants from the
two common pools established by Finnish
foundations, the Post Doc Pool and the
Professor Pool, both to the sum of EUR 1
million a year.
Many large grants
At the annual gala at Finlandia Hall on
February 27, the biggest grant, a Catapult
for the preparation of a publication on a
Pompeii excavation project.
Major regional projects
The sums awarded by the regional funds
vary greatly. The biggest regional funds
(South Ostrobothnia and Varsinais-Suomi)
awarded over EUR 900,000, the smallest
(Kainuu) just under EUR 200,000. The
Central Fund backed the regional funds
to the tune of nearly EUR 3 million. The
17 regional funds received about 8,500
applications in all, i.e. slightly more than
the Central Fund. This was over 650 more
than in the previous year.
Some of the special regional fund
grants are awarded for projects of re-
gional significance. The Pirkanmaa Fund
supported the F.E. Sillanpää Society with
EUR 30,000 for an opera about the life of
this Nobel Prize-winning Finnish writer
(1888–1964). Professor
Kirsi Vainio-
Korhonen
received EUR 30,000 from the
Varsinais-Suomi Fund for research into
an old collection in Turku City Library.
The South Ostrobothnia Fund awarded
the Isokyrö Local Heritage Society EUR
30,000 for the organisation of an event
about life in war and peace during the
Battle of Napue – the last field battle fought
in Finland in the Great Northern War 300
years ago.
grant of EUR 200,000, was awarded to
Dance House (Tanssin talo) for the estab-
lishment in Helsinki of a centre dedicated
to dance. The centre is expected to occupy
a strong role in the promotion of dance
both in Finland and internationally. An-
other Catapult grant, of EUR 120,000, was
awarded to The Performance Centre Eskus
for its operations and an internationalisa-
tion project. No fewer than 132 Catapult
applications were received.
All in all the Central Fund awarded ten
grants of at least EUR 100,000. Pianist-
teachers
Niklas Pokki
,
Antti Siirala
and
Teppo Koivisto
received EUR 100,000
for the establishment of a Piano Academy.
Intended for exceptionally talented Finnish
youngsters hoping to become professional
pianists, this will provide coaching in
periods. The Association for Amateur
and Professional Theatres in Finland
netted EUR 100,000 for the execution of
a youth theatre project, and City-Sámit
EUR 100,000 for the revitalisation of the
Sámi language and culture in the Helsinki
region.
In science, a grant of EUR 120,000 was
awarded to
Harri Kokko
,
Anna Toljamo
and
Maarit Peura
for a project aimed at
the economically profitable cultivation of
aromatic arctic brambles using a new tech-
nique. A corresponding sumwas awarded
to Docent
Antero Tammisto
and his team
Ever keener competition
for grants
At its annual gala, the Central Fund awarded grants totalling EUR 21.3 million
to over 900 applicants. The regional funds awarded a further EUR 9.7 million,
to around 1,100.
The sums for distribution were on a par with those
the year before but more applications were received
by both the Central and the regional funds.
