FAQ

- Is there a research profile for the Collegium? Are the fellowships focused on some annually changing theme?

- What is the meaning of the requirement that research performed in the Collegium must be "focused on society"?

- Can Fellows get an extension to their fixed-term fellowships?

- Can a research group obtain funding from the Collegium?

- Can the Collegium offer premises for research assistants or to other members of a research group than the selected Fellow?

- Can one come to work in the Collegium on other funding?

- In the introduction it is mentioned that the Fellows are assumed to work regularly on the premises of the Collegium. Does this mean an obligation to be present?

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Is there a research profile for the Collegium?
Are the fellowships focused on some annually changing theme?

According to the operating principle, the Collegium does not pursue any other profile than fostering advanced research focused on society. This is why defining some theme would also be a very complex matter. On the one hand, by choosing some specific theme, the Steering Committee could annually select such Fellows whose interests run parallel and so could easily form a community, which would also facilitate cooperation. On the other hand, some specific theme would limit the number of the potential applicants in advance and so the Fellows would be selected partly on criteria other than their merits. At least as long as there is only a small number of fellowships available, it is more desirable that the application for the fellowships should remain open to everyone interested.

What is the meaning of the requirement that research performed in the Collegium must be "focused on society"?

To start with, in the definition the meaning of "society" is not restricted to the nation-state or to macro structures but, rather is synonymous to social reality. Research focused on it denotes investigations that aim to explain social phenomena and which, in doing it, takes into account the special features of social reality, for instance the fact that people's interpretations of reality and their ways of relating to it are an essential part of that reality.

Can Fellows get an extension to their fixed-term fellowships?

If any extensions were awarded the prospects of some other potential Fellows would suffer. This could also obscure the operating principle of the Centre. Hence no extensions are awarded, but Fellows are free to reapply after five years.

Can a research group obtain funding from the Collegium?

The fellowships are personal, which means that each member of a research group should apply for it individually. Because there is a very limited number of fellowships, it is not likely that several members of some group would all be awarded with a fellowship.

Can the Collegium offer premises for research assistants or to other members of a research group than the selected Fellow?

Within the frameworks of the premises available we can always try to find offices for the members of the same project as close as possible, but to locate an entire project on the premises of the Collegium may not be very rational because the Fellows work in the Collegium for only a fixed term.

Can one come to work in the Collegium on other funding?

This is possible based on a negotiation with the Director of the Collegium (Risto Heiskala). However, the extent of the premises sets the limits. Additionally, it is clear that every scholar working in the Collegium must pass a selection process controlled or accepted by the Steering Committee. To this date most scholars working in the Collegium on external funding have been financed by the Academy of Finland.

In the introduction it is mentioned that the Fellows are assumed to work regularly on the premises of the Collegium. Does this mean an obligation to be present?

Because the operating principle of the Collegium is to build up a functioning community of the selected Fellows so as to generate new ideas, cooperation patterns and researcher networks, it is assumed that the Fellows really use the premises provided by the Centre and participate in common activities. Common lunches and joint seminar are core functions and repeated absences from the lunch discussions or seminar sessions are strongly discouraged. Naturally, academic work involves a reasonable number of trips, but those holding a fellowship in the Collegium are not supposed to become telecommuters. Any engagement in teaching and administration should also be minimal.