The Foundations' Post Doc Pool awarded some 1.39 million euros to 26 postdoctoral scholars on 3 December 2025.
Two of the grants were awarded to postdoctoral scholars at the University of Eastern Finland. Postdoctoral Researcher Emilia Happonen from the Department of Technical Physics received 65,000 euros from the Emil Aaltonen Foundation for research work in the field of nanoscience. Visiting Researcher Antti Luikku from the Institute of Clinical Medicine received 75,000 euros from the Päivikki ja Sakari Sohlberg Foundation for research work in the field of clinical medicine.
Altogether 165 post-doctoral scholars from around Finland took part in the autumn application round. The number of applicants increased by 10 % from the previous year.
Each year, the foundations involved in the Pool allocate altogether 3.2 million euro to post-doctoral scholars. The research periods abroad vary from 6 months up to 24 months. The Pool’s next application round will take place from 1 January until 31 January 2026, when some 1.6 million euro will be given in grants. The results of this round will be published by April 2026.
The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool was founded in 2009 to support researchers and Finnish research in becoming more international. During this time, the Pool’s foundations have granted over 40 million euros to post-doctoral researchers heading abroad from Finland. After 32 application rounds, already some 840 scholars have received funding through the Pool. Over one third of the grants have been awarded for two-year periods.
The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool has proven to be an important instrument of research funding which has enabled young scholars with families to finance research periods at top universities abroad.
The grants awarded by the Pool are determined flexibly in accordance with the applicant’s needs and they often include their family’s moving expenses and children’s day care or school fees.
During the current three-year-period 2025-2027 there are thirteen foundations involved in the pool. They are Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, Emil Aaltonen’s Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish Medical Foundation, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Ulla Tuominen’s Foundation.
Source: Foundations' Post Doc Pool