The Alfred Kordelin Foundation has been awarded 3.5 million euros to promote science, the arts, and public education, by awarding grants to 69 applicants. Personal grants awarded by the foundation are 45,000 euros each, and funding for projects ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 euros. The number of applications increased significantly compared to the previous year.
The foundation’s grants were renewed this year; grants under the new criteria were available for the first time in August. A common feature of the grants in science, the arts, and public education is goal-oriented work. Instead of numerous small grants, the foundation now awards larger grants and enables broader projects that look further ahead, beyond the grant period. With this approach, the foundation also seeks to provide scientists, artists, and cultural professionals with peace of mind to focus on their work.
The renewed grant call generated significant interest, with a total of 2,290 applications received. The highest number of applications came from the visual arts field, an impressive 979 applications.
“We receive many excellent applications every year, but grants can only be awarded to a fraction of them. The key criteria in funding decisions were the broader significance or societal impact of the work, as well as the applicant’s own goal setting and pathway to achieving it,” said Erik Båsk, CEO of the foundation. “Our grantees do important work in science, the arts, and education, contributing to building our shared future.”
1.75 million euros for visual arts, music, architecture, and applied arts
Arts grants are available for different art fields on a rotating basis: this year, the call covered visual arts, music, and architecture and applied arts. In the August call, grants were awarded to 34 applicants, with a total of 1.75 million euros distributed.
Among visual arts applicants, 16 received funding; in music, 11 received grants; and seven grants were awarded in architecture and applied arts. The aim of personal grants in the arts is to support the development of the recipient as a professional artist and to help them to set apart and challenge them in the art field.
1.1 million euros for recently graduated PhDs
The foundation’s science grants are targeted at recently graduated PhDs. The grants support the career paths of postdoctoral researchers and facilitate progress in professional life. In the August call, 24 grants were awarded, seven in the humanities, seven in natural and technical sciences, and ten in social sciences. Each grant amounts to 45,000 euros.
670,000 euros to strengthen critical thinking and democracy
Public education grants are awarded to projects that strengthen the role of evidence-based and expert knowledge and promote critical thinking, diversity of perspectives, and democracy. In the August call, six personal grants and five project grants were awarded, with a total of 670,000 euros distributed.
Information on all grantees is available on the foundation’s website.
Further information:
Grant Specialist
Alfred Kordelin Foundation
saara.terva@kordelin.fi
+358 40 125 3010