Finnish Government Scholarship Pool 2018/2019 for Doctoral level studies & research in Finland (funded)

Application Deadline: February 15th 2018

The Finnish Government offers scholarships of 3-9 months for Doctoral level studies and research at Finnish universities or public research institutes.

The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme is open to young researchers from all academic fields. The scholarship cannot be applied for Master’s level studies or post-Doctoral studies/research.

Requirements:

In order to be an eligible applicant for this scholarship, you must first successfully apply for a study/research placement at a Finnish university/public research institute – in other words, you must be at least provisionally accepted either as a visiting Doctoral-level student/researcher, or as a full-time Doctoral degree student. Please see section Doctoral Admissions for information on how to apply for a Doctoral-level study or research placement in Finland.

The scholarships are based mainly on cultural agreements or similar arrangements between Finland and the following countries:

• Australia
• China
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Israel
• Japan
• Mexico
• Mongolia
• Namibia
• Peru
• Republic of Korea
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• USA (please see the section Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowships on the Fulbright Online website)

Only the nationals of the above-mentioned countries can be considered eligible applicants in this scholarship programme.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, the applicant must:

• have established contact with the Finnish receiving institution before applying (see section ‘Doctoral Admissions‘)
• have a letter of invitation from the academic supervisor in Finland; the invitation should also explain the commitment of the host institution to the project
• have earned a Master’s-level degree before applying
• intend to pursue post-Master’s level studies as a visiting student, participate in a research project or teach at a university or public research institute in Finland; priority will be given to doctoral studies
• not have spent already more than one year at a Finnish higher education institution immediately before the intended scholarship period in Finland
• be able to give proof of sufficient skills in speaking and writing the language needed in study/research*
• be a national of one of the eligible countries listed above

Benefit

The scholarship includes:

• a monthly allowance of EUR 1500. The allowance is sufficient for one person only.

Expenses due to travel, international or in Finland, are not covered by the programme. Scholarship recipients are recommended to make arrangements for sufficient insurance coverage for their stay in Finland. Please see the section ‘Practical matters‘ for information on the practicalities of coming to Finland as an international student/researcher.

Scholarship period

The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme can be applied for a study/research period of 3-9 months, 9 months being the maximum time for an individual applicant.

How and when to apply

Applications for the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool funding should be made to the appropriate authority in the applicant’s country. For information on the appropriate authority in your country, please see the listing of countries and authorities to contact.

• the announcements for the opening of the annual application round are sent out from the Finnish National Agency for Education at the end of September annually.
• applicants may then contact the scholarship authorities in their home country for information on the national deadline for submitting the application documents. Make sure you meet the national deadline in your home country, as that is the deadline by which you should submit your application to the national contact authorities.
• the annual deadline set by the Finnish National Agency for Education for the nomination of scholarship candidates by the national contact authorities is in mid-February (in 2018: 15th February)

Application form & the required documents

Applicants from USA: please refer to the « Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship » instructions & application form on the Fulbright Online website.

Applicants from other participating countries: you can download the 2018-2019 application form using the below link.

> Finnish Government Scholarship Pool application form 2018-2019

Please save the application form on your own computer before completing it. The form should be typed throughout. To move between different fields, use the “Tab” key. Relevant boxes can be ticked by using the “Space” key or the left-hand mouse button. After completing the form, please print and sign it.

If needed, the application form can also be obtained from the national scholarship authorities or directly from the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Documents required for an application:

• a completed and signed application form
• curriculum vitae
• copies of latest diplomas*
• two letters of recommendation
• study/research plan (2-5 pages, including a statement of motivation, goals, work plan, work method, expected results)
• invitation/expression of interest and motivation for cooperation from the hosting academic supervisor in Finland
• language certificate (Finnish, Swedish or English) or other indication of sufficient language skills – please see above, in the section ‘Eligibility criteria’

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool 2018/2019