Turku Intersectoral Excellence Scheme 2 – For Applicants

The TIAS Turku Intersectoral Excellence Scheme 2 (TIES2) is jointly funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) COFUND programme and the University of Turku. It is a ground-breaking fellowship scheme located within the University’s Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS), a research collegium which supports the bottom-up development of excellent early- and mid- career stage academics through the provision of three years of funding, enabling them to carry out self-designed research projects.

The TIES2 programme combines the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) model of elite, bottom-up postdoctoral research with an intersectoral approach. TIES2 has been developed in order to enhance TIAS’ provisions by offering a special opportunity for outstanding researchers to undertake a three-year research project of their own design which must directly concern at least one non-higher education sector organisation of the applicant’s own choosing. 

The TIES2 programme has been developed in consultation with a number of partners and is designed to give cutting-edge researchers the possibility of conducting research in conjunction with chosen partners located outside of higher education. All TIES2 Fellows must spend a secondment period of between three and twelve months within an organisation which is external to higher education, for the purpose of research and/or training. By supporting these secondments TIES2’s ambition is to develop a cohort of expert researchers able to spot and develop opportunities across and beyond higher education.

TIAS invites applications for up to ten (10) TIES2 Fellowship positions for a three-year period starting from 1 September 2026. TIES2 Fellows will be selected via an international call for applications and TIAS welcomes applications from projects based in any discipline within its five constituent faculties (Economics, Education, Humanities, Law and Social Sciences). Researchers at risk are encouraged to apply. Selection of successful applicants will be on the basis of academic excellence. 

Founded in 2008 in order to promote research excellence and internationality, the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) promotes cutting-edge university research within the faculties of Humanities, Education, Social Sciences and Law and Turku School of Economics. TIAS aims to establish a community of interdisciplinary researchers dedicated to research excellence. 

TIAS adopts a “bottom-up” approach in which researchers design their own projects and are supported in developing their research careers via the Institute’s guidance which includes the provision of department-based supervisor and an external mentor acting in conjunction with the Institute’s Director. TIAS has a record of success in research output and career development extending over 16 years. As of 2024, 24% of its 105 alumni are professors, 16% are associate professors or equivalent, and 50% are employed in other academic roles.

The University of Turku (UTU), is a multidisciplinary, international, research-intensive, entrepreneurial university, ranked around 300 worldwide. It maintains comprehensive Open Science, equality, ethics and IPR policies. UTU has received the EC’s HR Excellence in Research award for implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter & Code). It supports researcher start-ups and secondments outside academia through UTU Innovation Services (including a Research Office and Technology Transfer Office) and partner enterprise organisations.

• Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the end of the application period.
  • Applicants must have gained their doctoral degree a maximum of eight years before the end of the application period, 9 January 2026. This date should be taken as being the date at which all work for the PhD is successfully concluded, rather than the date of formal graduation.
  • In cases where the PhD has been successfully completed but the degree certificate has not yet been issued, applicants should provide confirmation from the University where the PhD was undertaken that the PhD has been successfully completed and that no additional work is required. Please note that by the time the employment contract is signed, the doctoral certificate must be delivered to the University.
• Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree no more than eight (8) years before the call deadline.
  • Applicants are also expected to have attained other academic achievements.
  • Only for special reasons, such as maternity, paternity or parental leave, military service or non-military service, a long illness, or years of experience outside academia, may more than eight years have passed since the successful completion of the degree. Applicants who wish to plead special reasons should highlight this in their curriculum vitae.
• Applicants can be of any nationality but must meet the MSCA mobility rule. This means that they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline. Applicants who are already permanently employed by the University of Turku may not apply.
• The proposal is based in a discipline within TIAS' five constituent faculties (Economics, Education, Humanities, Law and Social Sciences).
• All relevant application documents (see below) must be submitted on time.
  Any application which fails to meet these criteria without justification will be deemed to be ineligible and will not be sent on to external review.

