Research Funding Database (Hanketietovaranto) is an independent part of the National Research Information Hub (Tutkimustietovaranto). Research Funding Database gathers all information related to research funding process: funding decisions, applications for funding, researchers applying the fund and related organizations, etc. It will improve funders' - both public and private - visibility, and underline the societal importance of research funding.
When Research Funding Database is integrated into the National Research Hub, it is possible to connect for example publications and research data to given research funding.This will improve the transparency of research and research funding, and make information more accessible.
The technical architecture of the Research Funding Database is designed to be flexible and adapt to the special characteristics and needs of different funders' databases and archives. Funders are also able to utilize the enriched information from the National Research Funding Database. For example, funder can check whether a given project has already received funding from other funders. Researchers will be able to easily report their research results back to their funders.
National Research Funding Database will not gather any new information, thus it will only provide information that already exists. Research Funding database will collect and combine this information in a single access point service. The aim is to only provide information that can be public. All rights for the information will be reserved by the original information owner, and all information sharing and utilizing will be made only by original owner's permission. National Research Funding Database will provide a detailed document about its' privacy policy, information accessibility and disclosure of data for third parties.
The Ministry of Education and Culture (MINEDU) has authorised the implementation of the National Research Information Hub to CSC, and the National Research Funding Database will be executed as an independent project in it. A pilot study for the Funding Database starts at the beginning of 2018 with member funders from The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, Paulo Foundation, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation, Nessling Foundation, Academy of Finland and Business Finland. We also collaborate with system providers (Datalink Oy, Aspicore Oy).