The Wihuri Foundation awarded a record sum of 15.4 million euros for science, art, and societal development

The majority of the support, over 11 million euros, was distributed through the foundation’s general grant call held in spring 2024.

This year, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation has allocated a record 15.4 million euros to support the fields of science (66%), art (18%), and societal development activities (16%) through grants, prizes, and other forms of support. Grants were awarded to 340 individuals or working groups and 108 organizations.

The majority of the support, over 11 million euros, was distributed through the foundation’s general grant call held in spring 2024. The foundation received nearly 5,500 applications in the spring, requesting a total of approximately €144 million. Around 8.2% of applicants were awarded grants.

The grants support a variety of activities, including research across different scientific fields, artistic work, project launches, event organisation, instrument purchases, and the development of civil society organisations. Full-time grants for doctoral theses, postdoctoral research, or artistic work were awarded to 143 recipients.

The largest single project funded is the National Defence University, which will receive €750,000 over the course of three years for research. Their research will produce new insights into comprehensive national defense as part of national resilience, Russia’s military thinking, and the tactics of the war in Ukraine from the perspective of Finland’s defense capabilities.

You can view all the funded projects here

A social science project at the University of Turku will receive €100,000 to investigate the operational capacity of Finnish civil society organisations during times of crisis.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its widespread hybrid warfare have particularly emphasized the need for research that strengthens societal stability and military expertise. It is also important to develop the resilience of civil society,” says Arto Mäenmaa, Executive Director of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.

The funded projects also provide new perspectives on other contemporary challenges. A research project led by Rebecca Piekkari at the Aalto University School of Business, which receives €100,000 in funding, will enhance understanding of the role of AI technology in qualitative research. Nyyti ry receives €50,000 to strengthen peer support for postgraduate students. A research group led by Heidi Mod at the University of Helsinki will be granted €50,000 for a geographical project that aims to predict the chain reactions triggered by climate change in northern ecosystems.

The €15.4 million total also includes follow-up funding for previously awarded grants, prizes, €2.5 million in funding for the operations of the Wihuri Research Institute for biomedical research, €450,000 for the foundation’s art acquisitions and visual arts activities, and €425,000 allocated to joint grant pools with other foundations.