• Full-time dedication to research and training activities unless duly justified.
• The positions are located at one of the campuses of the University of Turku and successful candidates are required to be resident in Finland.
  • The total permitted duration of research/training away from the recruiting organisation is capped at 12 months within the duration of the project (36 months) as per MSCA rules, with a maximum of six months in any single calendar year. Such work must be related to their TIES2 project and must be approved by the TIAS Director.
• Research must involve at least one non-higher education sector (e.g. government, business or not-for-profit).
• TIES2 Fellows must undertake intersectoral mobility to complement their research and/or skills training by completing at least one secondment outside the higher education sector, lasting between three and twelve months, to be implemented between Month 3 and Month 35 of the fellowship.
• Adherence to UTU policies, including those on research ethics, and equality and non-discrimination, and with Finnish law.
• Adherence to the principles of Open Science (UTU / Horizon Europe), provision of immediate Open Access (free of charge, online access for any user) to all peer-reviewed scientific publications of their research and ensuring all research data is managed responsibly, in line with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.

While non-binding, TIES2 applicants will also be encouraged to address the principles of the MSCA Green Charter and implement measures to minimise the environmental footprint of their activities.

The main task of TIES2 Fellows is to carry out an internationally excellent research project over a three-year period, during which the results of the project should be disseminated in a number of ways, such as books, book chapters, peer reviewed articles, newspaper articles, conference papers, public dissemination events etc.

Applicants should be aware that they are applying to an interdisciplinary research Institute and should therefore be committed to interdisciplinary working. In addition to undertaking their own research project, including at least one mandatory secondment with an organisation external to higher education, TIES2 Fellows are also required to contribute to TIAS’ intellectual life. Such working includes an obligation to attend regular TIAS meetings and events and to make contributions to the academic and social life of the Institute. In addition to TIAS meetings, Fellows are expected to attend the campus regularly. TIES2 positions are full time and require 1612 working hours per annum.

Motivation to be part of TIES2 programme and UTU

Each TIES2 Fellow will be located to a department within TIAS’ five constituent faculties (Economics, Education, Humanities, Law and Social Sciences). In their motivation letter (see below), applicants should state how their work supplements existing work at the University, identifying both the department within which they wish to be located and relevant areas of the department’s research interests which align with their own. Please note that it is not necessary for applicants to contact departments or staff members.

Applicants should outline why they particularly wish to be part of the TIES2 programme and briefly outline any non-research-oriented training needs which they have and how they propose to address these during the fellowship. Applicants should also outline how their work relates to one or more of the multidisciplinary themes and areas of strength of the University of Turku: 1) New technologies and digitalisation, 2) Health, diagnostics and drug development, 3) Children, young people and learning, 4) Cultural memory and social change and 5) Biodiversity and sustainability (see multidisciplinary themes and areas of strength on the UTU website).

All TIAS Fellows have the opportunity to contribute to teaching activities at the University of Turku. Such contributions will make up a maximum of 5% of a Fellow’s annual work load of 1612 hours. In addition, they may devote another 5% of their total work time to other academic and administration duties. 

TIES 2 Fellows will receive the following supervision and support:

• TIAS Director: Responsible for the TIES2 programme and wider TIAS programme.
• Departmental (academic) Supervisor: Responsible for day-to-day supervision of the researcher and for integrating them in to the department.
• Personal Mentor: Appointed in consultation with the researcher to offer career advice. No formal supervisory role. Meets with researcher around five times a year.
• Visiting Professor of Mentoring: Visits around three times a year to offer career advice and workshops to all TIAS researchers.
• Visiting Professor(s): Visits around three times a year to offer further career advice and workshop to all TIAS researchers.
• Professor of Practice: A 25% FTE position combined with Turku School of Economics. Offers advice on careers outside of academia and on the commercial potential of researchers’ projects.
• Secondment Supervisor: Responsible for overseeing the secondment and liaising with TIAS.

Once in situ TIES Fellows will be required to develop a Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP) in consultation with their academic and secondment supervisors as well as the personal mentor.

