Author: sebastian

  • Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design reaches Endowment Target with Significant Gift from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation

    Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design reaches Endowment Target with Significant Gift from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation

    The donation of two million euros from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation has secured the minimum goal for the endowment for the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design. The returns from the capital assets will provide long-term financial support for the operations of the Museum of Architecture and Design in its new building, set to open in the early 2030s in Helsinki’s South Harbour.

    With the commitment from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design’s capital endowment has now reached its minimum goal of 150 million euros. The 60 million euro commitments by each of the Foundation’s founders – the Finnish state and the City of Helsinki – create the capital base. An exceptionally strong share of the funding, 30 million euros, has been raised from private sector donors.

    Through the donation, the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation will become a Founding Partner of the New Museum of Architecture and Design. Other Founding Partners include the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation, and the Centennial Fund of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design.

    The Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, established in 1991, supports education and research, environmental protection, culture and social activities in Finland. The foundation annually awards over one million euros in long-term grants and scholarships to innovative pilot projects.

    “The New Museum of Architecture and Design is an exceptionally significant initiative. We are excited to support a project that strengthens and showcases the global visibility of Finnish design and architecture, as well as highlights their significance for society, culture and economy. The future museum, located in a landmark setting, will create a new attraction for Helsinki and the whole of Finland. It is an honour for us to help enable the realization of this vision,” says Georg Ehrnrooth, Chairman of the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation.

    “The Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation’s donation is a powerful expression of confidence in the future and value of design and architecture within our society. Thanks to this this pivotal contribution, we are ready to take the next steps on the journey towards opening the New Museum of Architecture and Design. We express our warmest gratitude to the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation,” says Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

    Picture: JKMM Architects

  • The results from the Säätiöiden post doc –pooli’s autumn application round – 26 scholars received funding

    The results from the Säätiöiden post doc –pooli’s autumn application round – 26 scholars received funding

    On 3rd December 2025 the Säätiöiden post doc -pooli foundations awarded some 1.39 million
    euro to 26 post-doctoral scholars. Altogether 165 post-doctoral scholars from around Finland
    took part in the autumn application round. The number of applicants increased by 10 % from
    the previous year. A grant could be awarded to 16 % of the applicants.


    Each year, the foundations involved in the Pool allocate altogether 3.2 million euro to postdoctoral scholars. The research periods abroad vary from 6 months up to 24 months. The Pool’s
    next application round will take place from 1 January until 31 January 2026, when some 1.6
    million euro will be given in grants. The results of this round will be published by April 2026.

    The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool was founded in 2009 to support researchers and
    Finnish research in becoming more international. During this time, the Pool’s foundations have
    granted over 40 million euros to post-doctoral researchers heading abroad from Finland. After
    32 application rounds, already some 840 scholars have received funding through the Pool. Over
    one third of the grants have been awarded for two-year periods.


    Säätiöiden post doc -pooli has proven to be an important instrument of research funding which
    has enabled young scholars with families to finance research periods at top universities abroad.
    The grants awarded by the Pool are determined flexibly in accordance with the applicant’s
    needs and they often include their family’s moving expenses and children’s day care or school
    fees.


    During the current three-year-period 2025-2027 there are thirteen foundations involved in the
    pool. They are Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, Emil Aaltonen’s Foundation, Alfred
    Kordelin Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg
    Foundation, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish
    Medical Foundation, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish
    Literature in Finland, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Jenny and Antti Wihuri
    Foundation and the Ulla Tuominen’s Foundation.

  • The Ella & Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation Awards a Research Price to Four Distinguished Researchers

    The Ella & Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation Awards a Research Price to Four Distinguished Researchers

    Four prestigious research prizes were awarded by the Ella & Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation to celebrate the foundation’s 90th anniversary on 30 October 2025. The prizes were awarded to researchers in the fields of cholesterol research, media research, art research and legal history, and went to Professor Elina Ikonen (University of Helsinki), Professor Anu Koivunen (University of Turku), researcher and pianist Kirill Kozlovski (University of the Arts) and Academy Professor Heikki Pihlajamäki (University of Helsinki).

    All award recipients are recognised for their long-standing and significant scientific
    achievements, both nationally and internationally, within their
    respective scientific fields.

    Professor Elina Ikonen is recognised for her internationally renowned research
    into cholesterol and other lipids. Professor Anu Koivunen is praised for her extensive
    scientific output and public appearances, whose leitmotif has consistently been the central importance of cultural institutions and the media for Nordic democracies.

    Pianist and musicologist Kirill Kozlovski, MuD, is being honoured not only for his research but also for his artistic versatility, which enriches Finnish musical life and promotes contemporary music. Academy Professor Heikki Pihlajamäki is being honoured for his internationally oriented research, which is characterised by comparative elements in legal history research.

    The Research Prizes, worth € 25,000 each, were presented by the Foundation’s Chairman, Professor Henrik Meinander, during the Foundation’s 90th anniversary celebrations on 30 October at the University of Helsinki.

    The Foundation’s Chairman Henrik Meinander’s speech at the 90th Anniversary held at University of Helsinki. Photo: Simon Bergholm / Bergholm Media.

  • Grants Totalling 7.6 Million Euros Awarded in Spring Calls

    Grants Totalling 7.6 Million Euros Awarded in Spring Calls

    The Ehrnrooth Foundations’ spring call grants exceeded 7.6 million euros. The total number of grant recipients was 286.

    The Ella & Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation awarded grants totalling 3 199 700 € to 111 grantees.
    The Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation awarded grants totalling 2 415 809 € to 107 grantees.
    The Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation awarded grants totalling 1 175 000 € to 14 grantees.
    The Mary & Georg C. Ehrnrooth Foundation awarded grants totalling 832 420 € to 54 grantees.

    The majority of the annual grants from the foundations are distributed in the spring grant calls.