info@happygrant.eu
Strong proposals:
Research that includes everyone
and respects the planet
Happy Grant is a senior expert consultancy specialising in funding strategy, partnership building, and proposal development for research and innovation funding.
We support researchers, organisations, and consortia to secure funding through clear, competitive proposals and strong project concepts. Our approach combines funding expertise, partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and proposal development, while aligning projects with inclusion, responsibility, and sustainability expectations.
What is Inclusive & Responsible Grant Writing?
Funding bodies increasingly expect research proposals to demonstrate more than scientific excellence.
Inclusive and responsible grant writing means:
- Integrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination into research design
- Addressing societal and environmental impact
- Ensuring alignment between research goals, methods, and responsibility commitments
At Happy Grant this means:
- Making proposals and project concepts stronger by aligning them with real evaluation criteria
- Ensuring that impact, responsibility, and stakeholder engagement are meaningful, not just technical add-ons
- Supporting the development of collaborations and partnerships that strengthen project quality and relevance
- Supporting research that contributes to both knowledge and broader wellbeing
Why Happy Grant?
The name Happy Grant is intentional
My approach is informed by experience working from multiple perspectives across the funding landscape, including as a Science Adviser at the Research Council of Finland, a university research funding adviser, grant writer, researcher, and consultant. This allows me to support clients not only with proposal writing, but also with funding strategy, partnership development, and project design.
Alongside this expertise, I draw on strengths-based thinking and psychology-informed practice to bring clarity, confidence, and momentum to proposal processes that are often complex and high-pressure.
Clients consistently value
- An energising, solution-oriented approach
- Strategic insight into funding opportunities, processes, and evaluation criteria
- Thoughtful feedback that strengthens projects as well as proposals
- Genuine engagement in helping ideas reach their full potential
- A way of working that builds focus, trust, and psychological safety
"Rose-Marie’s expertise and dedication played a crucial role in helping me secure a major research grant. From the very beginning of the writing process, she took the time to understand my research vision and translate it into a compelling proposal. Her ability to identify the strengths of the project, anticipate what reviewers would be looking for, and present complex ideas in a persuasive way was exceptional. She genuinely and enthusiastically invested in the success of the application with excellent dialogue skills.
I wholeheartedly recommend her to any researcher or institution seeking to develop a highly competitive grant application. Her work made a real difference in my process. Thank you Rose!"
Simo Kellokumpu, DA, Lecturer, Researcher, Theatre Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki"I really enjoyed working with Rose. She brought a lot of creativity and experience to the proposal development process and had a very good sense of how to move an early-stage idea forward. I especially appreciated her holistic way of thinking, her openness to novel and unconventional ideas, and her ability to connect different perspectives into a coherent project direction.”
Associate Professor Dr. Dominik Siemon
Software Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences
LUT University"I recently had the chance to work with Rose-Marie for several months on a demanding application for an international artistic research project. Although the project was not funded, it reached the final selection round and received excellent reviews.
I share this achievement with Rose, whose encouragement, insightful criticism and genuine engagement with the project made the whole process both rigorous and energising. Rose is a remarkable mentor, combining a deep understanding of complex application processes with great commitment and an infectious enthusiasm."
Vincent Roumagnac, DA, artist-researcher
It is also called Happy Grant, because we are a 100% Finnish consultancy, proudly from the land of the happiest people in the world!
What We Do
Grant Writing & Proposal and Partnership Development | Senior-level expertise for competitive research fundin
I provide comprehensive support for developing competitive funding proposals and fundable project concepts, from early-stage idea development and partnership building to final proposal refinement.
Core Services
- Tailored proposal writing and expert editing
- Structuring and strengthening research and innovation narratives
- Alignment with evaluation criteria and funding logic
- Support for impact, implementation, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination sections
- Strategic positioning of projects, partnerships, and funding opportunities
- Funding strategy and consortium development support
Added value
- Integration of inclusion and non-discrimination into proposal and project design
- Strengthening of impact, societal relevance, and stakeholder engagement
- Alignment with sustainability and responsibility expectations
- Support for partnership-building and ecosystem-oriented collaboration
- Clear, structured proposals that are easy to evaluate, but hard to reject
Relevant for
- Horizon Europe programmes
- Research Council of Finland
- Business Finland
The result is proposals that are not only technically strong, but credible, compelling, and competitive
Why This Matters Now
Sustainability, responsibility, and inclusion are no longer optional. They are core evaluation criteria.
Funders increasingly expect:
- Consideration of equality and non-discrimination
- Integration of these aspects in both research aims and design
- Clear societal and environmental impact
For example
- The Research Council of Finland requires these aspects to be addressed, and proposals that do not are rejected
- Horizon Europe and Business Finland emphasise impact, responsibility, and sustainability
Happy Grant ensures your proposal is not only compliant, but strategically strong.
Happy Grant's work is guided by the principles of planetary wellbeing and contributes particularly to SDGs 5, 9, 10, 13, and 17
Partnerships & Project Development
Great projects start with the right people around the table.
Happy Grant helps organisations transform ideas into collaborative projects by identifying funding opportunities, building partnerships, and developing strong project concepts.
I support collaboration between:
- Cities and regional authorities
- SMEs and startups
- NGOs and civil-society organisations
- Universities and research organisations
- Public-sector actors
Services
- Funding opportunity identification
- Project concept development
- Partner and consortium building
- Stakeholder engagement and facilitation
- Proposal development
- Capacity-building workshops and strategic advice
Focus Areas
- Sustainability and resilient communities
- Climate and energy transition
- Circular economy
- Sustainable mobility
- Digital transformation
- Social innovation and inclusion
From ideas to partnerships to funding.
About
Happy Grant is led by Dr Rose-Marie Peake, a senior expert working at the intersection of:
- Research funding and grant strategy
- Inclusive and responsible research
- Coaching and psychologically informed practice
I combine analytical depth with human insight, supporting both the quality of proposals and the collaborative processes behind them. My experience spans funding administration, research services, proposal development, stakeholder engagement, training, and partnership-building across academic, public, private, and civil society sectors.
I bring over 10 years of experience in interdisciplinary, international postdoctoral research, with a focus on minority history, and hold a PhD and the title of Docent in History from the University of Helsinki.
My experience includes:
- Securing substantial research funding from Finnish funding bodies and contributing to the preparation and development of Horizon Europe funding proposals
- Working in Research Services at Finnish universities, supporting national and Horizon Europe applications across disciplines, developing researcher support services, delivering funding-related training, and helping researchers and partners navigate complex funding environments.
- Serving as a Science Adviser at the Research Council of Finland, with insight into evaluation processes and funding priorities
My work has also involved supporting interdisciplinary and challenge-driven research initiatives, helping researchers, businesses, public organisations, and civil society actors develop collaborative projects around sustainability and societal challenges. I believe strong funding proposals begin with strong ideas, strong partnerships, and a clear understanding of impact.
In addition, I am a DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) -informed solution-focused brief therapy practitioner and coach, supporting researchers in navigating the demanding and high-stakes nature of proposal work.
©Happy Grant | Finnish Business ID 3371928-1