Research Funding System in Estonia

Baseline Funding has the purpose of financing R&D institutions in order to support the development objectives of R&D institutions. It is aimed for co-financing international and local projects, collaboration between academia and industry, opening new fields of research and investing in infrastructure. It is a formula-based annual allocation from the state budget.

Personal Research Fundingis awarded to individuals and research teams on a competitive basis. The grants are meant for high level research and development projects of persons or research groups working in research and development institutions.

Personal research funding comprises three categories of grants corresponding to different levels of research career:

• postdoctoral research grant - is a grant aimed at supporting the launch of a research career of the people with a doctoral degree obtained from an Estonian university at a foreign R&D institutions or among highly qualified research groups (outgoing mobility grant).
• starting grant - to launch independent research career at an Estonian R&D institution, to set up their research group, and to contribute to educating the next generation of researchers (incl. doctoral students).
• team grant - to support researchers in continuing their research career at an Estonian R&D institution, ensuring high-quality research, leading a strong research group, and educating the next generation of researchers (incl. doctoral students).

Personal research funding is organized by the Estonian Research Council and comes from the state budget. Project applications are evaluated by expert commissions and approved by the Estonian Research Council. Application for funding is ogranised through the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS).

The Incoming Postdoctoral Grant for the arrival of postdoctoral researchers to Estonia is aimed at researchers who have received a positive result (at least 70 points) in the Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA) postdoctoral individual grant application round (for coming to Estonia), but have not received funding.

The purpose of the Mobility support grant is to recruit researchers from abroad to Estonian research and development institutions. The mobility support allows both foreign researchers and Estonian researchers who have moved abroad to continue their research careers in Estonia, facilitating the integration of the Estonian research and development system.

The grant is aimed at research and development institutions in Estonia that have been positively evaluated and wish to hire a researcher from abroad. The grant can be applied for researchers who:

• Have not lived or worked permanently in Estonia for the past 12 months. This condition does not apply to recipients of the Estonian Research Council’s (ETAG) Postdoctoral Research Grant (PUTJD);
• Have completed a postdoctoral program or have conducted research of comparable level abroad by the time of application;
• Do not apply for ETAG’s postdoctoral, starting, or group grants in the application year and have not been listed as the (senior) research staff in any starting or group grant application.

Upon receiving the grant, the host institution is obligated to enter into an employment contract with the researcher for a minimum period of 24 months.

Cross-Sectoral Mobility Measure (SekMo) connects academic and non-academic sector. The aim of the support is to increase intersectoral movement of employees, fostering knowledge exchange between different fields and promoting collaboration between Estonian research and development institutions, universities, and the public and private sectors.

SekMo support allows for:

1. Hiring a researcher in a company or public sector institution (to conduct applied research or experimental development projects).
2. Transitioning a top specialist from a company or public sector institution to a university, applied higher education institution, or research institution (to conduct teaching, research, or innovation activities, technology transfer).
3. Employing a knowledge transfer doctoral student in a company (the doctoral thesis is based on the employer’s activities).

The Estonian ERC applicants are supported in three ways:

1. Support for applying for an ERC grant

Support for researchers who have reached the second round of the ERC Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy Grant competitions (for Synergy Grant, the third evaluation round) but have not received funding from the European Research Council. These researchers have the opportunity to continue their research in Estonia and to improve their application for resubmission in subsequent ERC grant application rounds.

To qualify for cost reimbursement, a researcher must participate in an ERC grant competition and receive an evaluation grade of A, yet still not receive funding from the European Research Council. While support can be applied for projects in all fields, the application must show how the project contributes to the focus areas of the Estonian Research, Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy 2021-2035 (RDIE).

2. Support for participation in the ERC mentoring initiative

Support for researchers in applying for the European Research Council (ERC) grant by providing an opportunity to receive guidance from international experts who mentor and advise ERC grant applicants. The support allows for the reimbursement of expenses for mentors participating in the ERC mentoring initiative. Support can be applied for by a researcher who has:

• prepared an ERC grant application and wants to receive feedback from a mentor;
• submitted an ERC grant application, reached the interview stage, and wishes to conduct a mock interview.

3. ERC interview training

Support is intended for applicants who have reached the interview stage in the ERC grant application process. The aim is to increase the success rate of ERC grant applicants by developing the specific knowledge and skills required for the interview. It can be applied for a researcher who has submitted an ERC grant application, reached the interview stage, and completed the ERC interview training at a training institution or trainer with ERC application evaluation expertise.The ERC interview training must take place within the current ERC application round.

JSPS (Japanese Society for Promotion of Science) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan

In cooperation with the Estonian Research Council and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), a competition for postdoctoral fellowships for research in Japan is held every year. The program aims to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding through research in Japan. All fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are included under this program. The duration of the fellowships is 12 to 24 months. The Estonian Research Council announces the annual competition after receiving the confirmation from Japan, with a deadline of March-May. The grant starts October to November.

PARROT French-Estonian science and technology cooperation programme

The aim of the programme is to develop research and technology cooperation between the two countries in all fields of fundamental and applied science. Since the first competition, the inclusion of PhD students and young researchers in projects is a priority for the programme. New collaborations will in all cases be given priority. The call is launched in every two years. The call for applications is open to researchers from research laboratories attached to higher education institutions, research organizations and companies.

