The Returnee Funding for Finnish Doctoral Researchers from the Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, encourages Finnish doctoral researchers in the early stages of their careers to return to Finland by providing them with returnee grants to help them establish their own research team in Finland. The grant is open to applicants from all fields of science.

The application process is open to researchers transitioning to independent research director roles, research teams consisting of several researchers, and universities. Applicants must have completed no less than a three-year postdoctoral fellowship abroad, and the application must be submitted during the phase of returning to Finland or within one year of its completion. Applicants must also hold a conditional or signed employment contract with a Finnish university under the title of assistant professor, associate professor, or research director.

The foundation has allotted a total of 250,000 EUR toward this grant, which may be awarded for a maximum of 3 years to one or two research teams.

Applications open on October 15, 2026, and close on October 30, 2026.