Call 2025

Before familiarising yourself with the FAQ, please read through the application and evaluation guidelines. The applications will be processed and evaluated in accordance with the documents concluded by a directive of the Management of the Council. Only the most frequently asked questions and identified problems are being discussed here. If necessary, FAQ page will be complemented during the call. 

In the FAQ, Estonian Research Council is referred to as ETAG (Eesti Teadusagentuur).

 

>What has changed, compared to call 2024?
>Who can apply?
>Compiling the application
>Questions about participants
>Questions about the budget
>Evaluation of applications

 

NB! Please make sure that
• the applicant and all persons who are included in the application meet the requirements;
• the ETIS CVs of the applicant and the members of the senior research staff are up-to-date and include all the necessary information
• the requirements for the requested grant amount are met;
• when applying for a team grant, the requirements set for the team (members and the composition) are met.

 

> What has changed, compared to call 2024?

• During the project period the PI of the starting or team project is obliged to work at the institution with a workload of at least 0.8 (formerly the workload had to be 1.0).
• All members of a starting or team project must be employed or study at a positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution for the period they participate in the respective project.
• Starting project staff can include members who are employed or study at another positively evaluated Estonian R&D institutions (formerly starting project members had to be employed or study at the same institution as the PI).
• A doctoral student can simultaneously be the member of the other research staff of a team project and the member of the senior research staff of a starting project if his/her supervisor is the PI or the member of the senior research staff of either of those projects.
• The applicant of a starting grant must have obtained one’s doctoral degree 2-10 years before the beginning of the project (01.01.2026), i.e. the doctoral degree must be obtained within the period 01.01.2016-01.01.2024 (the period is extended by the period the applicant has been away from research).
• Research mobility is no longer a mandatory condition to be able to apply for the starting grant.
• The applications in the field of Humanities and the Arts are evaluated in 3 expert panels (formerly there were 4 expert panels).

 

>Who can apply?

• If I have obtained my doctoral degree in a country other than Estonia, do I need to prove it somehow?

Yes, an applicant has to be ready to to do that. ETAG has the right to ask additional information from the applicant and the institution during processing the application. If the doctoral degree was obtained in a foreign country, ETAG may ask you to submit a confirmation of Estonian ENIC/NARIC (Academic Recognition Information Centre) to determine that the doctoral degree is in correspondence with educational qualifications of Estonian education system.

The Estonian ENIC/NARIC shall provide a written evaluation statement within 30 days starting from the time all the necessary documents have been submitted.

 

• How to determine whether the date on which I obtained my doctoral degree is suitable for qualifying to apply for the starting grant?

In 2025, researchers who have obtained the doctoral degree between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2024 are eligible to apply. The date of obtaining the doctoral degree is the date in the respective document issued by the awarding body (not the date of the defence).

If the applicant has been away from research in the past 10 years and after having obtained the doctoral degree, for reasons such as maternity or parental leave, working with a workload of less than 0.5 during raising a child under the age of 3 years, compulsory military service, serious illness, or other exceptional circumstances, then the period of qualification is extended by the corresponding period in full months and is rounded up to the higher number of months.

NB! See also the question “What is considered as a period of absence from research?” below.

 

• Is previous research experience in a foreign country the prerequisite for applying for the starting grant?

Starting from this year’s call, research mobility (research experience in a foreign country) is not a criterion for qualifying to apply for the starting grant. If applicable, it is one aspect to be considered while evaluating the competence of the PI. Please see also the explanation of Criterion 3 in the Evaluation Guidelines.
Can the PI of an ongoing ETAG project apply for the grant?

In 2025, it is not allowed to apply for the grant if you are the PI of a project funded by ETAG (PRG, PSG, PUTJD and SJD) that will continue in 2026.

NB! To apply for a large team grant in Call 2025 the applicant cannot have participated as a member of staff in any team or starting project funded by ETAG that is ongoing in 2026. The same condition applies for the members of the senior research staff listed in the application of a large team grant.

