Applications Open for 2023 Maupertuis France-Finland Joint Mobility Programme

The Institut français de Finlande is accepting applications for its Maupertuis programme, enabling researchers in France and Finland to visit the other country to study the natural sciences, the humanities or the social sciences.

The Institut français de Finlande (French Institute for Finland) is a cultural centre for the promotion of French language and culture in Helsinki, Finland. The Institute provides French language classes, offers resources and media from the Francophone world and shares opportunities for collaboration between France and Finland.

The Institute, with support from the Embassy of France in Finland and the French Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (MESR – Ministry of Higher Education and Research) and the Finnish Society for Sciences and Letters, operates the Maupertuis programme, enabling academics from France and Finland to conduct short periods of international mobility in each country. The programme is intended to provide seed funding and to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two nations in natural sciences and the humanities and social sciences while promoting innovation and higher education in the fields of interest of both countries.

During the mobility, researchers will be expected to complete the following activities:

• Discuss the possibility of scientific research cooperation and, if possible, on higher education (mobility of students, dual degrees, joint PhD, EU grant applications etc).
• Meet with researchers within the host institution to explore other collaboration opportunities, adopting a multidisciplinary approach.
• Identify short-, medium- and long-term collaboration opportunities and official cooperation formalisation to establish sustainable cooperation between research teams, laboratories, departments and institutions.
• Find a suitable laboratory for a postdoctoral candidate to initiate or pursue a French-Finnish collaboration.

Researchers from France are welcome to apply for a mobility period in Finland and researchers in Finland are welcome to apply for a mobility period in France. There are no age restrictions for this call. Doctoral students and young researchers are encouraged to apply.

For short visits (under two weeks), applicants may apply for a grant of up to €1,200. This type of grant is intended to support a first visit.

For longer visits (two weeks or more), applicants may apply for a grant of up to €2,000. This type of grant is expected to support a visit where there is already an existing and strong collaboration between the respective researchers and laboratories.

Grants will cover travel, accommodation and leaving expenses for the mobility period.

Applications must be submitted by 30 September 2023.

(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)