This page compiles example questions and answers to help grant recipients understand the practices and obligations related to grant payment, usage, and reporting. Before logging into the payment system, make sure to read the grant recipient’s guidelines on the website.
Changes to the purpose of the grant
A: Once you have a letter of invitation or other confirmation from the new university, please send the document to the Foundation for Economic Education (Liikesivistysrahasto) by email: apurahat@lsr.fi. The grant usage plan will be reviewed and reprocessed. You will receive a confirmation notice if the change is approved.
A: The project can be initiated within three years of the grant decision without separate notification. The usage period of the grant can also be extended for justified reasons. Please submit a confirmed invitation and certificate from the host university before the planned visit.
A: Yes, you can. First, submit a new invitation or acceptance document before submitting the payment request, and ensure that the travel budget is at the same level as the original destination. Furthermore, we ask you to report on the change of destination in the electronic usage report form after your attendance at the conference.
Grant payments
A: No. We recommend entering all payment installments for the entire grant period in the system at once. Working grants are typically paid in 5–7 installments depending on project progress, but the number and size of monthly installments may vary. Once all installments are recorded, no separate requests are needed. Please note: No payments are made in July (payments are processed in June/August).
Hiring a research assistant
A: You may hire an assistant, for example, for data collection, if your budget allows. Please note the legal requirements related to paying salaries, fees, commissions, and reimbursements. You can use tools like palkka.fi for salary payments.
Grant reporting during ongoing research
A: Please complete the report based on what you have achieved during the grant period. It is sufficient to report the results of the period. If you are applying for a new grant from the Foundation, you are requested to attach an informal interim report to your application.
Duration and possible delays of the grant period
A: The duration is especially relevant for grant-funded work. If the work lasts at least four months, the recipient must apply for statutory Myel insurance at the start of the period (mela.fi). According to the practice between the Foundation and Mela, the recipient may report a working period up to 50% longer than the defined grant period. However, the total duration must not exceed 12 months, unless the recipient is part of a multi-year research group.
Part-time work during the grant period
A: As a rule, the same research cannot be carried out both under a working grant and under a researcher’s contract (researcher’s employment contract). During the grant period, any other part-time paid employment or self-employment must be declared on the application form, and if it is not a researcher’s contract, the share of part-time paid work may, as a general rule, be up to 50% without any subsequent obligation to notify the funder. If a part-time researcher’s contract during the grant period has been declared in the application, this will be considered in the grant decision. If your situation changes in relation to the information provided in the application, please notify the foundation office (apurahat@lsr.fi).
Example: A researcher contract was not known at the application stage, and subsequently you receive, for instance, a two-year 50% researcher’s contract. It is possible either to postpone the start of the grant period within the three-year grant commitment, or to cancel the overlapping portion of the grant. In the case of other employment contracts, also clarify the employer’s position regarding work carried out under the grant and apply for a change to the grant period.
Research group expenses
A: Yes, under the responsibility of the Principal Investigator, the research and funding plan may include analysis software as part of data acquisition.
Changes to a research group member’s grant period
A: This is possible. The grant period for a member of the research group can be extended for a justified reason. If the extension is for at least 4 months, it is insured as a separate grant. Extensions shorter than 4 months are insured by combining them with the previous grant, meaning they are chained together. However, the grant recipient must apply for the combination themselves through Mela’s online service.
Taxation
A: Please consult the current guidelines on the websites of the Finnish Tax Administration (vero.fi) and Mela (mela.fi). Working grants are tax-free up to the annual maximum amount of the state artist grant (in 2025, €26,671.92). Also consider pension and insurance matters related to the visit, which are explained on the Finnish Centre for Pensions website (etk.fi). Working abroad and the duration of the stay affect insurance, social security, and possible tax deductions.