NB! The PI of an ongoing Mobility Support project can apply for the grant.

 

• Can the member of the senior research staff, or the member of the other research staff of an ongoing ETAG project apply for the grant?

The members of the senior research staff of ongoing projects cannot apply for team grant if their participation in an ongoing team project will continue in 2026. They can, however, apply for the starting grant. The members of the other research staff of ongoing projects cannot apply for a team grant because they do not have a doctoral degree (yet). A doctoral student who is a member of the other research staff in an ongoing team grant or a member of the senior research staff in an ongoing starting grant can apply for a postdoctoral research grant, assuming that he/she defends his/her doctoral degree by 1st January 2026. A member of the senior research staff in a starting grant who has a doctoral degree cannot apply for a team grant if his/her participation period in the ongoing starting project will continue in 2026. However, he/she can apply for a postdoctoral research grant or his/her own starting grant.

NB! The applicant and members of the senior staff listed in the application of a large team grant cannot have participated in years 2024-2025 as a member of the (senior) staff in any team or starting project funded by ETAG that is ongoing in 2026.

 

• What is the qualification threshold?

The qualification threshold on the nine-point differentiated rating scale (grades 1–5) is 3 (‘Good’).
NB! A lower score than 80% of the maximum score for the application does not pose restrictions to the next call round. The restrictions are made only based on the separate criteria scores.

 

• Who is restricted from applying for a team grant in Call 2025 because of previous call rounds?

Applying for team grant in Call 2025 is not allowed to persons:
• whose team or starting grant application submitted during Call 2023 and Call 2024 (two consequtive years) got a lower score than ’Good’ (3) in at least one evaluation criterion;
• whose team or starting grant application submitted during the Call 2024 got a lower score than ’Good’ (3) in at least two evaluation criteria;
• see also paragraph 4.3 in the Conditions and Procedure for Team Grants.

 

• Who is restricted from applying for a starting grant in Call 2025 because of previous call rounds?

Applying for starting grant in Call 2025 is not allowed to persons
• whose postdoctoral research, starting or team grant application submitted during Call 2023 and Call 2024 (two consequtive years) got a lower score than ’Good’ (3) in at least one evaluation criterion;
• whose postdoctoral research, starting or team grant application submitted during Call 2024 got a lower score than ’Good’ (3) in at least two evaluation criteria;
• see also paragraph 4.4 in the Conditions and Procedure for Starting Grants.

 

• Can a researcher who is on parental leave apply for the grant?

Yes, one can apply assuming readiness to start with the project in year 2026.

 

• Do I have to work at the positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution at the time of submitting the application?

No. By submitting the application, the applicant and the institution confirm that if the application is approved, the institution will enter into an employment contract with a workload of at least 0.8 with the applicant for the project period.

 

• What is considered as a period of absence from research?

As a period of absence from research we consider a period after obtaining the first doctoral degree or equivalent qualification in the research field in which the application is processed, where the applicant has been away from research or been involved in research with a workload of less than 0.5. For example, if the applicant:
• has been on parental leave,
• in compulsory military service,
• raised a child under the age of 3 years,
• or other exceptional circumstances have occurred (e.g., serious illness)
To apply for the starting grant the applicant must have obtained doctoral degree within last 10 years. To extend that 10 year period by the period of absence from research, the period of absence must have occured after 1st January 2016 and before submitting the application (i.e. a period of absence that is planned in the future will not be considered).
To extend the period of bibliometry in the application by the period of absence from research, the period of absence must have occured after 1st January 2015.

 

> Compiling the application

• In which language do I have to fill in the application?

The application has to be filled in in English, because the applications are evaluated by international expert panels.

 

• Why is it necessary to write a summary both in Estonian and English?

In the tab ’Application’ the applicant must present a summary of the project in the form of an abstract both in Estonian and in English. The summaries have to be on the one hand readable for non-specialists and on the other hand informative for foreign experts who are to evaluate the application. The summary in English is used to introduce the application to the potential reviewers and if the application is funded both summaries will be made public in ETIS.

