ABSTRACT

The main forms of external research funding are competitive funding with open calls and contract funding. Being an important constituent of the whole research world, funding mechanisms have several stakeholders. The ability to write impressive applications is a key requirement for success in research. Along with specific skills, the application-writing process also requires applicants to make ethical choices. Funding decisions are of great significance to applicants; they may direct the career of one or more persons up or down. For the funding body, the decision is routine and repeats itself at regular intervals. In the funding process, all primary stakeholders have rights and responsibilities according to the roles they play. Often the same people have different roles in different funding processes. Competitive funding has various forms and traditions around the world. In recent years the share of contract funding has increased in all fields, but especially in the social sciences and humanities (SSH).