The Academy of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Akatemia, Swedish: Finlands Akademi) is a governmental funding body for scientific research in Finland. It is based in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. Yearly, the Academy administers over 260 million euros to Finnish research activities. Over 5,000 researchers are working on the projects supported by the academy. The Academy functions as a funding body only and is not a school.
The Academy of Finland should not be confused with the two Finnish learned societies, The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (Suomalainen tiedeakatemia) and The Finnish Society of Science and Letters (Finska Vetenskaps-Societeten) which are the two Finnish national honorary academies, for Finnish and Swedish-speaking scientists and scholars, respectively. For engineers, the two language-based honorary academies are Finnish Academy of Technology (Teknillisten Tieteiden Akatemia) and Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Finland (Svenska tekniska veteskapsakademien i Finland).
The Finnish title of Academician (akateemikko / akademiker) is an award given by the President of Finland to the most distinguished Finnish scientists, scholars and artists. It may also be bestowed on foreign scientists, scholars or artists who have contributed very significantly to Finnish intellectual life. At any time, there may be a maximum of 12 living scientific and scholarly academicians and eight living artistic academicians. The number of foreign academicians is not limited. The Academicians do not have any organizational connection to the Academy of Finland, although this was the requisite for membership in 1947–1969.
The president of the academy from 2012 to 2017 is Heikki Mannila.
Famous quotes containing the word academy:
“When the State wishes to endow an academy or university, it grants it a tract of forest land: one saw represents an academy, a gang, a university.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)