 

• How can I add people who do not have ETIS accounts?

You can only add members of staff who have accounts in ETIS. If you wish to add, for example, a member of the senior research staff from a country other than Estonia who does not have an ETIS account, the person should apply for the account (https://www.etis.ee/create_account) and fill in their CV in ETIS.
A person can be included as an external partner without having an account in ETIS.

 

• Which R&D results can I show in the application?

The application must show the applicant’s research activities during the past 10 years (i.e., in case of call 2025, since 2015).

If the applicant has indicated period(s) of being away from research in the past 10 years and after obtaining the doctoral degree (see question „What is considered as a period of absence from research?“ above), the period is extended respectively (see also the Guidelines regarding bibliometric background information on the ETAG’s website).

 

• Can I include unpublished papers among R&D results?

Among the R&D results, it is also possible to show the articles that have not been published yet, but have been peer-reviewed and accepted by the publisher. In that case, the latest version of the accepted article must be added to the ETIS entry and a letter of confirmation from the publisher must be uploaded to the ’Additional information’ section of the application.
NB! The manuscripts that have not been accepted or that have been accepted after the application has been submitted will not be taken into account. If such manuscripts have been added to the application, they will have to be removed.

 

• What additional materials can be added to the tab ’Justification’ in the application?

Only the following files can be attached to the justification of the application in ETIS:
1) the list of references used in the justification;
2) figures and images illustrating the justification (it is allowed to add one .pdf-file that is max 5 pages long and includes only those figures and/or images that are necessary for illustrating the justification).
3) timetable of the project (e.g., Gantt chart);
4) risk assessment and mitigation plan.
The additional files attached to the justification part of the application cannot contain descriptive or explanatory text, except the risk assessment and mitigation plan which can include more text. Other additional information, e.g., the research methods, description of infrastructure etc., must be described in the main part of the application, not in its annex).
Each figure and image must have a title in English and have an explanation about which argument in the application it relates to. When formatting the additional materials, follow the usual way of submitting materials for article submission.
NB! If the additional materials do not meet the requirements, then the application will be sent back to the applicant to remove such materials or in exceptional cases for making corrections.

 

• Is it mandatory to add letters of confirmation from external partners and partner institutions?

Adding letters of confirmation is not mandatory, however, their presence and content are considered during evaluation (check the Evaluation Guidelines). It is recommended to add proof of collaboration e.g., in case of collaboration that is new or crucial for the project. The application should show that the collaboration is well thought through.

NB! As proof of collaboration, ETAG accepts written documents in .pdf-format but also e.g. excepts/screenshots of formal e-mail exchange.

 

• How detailed explanations are expected in the "Ethics" tab? Could not using up all the character space be a disadvantage in the assessment?

Writing in detail is important and helps the expert committee to decide whether to ask for further clarifications or assign additional conditions. The number of the characters is not taken into account in the evaluation. If experts see that important information is missing from the application, the committee can ask the applicant for additional explanations. In questions related to research ethics and data management, you can contact Marten Juurik (marten.juurik@etag.ee).

 

• What should be written about the importance and potential impact of the project?

The information regarding this part of the application can be found in the Evaluation Guidelines for the respective grant type (starting, and team grant) on ETAG’s website.

 

• What can be uploaded to the tab ’Additional information’?

Materials of administrative nature (proofs, letters of confirmation, application for a later start of the project etc.) and the Budget Tool in English if applying for the large grant amount (Budget Tool file can be added in .xlsx format, no need to export .pdf).

NB! Materials that contain text describing or explaining the project and have a designated place in other parts of the application cannot be added here.

NB! If the attached materials do not meet the requirements, the application will be sent back to the applicant to remove such materials.

 

• Is it possible to make corrections and/or additions to the application after it has been submitted in ETIS?

