Research funding is awarded mainly in the form of individual grants. Research projects that are viewed favorably include high-quality applications at either the dissertation or post-doctoral level. Of academic thesis projects, only dissertations are eligible for funding. The application period for research grants is announced early in the year. The application period is usually two weeks. Decisions are made in April.

The following attachment are submitted as part of research grant application: -research plan -recommendations -progress report -ethics committee statement (if it is necessary for the research) -in registry studies, permission of the registry holder (if it is necessary for the research) -possible other attachments (if they are relevant to the research) The research plan is mandatory for all applicants. For doctoral students, a recommendation is mandatory and must indicate the applicant’s participation in a doctoral program. If grant funding is sought for research that has received previous funding from the Alli Paasikivi Foundation for the same purpose, a progress report must be provided. An ethics committee statement, permission of a registry holder and possible other attachments must be included if they are relevant to the research. The maximum length of the research plan is 12,000 characters (including spaces and references). The research plan must clearly indicate the research task involved the project, the method of study and analysis, a timeline, and a budget.