TURNS Research Enrichment Funding Call 2026
TURNS supports multidisciplinary, innovative and impactful urban sustainability research conducted at Tampere University. In spring 2026, TURNS grants research enrichment funding to increase societal engagement and the impact of the research results in communities and society.
- Application period: 1 April – 30 April 2026
- Funding period: 1 June – 31 December 2026
- Amounts funded: EUR 3,000 – 4,000 per application
- Total funding: approx. EUR 20,000 in total
- Decisions on enrichment funding will be made in May 2026
- Apply funding by filling in the application form (link below).
Enrichment funding
TURNS enrichment funding aims to develop societal engagement in research. This can be in the form of increasing the impact of research in society, for instance, through creative methods of dissemination or communication, or through public-facing events where the public or external stakeholders are able to provide insights and guidance to ongoing research.
Enrichment funding is granted, for example, for the production and dissemination of written or other materials (guides, policy briefs, teaching materials, popular science texts, videos etc.) that popularize research; stakeholder cooperation; and/or the organization of community events. We also support art-science collaboration and the use of creative methods.
We particularly encourage projects that promote the position of vulnerable people and/or environments in cities. Projects based on other urban study themes are also eligible.
Funding criteria
- The enrichment project should build upon existing urban research activities carried out at Tampere University and to the results obtained from that research.
- The enrichment project must be related to the themes of TURNS, involving urban sustainability.
- The main applicant must be a member of the Tampere University research community (career stage 1-4).
- In addition to the criteria above, other issues to be assessed separately in the proposal: impact and significance of the project; target group(s). In case of creative methods, we assess separately the quality, originality and feasibility of the project.
- First-time recipients of TURNS research enrichment funding are given priority. This concerns only the main applicant. Earlier TURNS seed or mobility funding does not affect the evaluation.
- Those receiving funding are expected to write a post about their project on the Tampere Urban Research Perspectives blog; produce a public event in collaboration with TURNS as part of their project; or to make a presentation at one of the TURNS events. This will be agreed separately with each recipient.
Enrichment funding can be used to:
- the salary costs of the staff of Tampere University (see intranet: working hour allocations)
- fees for persons outside Tampere University (see intranet: fees)
- travel costs (see intranet: travel)
- billable domestic and foreign services and purchases (see intranet: invoices; VAT 0%)
- reimbursement of expenses in cases where invoicing is not possible
The amount of the enrichment funding is EUR 3 000 – 4 000 per application (excluding the indirect personnel costs). In the 2026 call, we distribute c. EUR 20,000 funding in total.
If funding is planned for the salaries, indirect personnel costs and overhead costs should not be included in the budget, but TURNS adds them to the funding for the favor of the project. For possible purchases, VAT is 0%.
For salaries and fees, please contact the HR team of your own faculty. Remember to check with your supervisor that you are allowed to allocate your working hours to the enrichment project.
Note: The funding must be used by 31 December 2026 without exception.
How to apply
Apply TURNS research enrichment funding 2026 by filling in the application form and attaching there your application document (max 1 page). The application period closes on 30 April 2025 at 23:59 (EEST). Note that the main applicant must have a tuni.fi email address.
The language of the application should be English, but the project can be conducted in Finnish or in English.
The application form includes following parts:
- The name, e-mail and faculty of the main applicant at Tampere University
- Names and affiliations of the possible working group members
- Title of the enrichment project
- A public description of the enrichment project for communications purposes (max. 300 characters including spaces)
- Information on which existing urban research at Tampere University the enrichment project is connected to
- Target group(s) and possible other collaborators of the enrichment project
- Total sum of applied funding (EUR 3,000 – 4,000 per application)
- Attachment: application document* (pdf, max 1 page, max 10 MB)
* The application document (max 1 page) should include the following information:
- Title of the enrichment project
- Names of the main applicant and possible working group members
- A work plan / description of what the enrichment funding is intended to be used for
- How is the enrichment funding related to the themes of TURNS?
- What are the goals of the enrichment project, and why is the project important?
- A clear budget and timetable.
LINK: APPLICATION FORM
Decisions
The evaluation of applications is carried out by an evaluation team composed of members from the TURNS Coordination and Management Group. The decisions on TURNS enrichment funding will be made on 19 May 2026, and the applicants will be informed about the decisions by 22 May 2026. The projects can start earliest on 1 June 2026, and all the funding must be used by 31 December 2026.
Inquiries: turns.funding@tuni.fi
The page has been updated on 1 April 2026.