Our purpose

We fund research that advances the sustainable use of natural resources

Finland holds forests, minerals and expertise on which the future of our economy is built. The Foundation for Research of Natural Resources in Finland (SLTS) funds research that advances the sustainable use of those resources.

We support projects that are scientifically ambitious but geared toward practical use: solutions that give rise to patents, companies and new experts for Finnish industry.

What makes the Foundation distinctive

Research in Finland is funded by many bodies, each sitting at a different point on the path from basic research to a commercial product. The Research Council of Finland, for instance, supports basic research in particular, while Business Finland backs projects with a clear connection to a company and a commercial goal. EU funding, in turn, calls for tightly defined topic areas, partner networks and timetables.

SLTS sits between these. We fund research of a high scientific standard whose results are expected to lead to commercial benefit in time, but where the solution is not yet ready for industrial use. That distinction matters to applicants, because a grant lets a researcher develop their own topic without tying it to a particular company or a predefined end product.

Training new researchers is part of our core task

We direct most of our funding to projects that support doctoral research, because the effects of training a researcher impact for decades after the funding ends. A doctoral researcher carries their expertise forward throughout their career: moving into different industries, founding a startup, filing patents, supervising the next generation of researchers or building a new field of research in Finland. A single funding decision can set off a chain that impacts across the field, having an effect to companies and training of new researchers for years to come. The projects we fund can help shape where an entire field is heading.

• Explore the projects we have funded 
• Apply for a grant