Before the submission deadline (31st March 2025 at 17:00 Estonian time), it is, in justified cases, possible to send the application back for corrections if requested so by the applicant. After the submission deadline the application is considered to have been submitted and it will not be possible to make any content-related changes, corrections, or additions. Before the reviewing process begins, the technical details (compliance with formal requirements, obvious factual errors, e.g., incorrect year, etc.) will be checked by the ETAG, during which the ETAG may send the application back to the applicant for making amendments.

NB! One is allowed to make only these changes that the ETAG has drawn attention to. In case other additions or corrections become evident or if the changes have not been made by the deadline, the ETAG is entitled to reject the application.

 

> Questions about participants

 

• Who can be included as the other members of research staff in starting and team grant applications?

A member of the other research staff is a person without a doctoral degree who works or studies at a positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution during the time when they participate in the project. Researchers with a doctoral degree cannot be included as members of the other research staff, they must be included as members of the senior research staff. In case of a starting project, doctoral students cannot be members of the other research staff, they must be included as members of the senior research staff.

 

• Can a member of (senior) research staff of an ongoing PRG or PSG project be included as a member of staff in a new PRG or PSG application?

A member of the senior research staff of an ongoing starting or team project can be included in an application only when the participation periods do not coincide.

A member of the other research staff can participate in multiple projects/applications simultaneously.

A doctoral student paricipating in an ongoing project can be included in an application for the coinciding participation period if the doctoral student’s supervisor is the PI or a member of the senior research staff of either the project or the application.
NB! Anyone who, in the years 2024-2025, has participated as a member of (senior) research staff in a PRG or PSG project that continues in year 2026, cannot apply for a large team grant or be listed as a member of the senior research staff in an application of a large team grant.

 

• Can the same person be incuded in several applications?

A member of the senior research staff can be included in more than one application of the call only if the participation periods in different projects do not coincide (e.g. the participation period of the member of the senior research staff in one application is 01.01.2026–31.12.2027, and 01.01.2028–31.12.2030 in the other application). The members of the other research staff can participate in several applications at the same time.

A doctoral student can be included in several application simultaneously if his/her supervisor is the PI or the member of the senior research staff of either of those projects.

 

• Is there an upper limit to the number of members of (senior) research staff involved in the project?

No, there is no numerical upper limit as long as all of them have tasks in the project and/or their work is related to the project. There is, however, a lower limit to the number of members of the senior research staff involved in the team grant.

 

• Can the smaller workloads of two different persons be combined to „compose“ the workload of one member of the senior research staff that meets the requirements of a large grant amount (i.e., in the case of a team grant, a member of senior staff who is working at the institution with at least 0.5 workload)?

No, the required workload must be covered by one person.

 

• Could I implement my starting project alone or a starting project must have a team, too?

If you are applying for a small grant amout, you can carry out the starting project alone. Creating a team is not mandatory. In case of a large grant amount, in addition to the PI, the project must include (for the whole project period) at least one member of the senior research staff who works at a positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution with a workload of at least 0.2.

• Can a doctoral student be involved in a starting project as a member of the other research staff?

No, in starting projects, doctoral students must be members of the senior research staff.

 

• In case I plan to include young researchers who have not been immatriculated as doctoral students by the time of submitting the application, can I already list them as members of the senior research staff in my starting grant application?

No, a person planning to start doctoral studies must be listed as a member of the other research staff in the application, because only the information that is valid at the time of submitting the application can be taken into account.

 

• Can a doctoral student who is going to obtain the doctoral degree soon be listed as a member of the senior research staff in a team grant application?

No, in a team grant application, only the people who already have a doctoral degree can be listed as members of the senior research staff. Hence, students who will obtain their doctoral degree in the future have to be listed as members of the other research staff in a team grant application. It is possible to explain in the application that they will be involved in the project as members of the senior research staff once they have received their doctoral degrees, however, they are not considered to meet the requirements of members of the senior research staff in the application.

 

• How important are the (ETIS) CVs of the applicant and of the members of the senior research staff when it comes to the evaluation of the applications?

