HSSH Catalyst Grant 2026 Application Form

HSSH Catalyst Grant is a yearly round of open support for research groups at the City Centre Campus. The call for the HSSH Catalyst Grant 2026 is now open and the deadline for applications is September 1st, 2025.

The grant is primarily directed to initiatives that enforce multidisciplinary networking, co-operation between UH research groups or initiating new research groups. Several research groups are encouraged to apply together for shared purposes.

The Catalyst Grant provides modest but strategical support to existing and emerging research groups. Groups can apply support for a variety of needs, ideas, and cooperative initiatives. These may, for instance, include support for:

Initiating innovative and cooperative projects or networks that open new insights, relationships and aim at publishing such ideas,

Collecting new data that benefits several research initiatives,

Developing and testing new methodological approaches and solutions,

Acquiring necessary technological devices and systems that support the shared research infrastructure at UH, particularly in the City Centre Campus.

We also encourage applicants to suggest ideas other than the ones sketched above.

Methodological mentoring

HSSH methodological unit will offer methodological consultation for awarded projects.

For 2026 we will also select 5–6 projects for methodological mentoring. The HSSH staff will collaborate intensively with these projects and seek to enhance their wider impact on the campus. This can include organization of workshops, publication of results and outcomes in different forms or other activities.

Please indicate in the application whether your project would wish to be involved in this new collaborative programme and what types of methodological, infrastructural and analytical support the project would most benefit from.

All funded projects are expected to present the results of their work in the HSSH weekly Methodological Brown Bag Seminar.

Evaluation

The applications will be assessed by HSSH staff, with the support of selected experts from the UH SSH community. The evaluation pays particular attention to the following criteria:

testing and developing new ideas, concepts and solutions, and the potential for scaling these beyond the project context,

reaching for multidisciplinary collaboration,

the feasibility of suggested action and clarity of the plan,

promise of open added value for other researchers in the SSH field (beyond the applying research group),

rationale for the suggested budget

Eligibility

All existing and emerging research groups working in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities at the City Centre Campus can apply for the grant. The PI of the application must hold a doctoral degree and be affiliated (via an employment contract or a grant-funded researcher agreement) with one of the partner units of HSSH (Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Theology, Swedish School of Social Sciences, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies). Catalyst Grant funding does not support work for PhD projects.

Application instructions

The application consists of:

A short description and rationale for the supported action,

A clear description of the added value that the grant provides,

Highlights of the anticipated methodological challenges and support needs for the project,

Description of the research groups involved,

Time-table for the execution of the project (during 2026),

A brief (max 50 words) public description (in English) of the initiative, to be published on the HSSH website if funded,

A detailed plan for the costs and execution of the action.

Please note that:

The maximum amount of the grant is 15 000 € and funding decisions may be lower than the applied amount

All salary costs must include 30 % employer side costs

For acquired equipment the maximum limit is 10 000 €, including VAT

All funding must be used during 1.1.–30.11.2026.

If your proposal includes purchasing new equipment, please first make sure that such equipment is not already available at the HSSH Equipment Library or at HSSH Interlab.

Completing the HSSH Research Group Survey questionnaire is a prerequisite for applying for the Catalyst Grant. Fill the questionnaire here. If your research group has already filled the questionnaire, please supply the name(s) of the persons named as the group leader/contact person in the questionnaire.

Schedule

The deadline for the 2026 HSSH Catalyst Grant applications is September 1st, 2025 at 16:00.

Decisions for the 2026 grants will be prepared by a working group led by the director of HSSH. Funding decisions will be announced on October 13th, 2025 at the latest.

All funding must be used during 1.1.–30.11.2026.

Further inquiries

HSSH University researcher Jouni Tuominen, jouni.tuominen@helsinki.fi

HSSH Director Risto Kunelius, risto.kunelius@helsinki.fi, 040-1904085 (you can leave an SMS request for calling back).

Tietosuojaseloste

1 Applicant and contact info

1.1 Principal Investigator (last name, first name)

1.2 Email address of the PI

1.3 Faculty or Unit of the PI

If other, please specify

1.4 UH Partners

Please provide a list of co-operation partners and their faculty affiliations.

1.5 Networks outside UH

2 Project description

2.1 Name of the project

2.2 Core idea (500 words)

Describe the project idea, your goals and the concrete action for which you propose to use the grant.

2.3 Added value provided by the grant

Describe clearly the added value that the grant provides for other researchers in the SSH field.

2.4 Research group context (300 words)

Describe the broader context of the action: Which existing or emerging research groups are involved? What added value will the grant bring to these networks?

2.5 Equipment (300 words)

If your proposal includes purchase of new equipment, please explain the need for this and make sure that such equipment is not already available at the HSSH Equipment Library or at HSSH Interlab

Note: all equipment purchased with the Catalyst Grant will be listed at HSSH equipment library and made available for the wider research community after the funding period of the initial project.

2.6 Time-table, outcomes and impact (200 words)

List concrete outcomes (events, funding applications, publications, tools, infrastructure) the grant will support, and provide a time-table for the action.

2.7 Public description of the project in English (50 words)

2.8 Proposal Categories

Choose max two of the following categories that best describe the aims of your proposal:

Initiating innovative and cooperative projects or networks

Collecting new data

Developing and testing new methodological approaches and solutions

Acquiring necessary technological devices and systems

Other, please specify below

If other, please specify

3 Budget

3.0 Total sum applied

Note: maximum total sum 15 000€

Note: all funds must be used by November 30, 2024.

Please provide a detailed breakdown of the expences by category below.

3.1 Salaries and fees

Note: applied sum for salaries and fees must include a 30% employer cost

Total sum (salaries and fees)

Breakdown of costs (salaries and fees)

3.2 Equipment

Note: maximum sum for equipment purchase for a grant is 10 000, including VAT

Total sum (equipment)

Breakdown of costs (equipment)

3.3 Services

Total sum (services)

Breakdown of costs (services)

3.4 Travel costs

Total sum (travel costs)

Breakdown of costs (travel costs)

3.5 Other costs

Total sum (other costs)

Breakdown of costs (other costs)

Methodological mentoring

I would like my project to be considered for the 2026 HSSH methodological mentoring programme.

Please describe the types of methodological, infrastructural, or analytical support your project would most benefit from:

HSSH Affiliation

I have filled the HSSH Research Group Survey questionnaire

Name(s) of the persons named as the group leader/contact person in the HSSH Research Group Survey

Tietojen lähetys

Thank you for your application!