Finland has been said to be one of the best places to obtain education for its great curriculum. There are also many institutions in the country that conducts research in all kinds of fields. That being said, it is safe to say that Finland is one of the best destinations to obtain higher education and conduct or assist in a research. Also, you can do that by getting your expenses reduced as the Finnish Government provides financial aids for those wishing to pursue their Doctorate degree or do a research in Finland universities or institutes.
-
EDUFI Fellowships
The EDUFI Fellowships programme is a start-up grant and is open to young Doctoral level students and researchers from all countries and from all academic fields. The targets of this fellowships programme are Doctoral level students who want to pursue their Doctorate (or Double Doctorate) at a Finnish university. Visiting Doctoral level students and researchers who are pursuing their Doctorate degree outside Finland are also welcome to apply for the EDUFI fellowships programme. The programme is open for all foreign nationalities, though emphasis is given to applicants from Russia, China, India, Chile, Brazil and North America.
The scholarship period may vary from 3 to 12 months, and it consist a total of 1500 euros given per month as monthly allowance. The scholarship is intended to cover living expenses in Finland for a single person. It does not cover housing expenses and travel costs to and from Finland.
You should not have resided in Finland for more than one year prior to submitting an EDUFI Fellowship application to be eligible for the scholarship. You are suggested to visit the Finnish universities’ websites for detailed information on the Doctoral level study and research options the universities offer. If the Finnish university you chose and contacted is willing to host you, then the Finnish university department can apply for the EDUFI Fellowship on your behalf. That is, only the hosting Finnish university can ast as an ‘applicant’ in the EDUFI Fellowship programme.
The application form for the EDUFI Fellowship programme can be downloaded on www.cimo.fi > Programmes > Scholarship Programmes > EDUFI Fellowships. The application form must be accompanied by the supporting documents listed below.
- A motivation letter from the applicant (the hosting university), with a maximum of one page
- Complete CV of the scholarship candidate
- Research plan (3-5 pages)
Two printed and signed copies of the application with its supporting documents should be submitted in an envelope marked with “EDUFI Fellowships”, to the following address:
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI), PO Box 380, 00531 Helsinki
Applications can be sent in any time of the year as there is no annual application deadline in the EDUFI Fellowship programme. However, applications should be submitted at least 5 months prior to the intended scholarship period. The scholarship selection process may take time up to 3 months starting from when the application is received. During the summer months, the processing time is longer.
For more information, visit www.cimo.fi.
-
Finnish Government Scholarship Pool
The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool is offered by the Finnish Government for those wanting to pursue their Doctoral level studies and research at Finnish universities or public research institutes. The scholarship period is 3 to 9 months, and is open to young researches from all academic fields. It cannot be applied for Master’s level studies or post-Doctoral studies/research.
The scholarship includes a monthly allowance of EUR 1500 which is sufficient for one person only. It does not cover travel costs (in or outside Finland; to or from Finland).
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be at least provisionally accepted either as a visiting Doctoral level student/researcher, or as a full-time Doctoral degree student in a Finnish university/public research institute, and hold a citizenship of one of the following countries.
- Australia
- China
- Cuba
- Egypt
- Israel
- Japan
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Namibia
- Peru
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- USA
Additionally, you must also meet the requirements listed below.
- You must have made contact with the relevant Finnish institution before applying
- You must have a letter of invitation from the academic supervisor in Finland, which should also explain the host institution’s commitment to the project
- You must have earned a Master’s level degree
- You must 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.
- You must not previously attend a Finnish higher education institution for more than one year immediately before the intended scholarship period in Finland
- You must be able to provide evidence of sufficient skills in speaking and writing the language needed in study/research – you are not required to take an IELTS or TOEFL test, but if you have such official proof of your English skills, you may submit it along with the application.
Applications for the scholarship should be made to the appropriate authority in your country. Announcements for the annual opening applications are sent out at the end of September from the Finnish National Agency for Education. You may then contact the scholarship authorities in your home country for information on the national application deadline. 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.
Scholarship authorities in each country are invited to present 10 candidates for the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool to the Finnish National Agency for Education, where the final selection of successful candidates is made. Both successful and unsuccessful candidates will be notified on the results of their applications by June.
The application form can be found on www.cimo.fi > Programmes > Scholarship Programmes > Finnish Government Scholarship Pool. Applicants from USA should refer to the ‘Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship’ for instructions and application form on the Fulbright website.
The application form can also be obtained from the national scholarship authorities or directly from the Finnish National Agency for Education, if necessary.
Once you have obtained the application form, complete the form with the required information and sign it. Submit the application form along with the following necessary documents to the appropriate authority in your country.
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Copies of latest diplomas. If not in English, Finnish or Swedish, copies of diplomas should be accompanied with official translations.
- Two letters of recommendation
- Study or research plan (2-5 pages, including a statement of motivation, goals, work plan, work method, expected results)
- Invitation or expression of interest and motivation for cooperation from the hosting academic supervisor in Finland
- Language proficiency certificate (Finnish, Swedish, or English) or other indication of sufficient language skills
For further details on the scholarship, please visit www.cimo.fi.
Be the first to comment