Description

The 2026 SRC programme “The Changing Arctic Region (ARCTIC)” supports long-term, solution-oriented, multidisciplinary research on the profound and multi-layered changes occurring in the Arctic — driven by climate change, geopolitical tensions, economic interests and societal shifts. The programme’s goal is to strengthen Finnish Arctic expertise, enhance understanding of how changes in the Arctic affect people, livelihoods, nature and security, and to build Finland’s capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and influence Arctic developments.

Funding Amounts

• Funding amount for the first funding period is €2.75–3.0 million (total costs).
• Project duration: total of six years, with funding disbursed in two phases:
  • First period: 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029, and
  • Second period: 1 October 2029 to 30 September 2032 (subject to review and continuation)

• Continuation to the second funding period is conditional on satisfactory mid-term evaluation; the cost estimate for the full 6-year period must be planned so that expenses in the second period do not exceed 100% of those in the first.

Submission Deadlines

• Call opens: 18 November 2025
• Letter of Intent (first stage) deadline: 21 January 2026, 16:15 Finnish time
• Full application (second stage): by invitation only. Earliest opening of second stage: 25 March 2026.
• Final deadline for full applications: 6 May 2026, 16:15 Finnish time

Submission Conditions & Eligibility Requirements

• Only consortia are eligible; individual researchers or single-institution proposals are not accepted.
• Each consortium must consist of at least three organisations and cover at least three distinct research fields.
• Consortium must include roles: a Principal Investigator (PI), Work Package (WP) leaders, and an Interaction Coordinator. Each subproject must have a named Subproject PI (site of research, responsible for funding use).
• PIs and WP leaders must hold a doctoral degree and title of docent (or equivalent research experience at docent level). The Interaction Coordinator must be qualified in their field (doctoral degree not strictly required).
• The site of research must be located in Finland (typically a Finnish university or public research institute), which will receive the funding.
• The funding follows the full cost model: the SRC contribution covers 100% of research costs.
• The funds may cover salaries of consortium PI, research personnel (primarily doctoral-level researchers), travel, interaction/ stakeholder engagement, mobility, collaborative activities, auditing, and other project-related costs — but not major infrastructure acquisition.
• SRC funding cannot be used for “economic activity” — i.e., no activities that involve offering goods or services on the open market. Entities primarily oriented towards commercial activity are excluded unless special confirmation of eligibility is obtained.
• Consortium composition and leadership must follow strict eligibility rules: a given person may only serve as PI, WP leader, or interaction coordinator in one application per SRC programme; PIs cannot act in multiple consortia; site-of-research commitments must be provided; the application must meet responsible science principles (gender balance, non-discrimination, open science, data management, ethics, research security) and submit all required documentation including data management and risk assessments (at full application stage).

Eligible Types of Organisations

• Finnish higher-education institutions (universities), public research institutes.
• Non-university organisations (e.g. non-profit organisations, public sector bodies or certain non-commercial entities) may participate — provided they obtain explicit eligibility confirmation from the RCF before applying.
• Private companies or commercial enterprises are generally excluded, because SRC funding may not support economic activity.

Eligible Countries

• The site of research must be in Finland — all subprojects must operate through Finnish organisations which will receive the funding.
• International cooperation is allowed (e.g., foreign collaborators, mobility, benchmarking), but foreign organisations cannot be funded under this call — funding is granted only to Finnish sites.