Academy of Finland

The Academy of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Akatemia, Swedish: Finlands Akademi) is a governmental funding body for scientific research in Finland. It is based in Helsinki. Yearly, the Academy administers over 260 million euros to Finnish research activities. Over 5000 researchers are working on projects supported by the academy. The Academy functions as a funding body only and is not a school. However, personnel funded by the Academy can use the title referring to it, e.g. professors will be called akatemiaprofessori. Academy Professor funding has a term of 5 years.

The Academy of Finland should not be confused with the Finnish arts and science school learned societies, The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (Suomalainen tiedeakatemia) and The Finnish Society of Science and Letters (Finska Vetenskaps-Societeten) which are the two Finnish national honorary academies, for Finnish and Swedish-speaking scientists and scholars, respectively. For engineers, the two language-based honorary academies are Finnish Academy of Technology (Teknillisten Tieteiden Akatemia) and Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Finland (Svenska tekniska veteskapsakademien i Finland).

The Finnish title of Academician (akateemikko / akademiker) is an award given by the President of Finland to the most distinguished Finnish scientists, scholars and artists. It may also be bestowed on foreign scientists, scholars or artists who have contributed very significantly to Finnish intellectual life. At any time, there may be a maximum of 12 living scientific and scholarly academicians and eight living artistic academicians. The number of foreign academicians is not limited. The Academicians do not have any organizational connection to the Academy of Finland, although this was the requisite for membership in 1947–1969.

The president of the academy from 2012 to 2022 is Heikki Mannila.[1]