Aalto University Internal Seed Funding for Collaboration with India – 2026
1. Educational Collaboration (Total budget 50k)
2. Research collaboration (Total budget 60k), and
3. Flexible Mobility (Total budget 30k)
The Call for Categories 1 & 2, Educational and Research Collaboration Projects opens on 20.02.2026 and closes on 30.3.2026.
The Call for Category 3, Flexible Mobility will be a rolling call starting on 20.02.2026 with the last day of every month as the cut-off date for applications. The call will be closed the earliest when the funding gets exhausted or the latest on 31.1.2027.
This Seed Funding Call will be relaunched also in 2027 and 2028.
Categories of Funding
Category 1: Educational Collaboration
Objective and activities
The funding supports education-driven partnerships with Indian partners,through one or several of the following activities to be developed or implemented (suggestive but not limited to),
- Innovative teaching and learning formats,
- Blended/joint/collaborative courses, modules, curriculum development
- Joint educational collaboration models such as double degrees, Twinning, Progression pathways, Articulation programmes etc.,(also known as Trans National Education (TNE)
- Co-teaching, short sabbaticals, etc.,
- Joint planning of competitions/hackathons etc.,
- New initiatives, events, showcases, workshops, delegation visits for engaging with partners and promoting degree programmes
Projects demonstrating potential to increase Aalto’s visibility and brand recognition in India, and those can build a long term funnel for student attraction/recruitment will be prioritized. Preference will be given for new initiatives which have not received any external or internal funding for the same activity in the past 5 years.
The projects must involve educational cooperation at one or several different degree levels. (Bachelor and/or Master). Preference is given for project collaborations with currently existing Indian partner universities (see the Aalto – India Collaboration info) but not excluding new partners. Limited number of student mobilities within the projects can be funded with justified reasons.
Budget
Total budget is 50k Euros. Up to 10k Euros/project. Maximum 5 projects can be funded in the 2026 call.
Category 2: Research
Objective and activities
The funding supports initiatives to establish or enhance research collaborations with leading Indian institutions in Aalto’s strategic areas through one or several of the following means (suggestive but not limited to),
- Joint research projects, workshops, funding applications, and publications.
- Events like seminars and showcases connecting Aalto with strategic stakeholders for long-term collaboration.
- Innovative cooperation, such as industry collaborations, commercialization, and expert groups.
- Educational cooperation, including joint PhD supervision and Co-tutelle collaboration
Projects demonstrating potential to convert into competitive external funding proposals and fostering long-term strategic partnerships will be prioritized. Proposals from researchers in their early-stage career are encouraged.
Budget
Total budget is 60k Euros.
For new initiatives which have not received any seed funding for India in the past 5 years, up to 10k/project. Max 2*10k projects can be funded in the 2026 call.
For well-established projects that have already received seed funding during 2021-24 and developing potential towards external funding, commercialization and or industry collaboration, up to 20k/project. Max 2*20k projects can be funded in the 2026 call.
Eligibility for Categories 1 Education & 2 Research
- Who can apply:
Aalto professors, staff, or postdoctoral level researchers employed at Aalto until at least 31.12. 2027. For educational projects involving developing TNE models with degree programmes, the applicant must be a Professor, a Programme Director, or a service staff involved in the planning of the educational activity. - Eligible costs:
- Travel and accommodation
- Organizing costs for events, meetings etc.,
- Basic salary + up to 30% personnel side cost HSK (Salaries are applicable only for research projects)
- No overheads
- Not eligible: Salaries or travel costs of Indian partner institutions and purchase of research materials or equipment
Application Process for Categories 1 Education & 2 Research
- Apply through: Application form for Education & Research
- Application opens: 20.02.2026
- Submission DL: 30.03.2027
- Decisions announced: 20.5.2026
- Project start: 1.6.2026
- Project end: 31.8.2027 (15 months from receiving the funding)
Evaluation criteria for Categories 1 Education & 2 Research
Criterion |
Score (%) |
| Alignment with Aalto’s Strategy (as relevant for Education and Research) | 20 |
| Project quality, Design & Cost effectiveness | 40 |
| Feasibility and implementation | 20 |
| Impact and expected outcomes | 20 |
Total |
100 |
Evaluation Process
For Category 1 Education
Pre-screening: By the Working Group for India (Eija Kujanpää, Manager, International Relations, School of Science, Kit Srinivasan, Senior Manager, Global Engagement, and Niina Malkamäki, Senior Specialist, International Student Recruitment)
Evaluation: By Mervi Rantanen, Senior Specialist, and Riikka Evans, Specialist from Learning Services
Final decisions: By Kirsi Kettula, Head of Global Engagement
For Category 2 Research
Pre-screening: By the Working Group for India
Evaluation: By Krisztina Cziner, Head of Platform Services
Final decisions: By Kirsi Kettula, Head of Global Engagement
Category 3: Flexible Mobility funding
Objective and Activities
Funding for Aalto academics and staff for visits to partners for research and educational collaboration, exploring and developing new opportunities, participating in delegations of bilateral importance, and events strategic for Aalto etc., Priority will be given to travel that can combine meetings/activities with several stakeholder groups (for example, Student recruitment, Alumni etc.,).
Budget
Total budget is 30k. Budget/project is up to 3k/project. Maximum 10 projects can be funded in the 2026 call. The funding is equally divided between Education and Research activities.
Note!
Only outbound mobility from Aalto is funded. Inbound mobility from Indian partners is not funded.
Eligibility for Category 3
The applicant is an employee of Aalto University, with a current work contract at Aalto University at least until the end of 31.12.2027
Evaluation criteria for Category 3
The proposal
- is clear, logical and realistic;
- clearly highlights how it supports the objectives of education and research defined in the seed funding call 2026
- clearly shows the outcomes of the travel
Evaluation process for Category 3
Proposals are evaluated by the Working Group for India , and the final funding decisions are made by Kirsi Kettula, Head of Global Engagement. The proposals are gathered on the last business day of every month and the funding decisions will be communicated to the Applicant within 3 weeks from the submission.
Application format and submission for Category 3
Please fill in the application form for Flexible Mobility Funding under Criteria 3 at: “India Mobility Funding Application”
Final reporting for Categories 1,2 &3
Free form description including the progress of the project, the outcomes, and the next steps in 1-3 power point slides to kit.srinivasan@aalto.fi. Deadline for reporting, not later than 15.9.2027.
Contacts for more information
More information and guidance can be obtained from,
- kit.srinivasan@aalto.fi
- eija.kujanpaa@aalto.fi
Relevant links
- Aalto Strategy
- Background on Aalto India Collaboration,– Link (Kit will add a summary)
- Finnish Indian Consortia for Research and Education FICORE