The CVs of the applicant and of the member(s) of the senior research staff provide additional information for the experts evaluating the applications (e.g., information regarding previous research experience, a full list of publications, etc.). It is therefore very important that the ETIS CVs of the applicant and of the members of the senior research staff that are attached to the application are correct and up-to-date, so that it would be possible to evaluate their qualifications against their roles and tasks described in the application. The ETIS CVs that have not been updated may have a negative impact on the assessment of the application.

NB! All the members of the senior research staff have to confirm their CVs in ETIS before the application can be submitted.

 

• Who are external partners (Staff -> External partners)?

In addition to the staff members, individuals (with or without a doctoral degree) from outside of the team can be included in the project activities as partners. An external partner could be, for example, a person who participates in the project activities but does not meet the requirements of (senior) research staff member (e.g. does not work or study at a positively evaluated Estonian research and development institution during the project, or does not receive a salary from the grant funds), or contributes to the project irregularly or indirectly (e.g. as a consultant).
External partners are not taken into account as members of the research team (they are not included in the members of the (senior) research staff), but when evaluating applications, their competence is also taken into account (you can comment on the relevant experience in the corresponding section of the application). External partners can be remunerated under contracts of services or authorisation agreements. In the budget, these costs are considered to be research costs.
NB! See also the question „Is it mandatory to add letters of confirmation from external partners and partner institutions?“ above.

 

• Does the application need to indicate the workloads of the members of the research staff in the proposed project or in the institution?

It is mandatory to indicate planned workloads in the institution because ETAG has specific requirements* for those and it should be visible from the application that the requirements are met. It is also welcome to mention workloads in the project because this information might be important for the experts evaluating the applications. Also, in the budget, the calculation of staff costs can be based on the workloads that staff members have in the planned project.

* If the grant application is approved, the PI and the institution must ensure that the workloads of the group members in the institution meet the requirements (e.g., the PI has a workload of at least 0.8; the three members of the senior research staff of a large team grant have the workload of at least 0.5, etc.).

 

• Do the members of the (senior) research staff need to have a valid employment contract with the applicant’s institution?

During the period of applying for the grant, the members of the (senior) research staff do not need to have a valid contract (with the demanded workload) with the institution yet. If they are employed after the project is funded, it must be stated in the application (on the ’Staff’ or ’Budget’ tab or in other suitable part of the application) what the workload of the members of the (senior) research staff will be at the institution.

The members of the (senior) research staff can also be researchers who work at other positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution(s). Their remuneration and the research costs of the project shall be agreed upon between the PI, the institution (of the PI), and the institution(s) where the members of the (senior) research staff are/will be employed. It is important to ensure that the requirements of the grant (incl. the workload of the members of the staff, salaries etc.) are also met at the other institution(s).

 

• Can a person with a doctoral degree be a member of the other research staff in the application?

No. The persons included in the project’s staff who have a doctoral degree must be listed as members of the senior research staff. If the PI thinks that a person with a doctoral degree is will not contribute to the project enough to be a included as a member of the senior research staff (e.g. the person contributes to the project for only a short period, occasionally, or very little), then this person can be involved as an external partner, but in that case this person is not considered a part of the research staff of the team (see also the question ’Who are external partners (Staff -> External partners)?’).

 

> Questions about the budget

• How to plan the budget and how to fill in the budget table in the application form in ETIS?

Please familiarise yourself with the budget guidelines.
To plan the budget, please use the Budget Tool provided by ETAG. Insert the direct costs you plan to make (salaries, scholarships, research costs etc) to the table. Note that the annual costs do not have to be equal. Based on your input the table calculates the average annual cost for the project and you can use this estimate to choose the grant amount. The Budget Tool has more lines for different types of costs than the budget table in ETIS.

The average annual amount of staff and research costs should be inserted to the budget table in the application form in ETIS. In other words, in the budget table of the application form in ETIS there is no need to show budget per year or the total budget for the whole project. We ask the average annual budget since the yearly costs can vary a lot.

