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2025 French Institute Nordic Award (FINA) – Oceans

The 2025 edition of the FINA prize is launched! Young researchers, send your applications until March 16, 2025, a unique opportunity to attend the One Ocean Science Congress, a major scientific event ahead of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference!

Each year since 2020, the French Institutes in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden jointly award a prize to five young researchers from the Nordic region in recognition of their outstanding achievements. The French Institute Nordic Award (FINA) aims to foster scientific cooperation on a theme of shared interest for both the Nordic countries and France.

The French Institutes invite you to take part in the FINA mobility programme. Laureates will have the chance to travel to France for one week and to attend the OOSC in June 2025 in Nice. In addition to the OOSC, laureates will have the opportunity to visit universities, research institutes and/or laboratories with a programme to be determined according to the laureates’ fields of interest.

Click here for more information about One Ocean Science Congress

Do not miss this occasion to strengthen your international network!

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 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 researchers holding a PhD for less than two years conducting research in a Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish institution (university, research institute from the public or private sector), with no condition of nationality.

All research fields including humanities and social sciences, contributing to ocean science, are eligible.

Selection procedure

One laureate will be selected in each of the participating countries (Denmark, Estonia, 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.

The jury will give priority to younger researchers in case of ex-aequo applications.

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 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 congress, 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 congress and will book the accommodation in Nice. Each laureate will receive a grant from which the cost of accommodation is deducted.

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

  • Finland: 2 000 €
  • Denmark: 2000 € (approximately 14 925 DKK)
  • Estonia: 2000 €
  • 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 congress 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 (exact dates TBC). Visits will be conducted in English.

Timeline
  • March 16, 2025 – Deadline for applications
  • Early April 2025 – Announcement of the laureates
  • June 2 to 9 (exact dates 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 your current research (max. 2 pages)
  • A copy of a document attesting of the participants’ affiliation with a local research or higher education institution.

By March 16, to the French Institute of their country of residence, in the following way:

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 French Institute in Denmark: mr@institutfrancais.dk
  • Estonia: please contact Gabriel Voisin-Moncho, Scientific and University cooperation attaché at the French Institute of Estonia at voisin-moncho@ife.ee
  • Finland: please contact science@france.fi
  • Norway: please contact tc@institutfrancais.dk

Sweden: please contact Victor Ducret, officer for scientific cooperation at the French Institute in Sweden and French Embassy to Sweden, at science@ifsuede.com