An innovative environment, combined with great value for money, has made Estonia a desirable destination for both students and researchers in a knowledge-based society. Here, you can find a short introduction about the funding system in Estonia and links to click to gain a deeper knowledge about the funding possibilities.
The main principles of R&D in Estonia are defined in the Organisation of Research and Development Act (first version adopted in 1997), which stipulates the bases for the organisation of R&D and secures the legal means for the preservation and further development of scientific and technological work as a part of the Estonian culture and economy.
Research in Estonia is mainly financed by the government and businesses, which both account for approximately 40% of research funding. The rest comes from foreign funds (mainly EU framework programmes).
The instruments of financing Estonian research and development activities:
- Baseline funding
- Research infrastructures
- Centres of excellence
- Doctoral programmes
- Research grants
- Proof-of-Concept grant
- Mobility Funding
- Kristjan Jaak scholarships
- Applied Research (RITA)
- Applied Research (SekMo)
The European Union’s instruments for funding research and development activities are mainly covered by framework programmes. The ninth framework programme from 2021 onwards is Horizon Europe.
For incoming researcher: