Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Finnish Government Scholarship Pool


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

Very important: the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme application form is not an application for a study/research placement. It is merely an application for funding.
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.

Who can apply?

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.
Only the nationals of the above-mentioned countries can be considered eligible applicants in this scholarship programme. (If you are not a national of any of the above countries, you cannot apply for this particular scholarship - however, please see the other scholarship options in the section 'Tuition and scholarships')

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 higher education institution 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
*) this means that the application must include some proof of the applicant's language skills - CIMO does not require you to take an IELTS or TOEFL test, but if you have such official proof of your English skills that can of course be enclosed in the application. Usually however it is enough if, for example, the letter of invitation from the hosting Finnish university states that your language skills have been deemed sufficient by the Finnish university.

What does the scholarship cover?

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. Please see the section 'Before your arrival' for information on the practicalities of coming to Finland as an international student/researcher.
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. This means that the scholarship programme cannot be applied to cover a whole Doctoral degree programme - if you are granted this scholarship, after the initial CIMO scholarshipperiod you will need to look for other sources of funding for the remainder of your studies/research in Finland.

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 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

You can download the application form through the link below.
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
  • language certificate (Finnish, Swedish or English) or other indication of sufficient language skills - please see above, under the section 'Eligibility criteria'
*) copies of original diplomas accompanied with translations into English, Finnish or Swedish - if the original certificates are not in these languages. Preferably official translations.

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