In order to support career development TIAS supports the development of scholars both as individuals – with the freedom to shape original career paths – and as world-citizens, able to address complex questions. By integrating intersectoral research more fully into TIAS’s IAS research paradigm, TIES2 aims to expand the breadth of research and career opportunities available to its Fellows. Building on TIAS’s record of success in career development, TIES2 will further enhance researchers’ career perspectives as follows:

• Leadership experience: Taking ownership of independent research on an interdisciplinary, innovative, subject of their choice.
• Practical experience: TIAS offers all its Fellows time and opportunities to ‘learn by doing’ activities such as teaching, management and administration in order to gain hands-on experience.
• Perspectives beyond academia: Via the secondment TIES2 will enable Fellows to gain new substantive knowledge (‘know-what’), professional networks (‘know-who’) and skills (‘know-how’) that usually lie beyond the scope of academia, leading to unique research perspectives and more effective working practices.
• Individual and elite skills training: TIES2 enables its Fellows to multiply their career options by acquiring additional skills and experiences in three dimensions (interdisciplinary, international, intersectoral), both at a group level and individually, supported by dedicated financial allowances and Proof of Concept funding.
• Knowledge exchange and collaboration: Learning from and sharing information with colleagues is a key part of the IAS concept. TIAS’s collegial environment supports its Fellows in networking and communicating with both scientific peers and the general public. 

The salaries of TIES2 Fellows are determined within the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. The salary for a TIES2 Fellow corresponds to a requirement level 6 and the pre-estimated personal performance percentage of 17% (current gross salary €4,494 per month), and is subject to yearly increases.

In addition, all Fellows are granted with a mobility allowance of around €100/month, meant for personal mobility costs. Family allowance of around €100/month will be provided for Fellows who are eligible (married or have a formal status equivalent to marriage, or have dependent children), as per the MSCA guidelines. Family allowance eligibility can be updated during employment.

Mobility and family allowances are considered part of the salary and are therefore taxable income as well as the salary. Thus, the monthly net income of Fellows is reduced by their income tax percentage. The income tax percentage is based on the income of the Fellow and may vary from year to year.

TIES Fellows will also be eligible to receive

• travel costs up to €1,200 per year,
• research costs up to €3,600 per year,
• training costs up to €1,200 per year and
• opportunities for innovation funding (up to €6,000 over 3 years).

Costs will be reimbursed according to University of Turku financial and travel regulations and guidelines. The purpose of innovation funding is to help bridge the gap between the research of TIES2 Fellows and the early stages of pre-commercialisation, enabling Fellows to test ideas for cross-sectoral transfer in non-higher education settings.

The Finnish academic sector is highly unionised, with separate unions representing students, teachers, researchers and professors. Working conditions, including holiday pay, occupational private health insurance, limited working hours and unemployment, sickness and pension benefits are negotiated at national level and are generally of a high standard.

Parental leave conditions are among the most generous in Europe, with equal quotas of around half a year available to each parent. Finland offers a range of generously subsidised childcare options and child home care allowances to support parents caring for children at home. In Finland, free education is offered to all school-age children. Children relocating from abroad will receive the same high-quality, free education as Finnish citizens, including free school lunches and healthcare.

A particular aspect of the TIES2 programme is that all its Fellows must spend between three and twelve months working on secondment within an organisation external to the higher education sector on a project which is a key part of their TIAS project. Fellows will continue to receive their salary from the University of Turku for the duration of their secondment.

The purpose of the secondments is to add an intersectoral dimension that is relevant, feasible, and beneficial for the researcher, the project and any partners. The secondment(s) must have a total duration of a minimum three months and maximum twelve months and must be implemented between Month 3 and Month 35 of the fellowship. A maximum of three secondments may be undertaken and such secondments may be with more than one external organisation.

Applicants are asked to suggest secondment partners as part of the applications process (see section 11). We expect applicants to have a clear idea of what sector (e.g. business, government, not-for-profit) they wish to be seconded to and what they wish to achieve during the secondment. These plans will be reviewed as part of the overall assessment of the proposal’s quality. Applicants must not have worked for their proposed secondment organisation for more than 12 months in the past 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

Please see further information about TIES2 secondments.

