Åbo Akademi University // Tuomiokirkontori 3, FI-20500 TURKU // Phone: +358 2 215 31 // abo.fi
Åbo Akademi University Research Services Domkyrkotorget 3 20500 Åbo Finland
ÅAU research grants 2020
Evaluation process and criteria
• The applications are evaluated for each faculty by the professor members in the Board of the Graduate School at Åbo Akademi University. The evaluator does not assess any applicant which he/she supervises or any projects in which he/she is involved.
o Apart from the above-described process, also separate external experts will evaluate the Donner and Polin applications.
• The applications are evaluated on a scale 1-5 according to the following criteria:
o 5 = Excellent application. Shows exceptional innovation. With potential to considerably promote science.
o 4 = Very good application. Very good in national comparison, no need for improvement on any significant factor.
o 3 = Good application. Generally a good application, but with some important parts that could be improved.
o 2 = Insufficient application. Shortcomings in e.g. theorizing.
Needs considerable improvement.
o 1 = Poor application. Considerable weaknesses in the drafting of the research project.
Additional criteria that will affect the final decision for the doctoral research grants:
• Prioritizing by progression (doctoral candidate advances in studies according to a time schedule which will allow graduation in 4 years)
• Previous funding will be taken into account before the final order of preference (general principle: doctoral candidates can get a total funding of max 48 months for a doctoral degree)
Åbo Akademi University // Tuomiokirkontori 3, FI-20500 TURKU // Phone: +358 2 215 31 // abo.fi
Decision process
• The evaluators grade each application individually, without discussing the grades with other evaluators. The grades are sent to Research
Services, where an overall average will be calculated for each applicant.
Based on the overall average grades, a list with an order of preference will be sent to the evaluators, who then will make a proposal for the awarding of the research grants per faculty.
• The decision regarding the general ÅAU research grants will be made by the Board of the Graduate School on November 1, 2019.
o the Donner and Polin research grants will be discussed in the Donner and Polin committee respectively. Each committee makes a proposal which has to be approved by the Board of the Åbo Akademi University Foundation.
• The Board of the ÅAU Foundation meets on November 12, 2019, after which the result for the research grants 2020 will be sent out to all applicants as soon as the board decision is made available to the ÅAU Research Services.
