Personal research funding
A personal research funding is a contribution towards the costs of innovative or high-risk research projects carried out by researchers or small research groups. Personal research funding is applied for in a public competition on the conditions and pursuant to the procedure established by the Estonian Research Council and approved by the Ministry of Education and Research. Funds allocated for personal research funding are allocated to the Estonian Research Council through the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research.
The Estonian Research Council organises the assessment of applications for personal research funding and the assessment is carried out by the Evaluation Committee of the Estonian Research Council with the help of foreign experts.
Further information is available at the Estonian Research Council home page.
Institutional research funding
An institutional research funding is allocated for financing high-level research and development, and related activities (research topics) of a research and development institution. The aim is to ensure the consistency of the research and development of an R&D institution, and to upgrade, supplement and maintain the infrastructure necessary for this purpose. Institutional research funding is provided from the state budget by the directive of the Minister of Education and Research.
Institutional research funding can be applied for by research and development institutions whose science and development activities have received regular positive evaluation in at least one research field as of the application date. The evaluation of the institutional research funding applications is organised by the Estonian Research Council and carried out by the Evaluation Committee of the Estonian Research Council with the help of foreign experts. The amount of annual institutional funding is established by a directive of the Minister of Education and Research on the recommendation by the Estonian Research Council.
A core infrastructure is an infrastructure belonging to a research and development institution, which was established in the public interests for the purpose of pursuing research themes and which can be used by other persons on the terms and conditions established by the research and development institution. An application for core infrastructure support is submitted together with an application for an institutional research funding.
Further information about applying for institutional research funding is available at the Estonian Research Council’s home page.
Support from Structural Funds
Support from Structural Funds means more support to increase quality in research and studies, applied research as well as internal and external collaboration. Main aim is strengthening the international competitiveness and highest possible quality of research, improving performance, intensifying national and international research cooperation between institutions and increasing the international impact of Estonian research.
Base funding
Base funding means financing of R&D institutions for the purpose of attaining their strategic development objectives, including co-financing national and foreign projects and opening up new research directions and investing in the infrastructure. Base funding is provided to R&D institutions that have received a regular positive evaluation from the state budget via the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research.
Criteria of the base funding
95% of the funds allocated for that purpose in the state budget will be provided to applicants based on the results of their R&D activities carried out in the three years’ period prior to submitting the source data based on the following criteria:
- the number of high-level publications in internationally recognised journals, the numbers of high-level level scientific monographs and their chapters as well as the number of patents and patent applications filed on behalf of R&D institutions (40%);
- the amount of funding allocated for R&D (grants and contracts directly related to R&D activities; income from licencing and patents) based on financial reports (50%);
- the institutions’ participation in PhD studies (10%).
5% of the amounts provided in the state budget for base funding are allocated for additional support to research of national importance.
Base funding encourages initiative and increases the accountability of R&D institutions in planning their activities It also enables R&D institutions better focus on their core activities and achieve better results. Base funding also helps to maintain financial stability and gives confidence to research institutions.
Last updated: 21.10.2022