Applications must be submitted via University of Turku’s electronic application form.
>> To the application form (click "Apply for this position")

The application deadline is 9 January 2026 at 16:00 (Finnish time, GMT +2). Late applications cannot be submitted and applications cannot be completed after the application deadline.

Please note that once the application has been submitted the applicant can continue to make further adjustments to the application up until the end of application period. We strongly recommended that the application is completed as early as possible.

In the application form applicants are asked to choose the department/unit within which they wish their research to be located. Please choose from the list below..

Only one proposal per individual researcher can be submitted. In case of several proposals involving the same individual researcher, only the last submitted one will be considered eligible.

The application must contain all the following documents, which must be added on the application form in the following order:

(i)    Copy of doctoral certificate (if unavailable please supply a copy of official confirmation that the PhD has been passed)
(ii)    Curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages) 
(iii)   List of publications (maximum 2 pages; please indicate the five most important) 
(iv)   Research plan (maximum 25 000 characters, without spaces)
(v)    Secondment plan (maximum one page)
(vi)   Data management plan (maximum one page)
(vii)  Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages)

All attachments must be in PDF format. The maximum file size for the attachments is 10 MB.

All the documents must be written in English with Times New Roman, font size 12. This font size must be used throughout including in the Bibliography. Footnotes and tables must be font size 10. Any words within maps, pictures etc. must be at least font size 9. Any words within maps, pictures, tables etc. must be included in the character count.

Name all the attachment documents using your last name and the document title (e.g. Smith_Doctoral certificate). Upload attachments 5–7 as ‘Other attachments’ in the application form in the given order and name them accordingly (e.g. Smith_Secondment plan).

Incomplete applications will not be processed and we reserve the right to automatically exclude applications which do not follow the limits listed above and the structure below. Applicants who have any questions about this should contact us as soon as possible via ties@utu.fi and at least one week prior to submitting their applications.

Detailed instructions for the application documents.

After submission of applications applicant eligibility will be checked by TIAS Director and TIAS Coordinator.

All applications meeting all the eligibility requirements of the TIES2 programme will be sent for external review. Each application will be evaluated by three reviewers. In order to ensure international excellence, the majority of reviewers are based outside of Finland.

Experts will be appointed by an External Review Body, a not-for-profit organisation which offers expert, independent management and support for research projects. Referring to each applicant’s research field and keywords, the Body will select reviewers with no formal ties to UTU or the applicants, based on their relevant disciplinary expertise, knowledge of the wider research landscape and experience as reviewers.

Based on the external evaluations, the TIES Selection Committee will make final decisions on the successful applicants. The Selection Committee for TIES2 will be chaired by Professor Simon Frith, emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh. The co-chair is Professor Stacey Ristinmaa Sörensen, Director of the Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Lund. Kalle Korhonen, Director of Funding at the Kone Foundation will serve as a non-academic member of the Committee. The rest of the Selection Committee will be constituted by the TIAS Board of Management.

TIAS Ethical Advisor will check the ethical issues of the applications. TIES2 Redress Committee will handle appeals, if any.

All participants in the selection process, including reviewers, are required to declare any conflicts of interest, in accordance with UTU policies. 

Please see also the guide for TIES2 external reviewers (PDF).

In the evaluation of the project plan, the key issue for the evaluation is academic quality. TIES2 reviewers are also encouraged to take into account the innovativeness of the research plan within its field, documented international collaboration and potential for groundbreaking research. The focus is on evaluating scientific quality based on three key criteria: 1) excellence, 2) impact, and 3) quality and efficiency of implementation.

1. Criteria for evaluating the Excellence of the applicant and research project (50 %)

Evaluators will balance the applicant's qualifications and the project's scientific merit, considering both equally.

