Finland: Government Scholarships for International Students

Overview

The Finnish Government offers scholarships of 3-9 months for Doctoral level studies, research and teaching at a higher education institution in Finland. The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme is open to young researchers from all academic fields. The scholarships can not be applied for post-Doctoral studies or research.

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

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

intend to pursue post-Master's level studies as a visiting student, participate in a research project or teach at a higher education institution or public research institute in Finland; priority will be given to doctoral studies
have established contact with the Finnish receiving institution before applying
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
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

The scholarship includes:

a monthly allowance of EUR 1200. The allowance is sufficient for one person only.

Expenses due to travel, international or in Finland, are not covered by CIMO. Scholarship recipients are recommended to make arrangements for sufficient insurance coverage for their stay in Finland.

How and when to apply

Applications for the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool 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 usually sent out from CIMO at the end of September annually. The applicants may then contact the scholarship authorities in their home country for information on the national deadline for submitting the application documents.

The scholarship authorities in each country are invited to present applications for up to 10 candidates for the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool. The deadline set by CIMO for the nomination of scholarship candidates by the national authorities is 28 February each year.An applicant should check the application deadline set by the authorities in his or her country since it may be earlier.

CIMO will inform both successful and unsuccessful candidates of the results by June.

Application form

Finnish Government Scholarship Pool application form 2012-2013 (doc)

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 CIMO.

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)
invitation/expression of interest from the hosting academic supervisor in Finland (this will be considered as an advantage in the selection process)
language certificate (Finnish, Swedish or English).