NB! In case of applying for the large grant amount, it is obligatory to add to the application form in ETIS the file with the detailed calculation of the budget (using Budget Tool).

NB! If the grant application is approved then ETAG will not allocate more than the maximum fixed grant amount per year, even if the yearly amounts marked in Budget Tool differ from that.

 

• How to choose the grant amount?

Starting and team grants have two fixed grant amounts (small/large).

To find the most suitable grant amount for your project you can use the Budget Tool – an Excel table prepared especially for this task. The Budget Tool is available both on ETAG’s website as well as in the upper right-hand corner of the application form in ETIS. Use the sum of the average annual budget provided by the Budget Tool (adding the annual costs and dividing the total amount by the number of years) to choose the grant amount you apply for.

NB! It is important to justify why one is applying for this particular grant amount.

 

• Is it mandatory to apply for a fixed grant amount?

No, it is possible to apply for a smaller amount than the fixed grant amount. The applied grant amount has to be rounded up to an integer. The amount applied for in case of a large grant must exceed the fixed amount of a small grant.

If the application is approved, in the first project year the amount marked in the application is allocated, and from the second year on the PI has the right, as stated in paragraph 1.8 in the Budget Guidelines, to request a sum up to the maximum fixed amount to be allocated for the project.

• How detailed should the budget be?

When applying for the small grant amount, the average annual budget of the project must be explained, showing the amount of overhead costs and the division of staff and research costs (i.e. direct costs).
1) Explanation of staff costs should include names of the staff members whose salary or scholarship and to what extent is covered from the grant. A more detailed calculation of staff costs, which contains planned costs as well as workloads of the team members at the institution and in the project, can be added but is not mandatory.
2) Explanation of research costs should show the names of the people (e.g. members of the other research staff and external partners) with whom it is planned to formalize contracts of services or authorisation agreements, and what is the approximate total of those expenses. Research costs must also include an approximate total cost related to travelling, publishing, purchase of fixed assets and other noteworthy costs that are considered research costs according to budget guidelines.

When applying for a large grant amount, the budget tab must be filled in based on the same instructions, but in addition, one must submit a detailed budget calculation (see also the question ’How to plan the budget and how to fill in the budget table in the application form in ETIS’?)

• If I want to start the project later than 01.01.2026, how should I plan the budget?

If you request a later starting date for your project (submitting a respective request along with the grant application), then the rules to fill in the budget table are a little bit different. Please consult a research funding officer of ETAG to get help in this matter.

If you apply for a later starting date for your project, you have to consider the respective number of months the project’s start is postponed by and with respect to that apply for a smaller amount than the amount you wish to receive yearly.

Example: You apply for a large starting grant at its maximum amount (i.e. 117 000€ per year), and you have submitted a request to start the project on 1.04.2026. In the budget table on the tab ’Budget’ in the application form you have to mark as the amount applied for the amount used in the first budget year. This means that in the budget table you need to insert the amount to be allocated to you considering the later starting date. Since in this case the project would be ongoing for 9 months (April, May, …, December) instead of 12 in the first year, then for the first year you would receive 9 months’ share of the yearly grant amount, i.e. 117 000/12*9 = 87 750 (€), which is the amount to be inserted to the budget table. On the second grant year ETAG would allocate to you the whole grant amount 117 000€.

 

• Who can be and who must be remunerated from the grant?

In case of starting grants, the PI and the member(s) of the senior research staff have to be at least partially remunerated from the grant. In case of team grants, it is obligatory that the member(s) of the senior research staff are at least partially remunerated from the grant.

If a doctoral student is employed as a junior research fellow whose salary is covered by the governmental support and the tasks related to a grant project are a part of the contractual work then it is not necessary to pay this doctoral student from this grant.