• The overall quality and impact of the applicant’s research outputs, considering alignment with international standards, as outlined in the European Charter for Researchers.
• Record of previous activities including teaching, supervision, knowledge transfer, public outreach, and innovation, in accordance with DORA recommendations and the European Charter’s emphasis on diverse academic and non-academic roles.
• Applicant’s involvement in international collaborations that can significantly contribute to the success of the plan.
• Recognition through awards, funding, and other accolades, reflecting diverse forms of achievements.
• The project’s uniqueness, ambition, and innovation, including its potential to advance or challenge current knowledge and methodologies.
• Theoretical and methodological robustness: The relevance and justification of the proposed theoretical framework and research methods, including interdisciplinary approaches.
• Quality of collaborations and external activities: The relevance and contribution of proposed partners and external activities, with an explicit emphasis on interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration.
• Quality of proposed outputsincluding Open Science practices.

2. Criteria for evaluating the Impact (30 %)

• Scientific: The project’s contribution to advancing knowledge in its field, including the potential for ground-breaking discoveries and methodological advancements.
• Researcher development and career: The project’s potential to enhance the applicant’s professional growth, including the development of new skills, research independence, and overall career advancement.
• Social: The project’s relevance and benefits to society, including how it addresses social challenges, contributes to public policy, improves quality of life, and engages the public through dissemination and outreach.

3. Criteria for evaluating the Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (20 %)

• The coherence, effectiveness, and thoroughness of the project’s methodological framework and work plan.
• The appropriateness of task distribution and resource allocation.
• Relevance and suitability of planned secondments to the project.
• Alignment with the research themes and existing work at the University of Turku.
• The likelihood of completing the project within the 36-month fellowship period. 

For each abovementioned criterion, reviewers will be asked to provide: (i) a score between 1 and 5 (ii) short comments summarising any strengths and/or weaknesses (max. 200 words). Reviewers are also asked to draw to attention areas of ethical concern under UTU’s ethics policies. Each criterion is weighted: Excellence 50%, Impact 30% and Quality and efficiency of implementation 20% of the total score. Score criteria:

5 Excellent: Proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of criterion. Any shortcomings are minor.

4 Very Good: Proposal addresses the criterion very well, but a small number of shortcomings are present.

3 Good. Proposal addresses the criterion well, but a number of shortcomings are present.

2 Satisfactory: Proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses.

1 Poor: Criterion is inadequately addressed, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.

Calculation of the total score:

(Excellence Score) * 50% + (Impact Score) * 30% + (Quality and efficiency of the implementation Score) * 20% = overall score out of five for each review.

Overall scores of three reviews are added together and divided by 15 (maximum points) and then multiplied by 100 to give a final percentage score out of 100%.

Proposals that achieve a score of at least 60% will be considered for funding, subject to availability of the positions. Scores below this threshold will be rejected.

In case of significant differences (30%) between the reviews, the TIES2 Selection Committee (SC) will consider whether this has unduly affected the result and commission a fourth review if necessary. The score of the fourth review will be added to the original three scores to give an overall score out of 20. This will be multiplied by five to produce a final score out of 100 %.

Applications passing the score threshold, for which ethical issues are raised by the applicants themselves or by external evaluators (e.g. evidence of bias, maleficence, lack of informed consent or insufficient protection of personal data) will be reviewed by TIAS Ethics Advisor.

To produce a final ranking for the purposes of selection, the SC will consider the final percentage scores as well as the scores provided to each application by its three reviewers.

Where the final scores of two or more proposals are equal, the following rules apply:

1. The proposals will be prioritised according to the scores awarded for the criterion ‘Excellence’. When these scores are equal, priority will be based on scores for the criterion ‘Impact’.

2. If necessary, the gender balance among successful applicant researchers will be used as a factor for prioritisation (e.g. where there is a clear under-representation (under 40%) of a gender).

3. If a distinction still cannot be made, the SC may decide to further prioritise by considering the short comments provided by the reviewers, along with other factors, such as environmental considerations in line with the MSCA Green Charter, gender and other diversity aspects of the research activities, participation of the non-academic sector, geographical diversity or relation to the objectives of Horizon Europe in general.

