Granting criteria for the medal
The scientific community’s years of service medal may be awarded on the following grounds:
- The medal may be awarded to an employee working for the scientific community.
Universities, scientific academies, scientific societies, the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV) and the Rectors’ Council of Finnish Universities UNIFI make up the scientific community. These organisations may make proposals for awarding medals to their employees.
- The medal is awarded to a person in an employment relationship based on the employer’s proposal. The employer is responsible for the costs of the medal.
An employment relationship in any of the aforementioned organisations counts towards the eligible period of service. Service at a foreign university or research institute may also be accepted if it can be reliably documented.
Studies or job alternation leave of more than one month is not included in the period of service. Maternity, paternity and parental leave do not reduce the period of service entitling to a medal.
The medal is not intended for persons in positions of trust, such as those working on the boards of scientific societies.
Applying for a medal
The employer can apply for a medal annually from 15 August to 30 September. The application period begins on 15 August at 8:00 and ends on 30 September at 16:00. They can submit an application for an employee who reached the required number of years of service by the end of the previous calendar year. Submit the application using the electronic form. The form requires a user ID.
Apply for a years of service medal
The applicant community should agree in advance on who is responsible for submitting the applications. The applicant community is responsible for the accuracy of the information provided in the application, including that the person in question has the years of service required for the medal.
Decisions and delivery of medals
We will process the applications and make decisions on awarding medals by 15 November each year. We will deliver the medals, certificates of honour and instructions to the employers on week 49 at the earliest. The employer can organise the presentation of medals as they want.
Using the medal
The years of service medal is worn at celebrations of the science community, attached to the left side of the chest.
If no state decorations or other official honours are worn in the event:
- When wearing a jacket with a breast pocket, the medal is attached above the breast pocket on the left side so that the tips of the rosette are aligned with the lower edge of the breast pocket opening and the centre line of the medal is matched with the centre line of the pocket. The use of a pocket square is not recommended when wearing a medal.
- If the attire has no breast pocket, the medal is attached to the left side of chest at the same height
In events where state decorations or other official honours are worn, the scientific community’s years of service medal is attached below them.
Background and symbolism of the medal
When universities and higher education institutions were excluded from the government medal of merit, TSV had the idea of creating a replacement medal for the entire scientific community. The Rectors’ Council of Finnish Universities UNIFI became a natural partner for the idea of a medal of merit.
The science community’s years of service medal combines two key themes. The first is a lighthouse that spreads the light of science and knowledge, and the other is a keyhole, which simultaneously reflects the idea that research both broadens understanding and deepens it, but also possibly restricts it.
The medal is framed by a foliage garland, which is a well-established symbol of merit and reward. The red ribbon on the medal is a nod to forward-looking Prometheus from the Greek mythology, whilst its yellow stripes indicate the number of years of service of the one receiving the medal. The ribbon for the silver medal has two yellow stripes (20 years of service) and the gold medal has three stripes (30 years of service).
The scientific community’s years of service medal was designed by Hannu Hillo, a heraldist of the Finnish Heraldic Society.