It is allowed but not mandatory to pay salaries/scholarships to the members of the other research staff.
To fill the requirements of remuneration, at least a part of the monthly salary (according to the employment contract between the member of the senior research staff and the institution) must be covered from the grant. The members of the senior research staff of the project are not allowed to be paid solely as a variable salary (i.e. bonuses), even if it is transferred monthly during their participation period. It is also not allowed to pay the members of the senior research staff on the basis of an authorisation agreement or a contract of services.
Authorisation agreements or contracts of services can be used for paying to the members of the other research staff or external partners (persons from other institutions or countries who contribute to the project episodically or on a smaller scale). Partners from the same institution can be compensated with a variable salary in the form of a bonus for the additional work done for the project. Also, a bonus can be paid to the senior research staff of the project, provided that their salary according to the employment contract is also covered from the grant.

 

• How high salary can be paid from the grant?

ETAG does not regulate the amounts paid as salaries or scholarships. The amounts of payments depend on the salary levels established in the institution of the applicant.

 

• Can the salaries vary from year to year?

Yes, the salaries do not have to be the same from year to year. The applicant can also take salary rise in account when preparing the budget for the project.

 

> Evaluation of applications

 

• How is it decided which expert will review the application?

To assess if he/she is suitable to review the application every expert considers the titles of the projects, the summaries in English, and the keywords listed in the applications. The Evaluation Committee considers these assessments as well as the workload of the experts in the expert panel (how many applications they have to review) to devide the applications between the experts.

 

• When are the decisions regarding the applications made?

o The preliminary information about the results (below qualification threshold, less points than 80% of the maximum score, at least 80% of the maximum score) is communicated to the applicant at the end of June or at the beginning of July after all meetings of expert panels are over and rapporteurs have finalised the combined evaluations based on what was decided during the expert panel meeting. At first, the applications which scored below 80% of the maximum score or did not pass the qualification threshold in at least one criterion receive a decision of not being approved.
o The Evaluation Committee makes the funding propsals in September based on the ranking lists of applications which received more than 80% of the maximum score and the prognosis on how much resources might be allocated for personal research funding. ETAG communicates the proposals to the applicants. The rest of applications that are not funded receive the decision of not being approved. These proposals are still dependent from unforeseen budget cuts or extra funding.
o ETAG can make the final funding decision only after the state budget for 2026 is confirmed. This means the final funding decisions are made at the end of December or at the beginning of January.

 

Before familiarising yourself with the FAQ, please read through the application and evaluation guidelines. The applications will be processed and evaluated in accordance with the documents concluded by a directive of the Management of the Council. Only the most frequently asked questions and identified problems are being discussed here. If necessary, FAQ page will be complemented during the call. 

In the FAQ, Estonian Research Council is referred to as ETAG (Eesti Teadusagentuur).

 

• How is the date of obtaining the doctoral degree calculated?

In call of 2025, the date of obtaining the first doctoral degree in the research field in which the application is to be processed cannot be earlier than 1 January 2020. The date of obtaining the doctoral degree is the date in the respective document issued by the awarding body.

If the applicant has been on pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, or in compulsory military service, or there have been other exceptional circumstances (e.g., serious illness) after obtaining his/her first doctoral degree, the period of qualification is extended by the corresponding period in full months and is rounded up to the higher number of months.

The applicant who does not have a doctoral degree at the time of submitting the application may submit the application, provided that the applicant will obtain the doctoral degree or equivalent qualification before 1 January of the year the project is scheduled to begin.

If the applicant does not have a doctoral degree at the time of submitting the application, then the time when the doctoral degree is expected to be obtained has to be specified in the application. It is advisable to contact the Council in order to make sure that you are eligible to apply in this call. It will not be necessary to submit an application for making an exception.

 

• Can the postdoctoral fellow who has been awarded the postdoctoral grant receive additional funding from the institution or from the collaborating institution?

The postdoctoral fellow can neither be the PI or the member of the (senior) research staff of another research project funded by the Council. When it comes to receiving additional funding from other sources, then the Council does not impose any restrictions in this respect.