In this phase applications are divided into three categories:

• Selected: the ten highest-ranked applicants scoring above the call threshold are selected for funding;
• Reserve list: the ten applicants ranked immediately below these, if scoring is above the call threshold. Applicants on the reserve list may be offered a fellowship when an applicant from the main list decides not to accept this;
• Not funded: the remaining reviewed applications.

All candidates will be informed directly about the results of the call. All eligible applicants will be sent copies of their external reviews.

Selected applicants are requested to confirm acceptance of the position within three weeks of notifying them. If the offer is rejected or there is no response to the offer within three weeks, the applicant will lose the position and the position will be offered to the highest ranked applicant on the reserve list. 

To ensure transparency in the application process, the names of the selected TIES2 Fellows and project titles will be published on the TIAS website once the selection process is complete.

Appeals

In line with MSCA policies, applicants may appeal on the basis of procedural errors only. Appeals or complaints must be made in writing (maximum 2 pages, A4), and should be sent to the TIES2 Redress Committee (RC) by email (redress-ties@utu.fi) no later than one week after notification of the ranking decision is issued. The communication should have as subject “Redress_TIES_[Surname]_[Firstname]” and clearly state the reasons for the appeal.

The RC will convene to discuss the appeal and provide its decision. It will recommend an appropriate course of action, within one week of receipt of the appeal, with the candidate notified of this immediately. If the RC decides that the appeal is justified, the applicant will be offered the opportunity to have their proposal re-evaluated. In consultation with the TIES2 Selection Committee new reviews will be arranged as necessary and completed within two weeks. The RC will then oversee the re-assessment of the proposal and any re-ranking by the SC, according to the new scores and/or comments. The RC will then notify appealing applicants of their decision. Decisions of the RC are binding.

An information session for applicants was held online on Tuesday 9 December 2025. TIAS Director introduced the Call, explained the applications and reviews process and answered questions. 

Please see below the slides and recording of the event

The recording will be available until 19 December 2025.

Information Session Powerpoint slides

Watch the information session here

For more information on TIAS and the TIES2 programme please see the TIAS website.

Further questions about the TIES2 programme may also be addressed to ties@utu.fi.

List of departments and units (see the Faculties and units on the website)

In the application form applicants are asked to choose the department/unit within which they wish their research to be located. Please choose one of the units below marked with a star. 

Faculty of Education
* Department of Education
* Department of Teacher Education

Faculty of Humanities
School of History, Culture and Arts Studies:
* Archaeology
* Art History
* Comparative Literature
­* Cultural and Experience Tourism
* Cultural Heritage Studies
* Cultural History
* Cultural Management
* Digital Culture
* European and World History
* European Ethnology
* Finnish History
* Finnish Literature
* Folkloristics
* Gender Studies
* Landscape Studies
* Media Studies
* Museology
* Musicology
* Study of Religion
School of Languages and Translation Studies:
* Applied Language Studies
* Classics
* Digital Language Studies
* English
* Estonian Language and Culture
* Finnish and Finno-Ugric Languages
* French
* German
* Hungarian Language and Culture
* Italian
* North American Studies
* Russian Studies
* Scandinavian Languages
* Spanish
* Translation Studies

Faculty of Law
* Faculty of Law

Faculty of Social Sciences
* INVEST Flagship
Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology:
* Speech-Language Pathology (Logopedics)
* Psychology
Department of Philosophy, Contemporary History and Political Science:
* Philosophy
* Contemporary History
* Political Science
* John Morton Center for North American Studies
* Centre for East Asian Studies
Department of Social Research:
* Social Policy
* Social Work
* Sociology
* Economic Sociology

Turku School of Economics
Department of Management and Entrepreneurship:
* Management and Organisation
* Information Systems Science
* Entrepreneurship
Department of Accounting and Finance:
* Accounting and Finance
* Quantitative Methods in Management
* Business Law
Department of Marketing and International Business:
* Marketing
* International Business
* Operations and Supply Chain Management
* Economic Geography
* Pan-European Institute
* Department of Economics
* Finland Futures Research Centre

>> Instructions and guidance for TIES2 applicants

>> Further information about secondments