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Guide,
December 11, 2002
Guidelines for grant policies in the University of Oulu
The grants and scholarships that are given for studies and research work to the employees and the students of the university are significant. The guidelines that are included as an attachment are given in order to clarify and harmonise the practices concerning these grants and scholarships. The guidelines deal with the grant practices on a general level and the practices concerning the way grants and awards for merit are paid through the university. The one who gives the grant has to inform the receiver of the grant about the issues presented in these guidelines.
A workgroup that has been set up by the administrative manager has prepared these instructions. The members of the workgroup are: Liisa Rossi (Personnel Manager, chair), Anna-Maria Aatsinki (Senior Accountant), Jouko Aho (Secretary for Research Affairs), Veli-Pekka Pelkonen (Assistant), Pertti Tikkanen (Administrative Manager) and Juhani Lehtimäki (Secretary for Higher Education, secretary).
The guidelines that are included as an attachment come into force from the 1st January 2003. The main points of the guidelines are:
Research work done on a grant
- A grant is a gratuitous payment that a private community or the general government gives to a person in order to finance studies or artistic, scientific or scholarly work. The payer of the grant cannot gain profit – financially or otherwise – from paying for the grant.
- A grant has to be public, i.e., it has to be possible for almost everyone to apply for it.
- Grants that are given for other purposes than for studies, academic research or artistic work are taxable income, regardless of the sponsor.
- Working on a grant differs from working under a contract: the benefits that are available through employment and service legislation (industrial relations legislation) are not available for people working on a grant.
- The one who receives a grant can never pass on a grant one has received as a grant.
Management of grants
- The grants that are given to researchers or research teams who are employed by the university and use the resources of the university should usually be deposited on the university account (small, personal grants that are non-taxable are an exception to this).
- Researchers, teachers or other people who work for the university are obligated to inform the university of the grants they receive.
- Before sending an application for a grant, the applicant has to get a permission to work on a grant from the university (i.e. the department in most cases). If the receiver of a grant is using university resources (spaces, facilities, etc.), the receiver of a grant has to negotiate with the department about the rights and duties related to the research project.
The grants that the university gives
- Operating expenses can be used to fund grants only, if it is appropriate for research reasons: for example, finishing a thesis or a doctoral dissertation or other similar activities may be found appropriate. Grants that are paid from the university operating expenses will always be announced open for applications. The value of the grant has to be expressed in the announcement. The time given for applications to arrive has to be at least two weeks.
- The work duties during the grant period have to be different from the duties under a normal employment contract (excluding research duties).
- An absolute prerequisite for working on a grant for a period that the university funds, is that a person has to take a leave of absence from one's ordinary duties for that time.
The procedure for paying a grant and the accounts that are used for paying grants
- Grants that are given for academic research or studies are paid through the salary system. Grants are paid in one instalment, except for yearly grants, which are paid in two instalments.
- Grants can be paid from the operating expenses. Grants cannot be paid from the accounts that are used for chargeable service activities or co-financed contract research until the project has been completed. Grants for international student and teacher exchange (Erasmus, Leonardo, Nordplus) may be paid regardless of the limitation mentioned above.
- Donations may be used for paying for grants, unless the donator has ring-fenced it. The appropriations from the Academy of Finland may be used for paying for grants, if it is warranted in the decision of the Academy of Finland.
- If the grant will be paid through the account for debitable remittances, one has to make sure from the financier if it is possible to pay grants from the appropriations.
The awards for merit that the university deals out
- university and its units give out some financial awards for merit for distinguished activities every year. The awards for merit the universities and their units give to their personnel are treated as taxable payments, not unlike one's salary.
This letter will replace the earlier guidelines for grant policies in the University of Oulu that have been dated on the 22nd September 1998.
For further information you can usually contact Juhani Lehtimäki (Payroll Manager, +358 8 553 4150), Liisa Rossi (HR Director, tel. +358 8 553 4082) or Anna-Maria Aatsinki (Senior Accountant, tel. +358 8 553 4139). Information concerning the payment of the grants you can also get from Helena Mäkinen (Departmental Secretary, tel. +358 8 553 4088).
ATTACHMENT:
Grant policies in the University of Oulu
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