CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Early Career Arctic Researcher Network grants
The Thule Institute and the Arctic Six invites established University of Oulu doctoral students and early career scientists to apply for kick-start funding for bold research initiatives, to develop new funding proposals on all topics and for international collaborations concerned with Arctic (or Polar) regions. We seek ambitious, creative, and intellectually engaging proposals that push boundaries and spark novel collaborations across all disciplines that relate to and focus on the wider Arctic.
Purpose of the Call
This all-new funding call targets early-career Arctic scientists in the design of collaborative research initiatives. The goal is to facilitate the development of new research-focused cooperation that lay the groundwork for future large-scale research efforts. Proposed funding may include, but are not limited to Arctic-related activities of:
- Enabling one or more researchers to draft a major national or international funding proposal.
- Organizing a workshop for prospective new interdisciplinary projects, initiatives, research ideas and teams.
- Supporting Arctic fieldwork that tests a novel methodology or hypothesis.
- Promoting collaboration through hosting a visiting researcher from abroad, particularly from the Arctic Six universities.
- Drafting a plan for a new research group, University of the Arctic Thematic Network or for a pilot study that seeks to prove a novel research topic or methodology.
The scope of the call is not limited, and we encourage original, interdisciplinary, and ambitious ideas that cultivate new directions and initiatives for Oulu Arctic research. Please note that research activities must follow the ethical principles and research integrity of University of Oulu and the appropriate ethical and health and safety permissions and approvals are required from your Unit.
Funding Details
- Funding amount: €1,000–€5,000
- Funding can be used for travel and meeting/workshop costs, short term research visits and field work and costs for hosting a visiting expert.
- All funded activities must take place before the end of 2026.
A report including usage of the funding must be submitted by 31 January 2027, and potential news-worthy items should be reported on an ongoing basis.
Timeline
- Call opens: 27 March 2026
- There will be a rolling deadline over the year for accepting proposals. The call will remain open until allocated funds are spent – you are recommended to enquire as to the status of these funds before preparing a proposal.
- Proposals will be assessed monthly – and decisions announced shortly thereafter. Activities can begin immediately after approval.
- While activities must take place in 2026, final outputs can be delivered later.
Evaluation Criteria
- Excellence and Novelty. The proposal will be evaluated on its overall academic strength, rigour and novelty. The proposed activities must be feasible, manageable and practicable.
- Innovative Practices for the Arctic and Polar regions: The proposal must develop new Arctic-related ideas, research directions, and/or practices.
- New Collaborations & Multidisciplinarity: Proposed activities must foster new relationships for the purpose of expanding the horizons of collaborative Arctic research and ideally involve multiple, cross-cutting disciplines.
- Planned Outcomes and Impact: Proposals should clearly define the final outputs towards which the funded activities will contribute, clearly articulating the role of the activities in the achievement of the output and their wider impact.
Who can apply
To be eligible, the applicant must be actively enrolled in their second or later year at University of Oulu in a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) or employed as an Early Career Scientist at the University. The definition of an ECS follows strictly that applied by the ERC for the Starting Grant (StG27) call: i.e. successfully defended their PhD 0–10 years prior to January 1, 2027. This 10-year window is extended for properly documented career breaks (parental leave, illness, national service). In very exceptional circumstances, we will also consider applications from senior university researchers for urgent high-impact opportunities that arise at short notice and for which it can be demonstrated there is no alternative funding. In these circumstances, please get in touch by email in advance with a brief outline for approval, before submitting a proposal.
Proposal Submission
Proposals should be submitted with supporting documents via online form along with a 3-page Research Council of Finland format CV and the project proposal. The proposal should be a maximum of 3 pages (excluding budget and references) written in Arial or equivalent font size 11 with 2 cm margins. The proposal should include state-of-the-art, aims and objectives, research methodology if relevant, timeline and detailed budget.
Contact Information
For further questions regarding this open call, please contact either Kirsi Latola (Kirsi.Latola@oulu.fi) or Alun Hubbard (Alun.Hubbard@oulu.fi).