Open dialogue with Finnish Foundations: Proposal tips for Aalto researchers

Tuomas Olkku

Executive Director
Finnish Science Foundation for Economics and Technology (KAUTE Foundation)

Tuomas Olkku is an Executive Director of the Finnish Science Foundation for Economics and Technology (KAUTE Foundation). He joined the foundation in January 2020. Tuomas has a strong background in research funding, science communication and public engagement with science. He worked for several years in development and leadership positions in the science communication field prior to joining KAUTE.

The KAUTE Foundation supports academic research in business and technical sciences and the dissemination of research results, with an aim to advance the Finnish society in an economically, socially, and ecologically sustainable way. The foundation supports promising early-career researchers through working and mobility grants.

Iina Koskinen

Science and Executive Director
Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation

Iina Koskinen is the Science and Executive Director at the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s work in advancing an ecologically sustainable future. The foundation supports research and research-based action that drives sustainability transformations across society. In her role, Iina works closely with researchers, practitioners, and partners to strengthen the impact and relevance of funded projects. She is particularly interested in how research can inform systemic change and contribute to addressing complex environmental challenges. Iina has extensive experience in science funding, impact and strategy, and stakeholder engagement between academia and society. 

Päivikki Eskelinen-Rönkä 

Senior Advisor, Manager
Finnish Cultural Foundation

Päivikki Eskelinen-Rönkä is a Senior Advisor at the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Manager of the foundation's South Karelia and South Savo Regional Funds. Having joined the foundation in 2009 with a background in academic research, she has extensive experience in research and cultural funding. Her responsibilities include developing funding instruments as well as promoting fair and responsible evaluation practices.

Martta Lindström

Secretary General
Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion – Tekniikan edistämissäätiö (TES)

Martta Lindström serves as Secretary General of the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion (TES). She has a strong and versatile background in securing financial support for research through grants, philanthropy, and public engagement. Prior to joining the foundation, Martta spent several years in academia working in fundraising, communications, and public relations. TES supports postgraduate studies in the field of technology in Finland and abroad, as well as international researcher exchanges. The foundation awards full-year and part-year full-time research grants, primarily to early-career researchers.

Sampsa Heikkilä

Administrative Assistant
Foundation for Economic Education (Liikesivistysrahasto)

MA Sampsa Heikkilä works as an Administrative Assistant at the Foundation for Economic Education (Liikesivistysrahasto), where he is broadly responsible for the preparation and reporting of grant processes. His expertise includes coordinating grant calls, developing evaluation criteria, and supporting decision‑making based on research and funding data.

Henri Kähönen

Head of Development
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

Henri Kähönen is the Head of Development at the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, which he joined in 2023 after more than a decade in public-sector entrepreneurship and innovation policy. In his role, he focuses on developing the foundation's grant processes — including evaluation and data-driven analysis. The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation supports research in medicine, technology, and business and economics, with an emphasis on larger, longer-term grants for research groups and organizations.

Petro Poutanen

CEO
Finnish Research Impact Foundation

Petro Poutanen is the CEO of the Finnish Research Impact Foundation (Vaikuttavuussäätiö), with a background as an academic researcher and entrepreneur. Before joining the foundation, Petro spent over a decade working in data-driven entrepreneurship, analytics, and strategic consulting. Since 2019, he has led the Finnish Research Impact Foundation, and in 2024 he joined the Board of the Association of Finnish Foundations.

Antti Aarnio

Executive Director
Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation

Antti Aarnio is Executive Director of the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation. He leads the foundation’s work in supporting ambitious research and long-term competence building for the renewal and competitiveness of Finnish technology industries, including the  Future Makers grant programme. Before joining the foundation, he worked in senior roles in innovation, research commercialization, and digital transformation at Aalto University, EIT Digital, and Fingrid.

Kalle Korhonen 

Director of Funding
Kone Foundation

Dr. Kalle Korhonen is Director of Funding at Kone Foundation, a major private grantmaker in research and art in Finland. Before joining the foundation, he worked as a researcher with a focus on Ancient Greek & Latin studies and historical sociolinguistics. At Kone Foundation, he is responsible for all the funding awarded by the foundation for research, art, journalism, and civil society. He advocates for the value of interdisciplinary research, transdisciplinary work, and multilingualism.

Dr. Jussi Nissilä

Platform Manager for Digitalisation & AI and Health & Wellbeing
Aalto University

Dr. Jussi Nissilä is an executive and RDI professional with extensive experience at the intersection of research, education, innovation, and public policy. He currently supports Aalto University in strengthening its impact by fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers and external partners. Jussi has previously served as CEO of two research funding foundations and brings understanding of how Finnish foundations enable high-impact research and contribute to societal wellbeing and renewal.

Dr. Claudia Dell'Era

Head of Pre-award Services
Aalto University

Dr. Claudia Dell’Era is the Head of Pre-award Services. She also serves as a Senior Grant Writer for the Aalto School of Engineering. She had more than 15 years of experience with grant applications. She holds a Dr.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Aalto and leads the Pre-award team in supporting high-quality, competitive research funding applications. Claudia is actively involved in capacity building through training sessions and conference presentations on research funding.

Dr. Katja Bargum

Grant writer, School of Science
Aalto University

Dr. Katja Bargum is a Grant Writer for the Aalto School of Science. She has previously worked in science communications at Yle and with research funding at the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation. Katja has a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Helsinki and continues to write nonfiction books on biological topics. As a Grant Writer, Katja provides co-writing services for researchers as well as training on research funding.