French Institute Nordic Award (FINA) 2025

Theme of the year 2025: Oceans

As a shared global resource, the ocean is vital to human prosperity and well-being. It plays a key role in regulating the Earth’s climate and supports the livelihoods of three billion people, the majority of whom live in developing countries. The ocean is a topic that encompasses numerous challenges, including among others environmental and climate protection, the preservation of marine biodiversity, and broader societal questions such as legal and political frameworks.

Ahead of the UN Ocean Conference which will be held in Nice in June 2025, the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) will gather over 2,000 scientists in Nice to discuss ocean-related issues and contribute valuable insights to global debates.

In this context, the 2025 edition of the FINA prize aims to highlight the work of young Nordic researchers while aligning with the promotion of the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.

Who can apply

This programme is open to PhD students and holders of a PhD degree for less than two years conducting research in a Swedish, Danish, Estonian, Norwegian or Finnish institution (university, research institute from the public or private sector).

All research fields, including human and social sciences, contributing to ocean science, are eligible for this call for projects

Selection procedure

One laureate will be selected in each of the participating countries (Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) by a selection committee composed of the Directors and Scientific attachés of the five French Institutes.

Selection criteria 

The selection criteria will be as follows:

• The relevance of the research work in relation to the theme;
• The originality of the researcher’s approach;
• The motivation of the candidate to participate in the programme.

In case of ex-aquo applications, the jury will give priority to younger researchers.

Award

The FINA recognises the quality and relevance of the work carried out by the laureates. This scientific mobility to France includes the attendance to the OOSC (One Ocean Science Congress) in Nice. This event, organised by CNRS and IFREMER, will be held from June 3 until June 6, prior to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

In addition to the OOSC, laureates will have the opportunity to visit universities, research institutes and/or laboratories. The full programme will be defined by the French Institutes depending on the laureates’ fields of interest.

The French Institutes will register the laureates to the OOSC and will book the accommodation in Nice. 

Each laureate will be awarded the following amounts minus the cost of accommodation:

• Denmark: 2000 € (approximately 14 925 DKK)
• Estonia: 2000 €
• Finland: 2 000 €
• Norway: 2 000 € (approximately 23 000 NOK)
• Sweden: 20 000 SEK

The grant will be awarded as a contribution to transportation costs and living expenses.

The objective is to enable the laureates to network with colleagues in France during the OOSC and by visiting laboratories, universities and/or research institutes. This one-week stay in France is a great opportunity to develop scientific cooperation with French institutions and researchers.

The stay in France will take place from June 2 to June 9, 2025 (TBC). Visits will be conducted in English.

Timeline

• March 16, 2025 at 23:59 CET – Deadline for applications:
• Early April 2025 – Announcement of the laureates
• June 2 to 9 (TBC) – Mobility to France

Application procedure

Applicants must send the following documents:

• A scientific resume (CV), including a list of selected publications (max. 1 page)
• A presentation of the current research (max. 2 pages)
• A copy of a document attesting of the participant’s affiliation with a local research or higher education institution.

before March 16 at 23:59 (Central European Time), to the Institut français of their country of residence, in the following way:

• Denmark: send the required documents by email to mr@institutfrancais.dk 
• Estonia: send the required document by email to gabriel.voisin-moncho@ife.ee 
• Finland: send the required documents by email to science@france.fi 
• Norway: send the required documents by email to science@france.no 
• Sweden: fill the online form here

All applications must be in English or in French.

Do you have any question?

• Denmark: please contact Mélissa Rahmouni, Scientific and University cooperation attaché at the Institut Français du Danemark, at mr@institutfrancais.dk 
• Estonia: please contact Gabriel Voisin-Moncho, Scientific and University cooperation attaché at the French Institute of Estonia, at gabriel.voisin-moncho@ife.ee
• Finland: please contact science@france.fi 
• Norway: please contact science@france.no 
• Sweden: please contact Victor Ducret, officer for scientific cooperation at the Institut français de Suède and French Embassy to Sweden, at science@ifsuede.com.