Taiwan and Estonia cooperation programme

The exchange visit programme provides opportunities for researchers from one partner country to visit research institutions in another partner country with the aim to facilitate research cooperation between Estonia and Taiwan. The programme promotes mobility, the building of international contacts and knowledge transfer.

In 2022, the doctoral studies in Estonia were reformed. New students enrolled from this year on have three different possibilities to conduct their PhD studies and research projects:

1. The enrolled PhD student gets a position (employment) of a junior researcher at a university or in a research and development institution;

2. The enrolled PhD student gets a position of a junior researcher in the frames of a contract between academic institution and an organisation outside the university, whereas the student works in the partner organisation based on its needs; the topic for the studies/thesis is directly linked to those needs. This form is called 'a transfer of knowledge doctoral degree' and it can be supported by the SekMo – Cross-Sectoral Mobility Measure.

In both cases, the employment contracts enable parties to clearly fi­xate the duties related to doctoral studies and agree upon the remuneration. This way also social guarantees for PhD students are provided, such as annual paid leave, the possibility of receiving sickness bene­fits, collecting for a pension.

3. The third possibility to conduct the PhD studies would be to enroll just as a PhD student without an employment contract, to carry out the research project and complete the studies unrelated to one´s job elsewhere. In this case, the state does not provide doctoral allowance.

All PhD sudents may, upon an agreement, be included in different research projects by their research teams, as well. Further additional scholarships may be available for PhD students. It is wise to inquire more information from the department of the university you are interested in. Information about PhD scholarships can be found also at studyinestonia.ee!

Please note: Until 2026, there are in parallel the PhD students enrolled in universities that are subject to the previous system. They are being considered as students completing their highest level of studies that are normally tuition free, and they have been entitled to a state doctoral allowance of €660 a month.

Centres of Excellence for the period 2023-2030. A Centre of Excellence is a scientific consortium which aims to develop the cooperation and joint activities of exceptionally high-level Estonian research groups. The Centre of Excellence focusses on solving high-risk, high-reward research questions based on the needs of Estonia. High-risk, high-reward research leads to a breakthrough research result that significantly affects the current knowledge or practices of one or more fields. Ten new Centres of Excellence were selected in competitive basis in 2023. 

Some of the Horizon Europe programme partnershipsof national R&D funding institutions are co-funded by Estonian Research Council (up-to-date information available in Estonian). Their main objective is to implement joint transnational calls for research project proposals. They may also coordinate wider research cooperation and activities in their thematic areas, for example, by developing strategic research agendas, databases, principles of sectoral research integrity, etc.

Joint programmes launched in cooperation with NordForsk, which is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Ministers that provides funding for and facilitates Nordic cooperation on research and research infrastructure. Nordic cooperation involves Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as the three autonomous areas, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands.

IMPRESS-U in support of Ukraine.In cooperation with the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Estonian Research Council participates in a support measure of International Multilateral Partnerships for Resilient Education and Science System in Ukraine (IMPRESS-U). The goal of this jointly funded initiative is to support excellence in science and engineering research, education and innovation through international collaboration and promote the integration of Ukrainian scientists into the international research community.

Estonia is a member of The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (link to information in EE). The EMBC is an inter-governmental organization that comprises 27 Member States, including most of the European Union and some of the neighbouring countries. EMBO is financing grants and activities for researchers in molecular biology field. Estonia is participating in this funding, as well.

Infrastructure expenses of a public R&D institution, which are not covered from other funding instruments, can be covered from the state budget through the ministry under whose area of government the research and development institution belongs. Investments are planned based on a long-term planning tool - the national research infrastructure roadmap (update in 2024).

RITA+ (01.04.2023 - 31.08.2029) (link in EE) "Increasing the capacities to implement the results of research, development and innovation activities in society, and creating a favorable political environment for this goal". Following activities are supported: applied research on cross-ministerial and interdisciplinar topics in smart specialisation areas; R&D&I policy analysis; R&D&I capacity building and coopration in policy level; development of Estonian Research Infosystem. Co-funded by European Union.

Mobilitas 3.0 (link in EE) "Supporting the Internationalisation of Estonian R&D: Connecting to the International Knowledge Market". Following activities are supported: supporting the ERC applications and Incoming Postdoctoral Grant (see separate sections above); Estonian participation in international (European) R&D&I partnerships; activities of Estonian Liaison Office for EU RTD in Brussels; international marketing activities under the initiative called Research in Estonia. Co-funded by European Union.

Support for Estonian RDIE focus area VIABLE ESTONIAN SOCIETY, LANGUAGE, AND CULTURAL SPACE. (link in EE) Different calls are arranged, funded by the Ministry of Education and Research as well as by the Ministry of Culture.

TeaMe 3.0 for science communication and popularisation (01.07.2023-31.08.2029) (link in EE). The programme promotes science based worldview to wider audiences and more specifically, among children and youth on all educational levels. It is also supporting capacity building of teachers/trainers/supervisors for research based activities in education, as well as helps to promote and build the capacities of relevant stakeholders on science communication and popularisation. Different programmes, contests, conferences are organised. Co-funded by European Union.

TemTA – thematic R&D programmes - "Implementation of thematic research and development programs to promote academic, private and public sector co-creation and cooperation in areas of smart specialization". The goal is to increase the capacities in research and development activities that would meet the needs of companies and society, to create a good basis for the introduction of science-based and innovative solutions in companies and society at large, and to support the growth of scientists and engineers in the determined fields. Co-funded by European Union.