 

• What should one do if he/she simultaneously applies for funding from different funding instruments (e.g., the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant, etc.) and receives funding for more than one project?

If the topics of the postdoctoral projects coincide, then the applicant has to choose one of them. The same project cannot be financed from different sources.

 

• What is the institution? What is the collaborating institution?

The institution is an Estonian R&D institution that will enter into an employment contract with the postdoctoral fellow. The collaborating institution is the foreign R&D institution where the project will be carried out. The grant will be allocated to the Estonian institution (not to the collaborating institution).

 

• Can a person who has obtained the doctoral degree in Estonia apply for the grant to carry out the postdoctoral project at an Estonian R&D institution?

No, the applicant who has been awarded the doctoral degree by an Estonian R&D institution cannot apply for the postdoctoral grant to carry out the project in Estonia. If the applicant wishes to implement the postdoctoral project partially in Estonia, then it has to be highlighted in the application and its necessity has to be justified. It is also necessary to clearly indicate the time period(s) of staying in Estonia as well as the activities undertaken in Estonia (e.g., in the Gantt chart). In justified exceptional cases it is possible to implement the project in Estonia only partially, but no more than up to a limit of 50%.

 

• Can a foreign citizen who has obtained the doctoral degree in Estonia apply for the outgoing postdoctoral grant?

Yes, they can.

 

• Are there any temporal restrictions regarding the postdoctoral project, e.g., in case the postdoctoral project begins earlier than the results of the call become available?

Even if the Evaluation Committee has made the funding proposal, then until the directive of the Management of the Council to award the grant has been signed, this is at the applicant’s own risk. The start date of the postdoctoral project can be postponed, but the projects that have received funding in call 2025 have to begin no later than on 1 July 2026. In justified cases, it is possible to request a later start date of the project, but in this case the end date of the project will not be extended and the allocated grant amount will be smaller according to the number of the months passed. The start date of the postdoctoral project is the first day of the month and the end date is the last day of the month.

 

• What information should the letter of confirmation from the collaborating institution include?

The letter of confirmation has to be addressed to the Council. It has to contain a confirmation by the collaborating institution and by the postdoctoral supervisor that:

• the supervisor is familiar with the topic and with the period of the postdoctoral project and is willing to supervise the postdoctoral fellow on this topic and during this period;
• the supervisor and the collaborating institution are aware that the postdoctoral fellow will implement the project (at least partially) in the country where the collaborating institution is situated;
• if the application will be approved, the postdoctoral fellow will have a place of work, necessary equipment, and access to the necessary information and research infrastructure.

It is also advisable to add a short description of the planned tasks that the postdoctoral fellow will undertake at the collaborating institution.

The letter should be signed by the supervisor and/or by an authorised representative of the collaborating institution.

 

• What should be taken into account when describing the impact of the project on the development of the research career of the postdoctoral fellow?

When describing the development of the research career of the postdoctoral fellow, it should be considered if the project includes the following aspects:

• • gaining experiences through new methods and methodology, and working with new instruments;
  • participating in seminars and (training) courses at the collaborating institution;
  • transferable skills, incl. compiling a project or patent application, leading a project or a research team, supervising students, public speaking, entrepreneurship, etc.

 

• Can the postdoctoral project have more than one supervisor?

Yes, in justified cases (e.g., in case of an interdisciplinary project) the postdoctoral fellow can have more than one supervisor. The CV of the co-supervisor(s) can be added as a separate file under the tab “Additional information”. The co-supervisor(s) will not be evaluated.

 

• Is it possible to remunerate the supervisor of the postdoctoral project from the grant?

 Yes, it is possible to use some of the grant money for remunerating the supervisor. In addition to remunerating the supervisor, the collaborating institution may also ask the postdoctoral fellow to reimburse other costs. The applicant should find out which costs (e.g., bench fee) the collaborating institution expects him/her to cover as soon as possible. The ways for covering these costs have to be arranged with the (Estonian) institution beforehand.