FAQ
Who can participate in the PoDoCo program?
PoDoCo program is aimed for all disciplines. PoDoCo program is intended to support strategic renewal of Finnish industry, and PoDoCo undertakings need to have connection to Finland.
All companies operating in Finland are welcome to join the PoDoCo Program.
All young doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctorate degree and are interested in a career in industry are welcome to join the PoDoCo Program
- The applicants’ doctoral degree was completed no more than four years previously (excluding maternity leave, military service and Non-military service)
- Doctoral candidates, who have not yet graduated but graduating during next 6-9 months may also apply for a grant. In such cases assurance from guiding professor must be enclosed with the application. The PoDoCo-project should be started before the following PoDoCo application round decisions are made. (If funding is applied for in the fall, the project must start in May at the latest, and correspondingly, if applying in the spring, the project must start in November at the latest.) The grant will not be paid out until after the doctoral degree is completed.
Can the collaboration company pay a salary to the postdoc during the grant period?
No, the grantee may not receive salary from the collaboration company during the grant period.
What should I do to receive the grant? Should I notify someone that I am going to start using the grant according to my plan in?
You should take a contact to the foundation awarded the grant to agree on the practicalities regarding the grant. The contact information can be found from the grant approval letter sent you via email.
Is it possible to be awarded a working grant concurrently with another working grant, salary, or unemployment allowance?
With a grant awarded for full-time work it is not possible to receive corresponding funding from another source.
How much work I am allowed to do during the grant period?
The working grant is intended for full-time work. You are allowed to work for no more than 25% of the total weekly working hours allocated for not grant-funded work, that is ca. 1.25 days a week.
Do I have to pay tax for the grant?
A grant is, under certain prerequisites, exempt from tax up to the amount of the annual Finnish Government artists’ grant. Please see Guidelines for grantees and www.vero.fi for more information.
Can awarded grant be deferred?
The use of an awarded grant may be deferred by six months, if the project plan remains the same. Notify the PoDoCo program and the foundation awarded the grant of a change in your circumstances by email.
Decisions concerning longer deferrals are made by the PoDoCo Management Board case by case.
How much I can apply for?
PoDoCo foundation pool offers 6 to12 months research grants. The time unit of research grants is one month. In other words, the sum you apply for will depend on the work’s duration, which is typically one year. A one-year research grant is EUR 32 000. Please note that grants awarded by PoDoCo program are tax-exempt up to 26 269,46 € (2024). Deduction of expenses directly related to the income can be claimed against the part of the income exceeding the tax-free limit by sending the required specification of expenses to the tax authorities.
Can start-up company be collaboration partner?
Yes, but company has to show that it has financial resources to employ the post doc for after the grant funded period. This means that the company should have enough sales i.e. turnover, external funding or strong equity situation. Start-ups are requested to provide financial information in application phase.
Can postdoc be a partner, shareholder of the collaboration company?
Generally, no. PoDoCo-funding can be considered in the case when share of ownership is below 5% and applicant is one of many shareholders. Please contact before applying.
Can VTT or LUKE for example be collaboration company?
No, they cannot be. Publicly owned/ financed companies cannot be collaboration partner. Such state owned/funded research institutes are Evira, GTK, FMI, Kotus, LUKE, Museovirasto, SYKE, STUK, THL, TTL, VTT and VATT furthermore all city owned public utilities are not eligible PoDoCo partners. This is consequence of PoDoCo goal that is to increase number of postdocs in companies i.e. in private sector. However, the separate companies that VTT for example has established to commercialize research results are eligible partner.
