The application round is open for the academic year 2026-27. Apply by October 1, 2025!
Purpose of the Grant Program
The purpose of the grant is to enable Senior Scholars to carry out research projects at U.S. universities or research institutions and at the same time act as ambassadors for the Fulbright Finland Foundation programs, Finland, and their home institution, sharing their culture and contributing to the relations between Finland and the U.S. The grants are available for periods of 3–12 months.
The ASLA-Fulbright Research Grants for Senior Scholars are co-funded by the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the applicant’s home university. The applicant must hold a position at a university participating in the cost-share program in order to be eligible.
In addition to research-only grants, it is also possible to award grants for a combination of research and teaching. There are no limits to the teaching hours in relation to research. However, all Senior Scholar grants are cost-shared by Finnish home universities and consequently home university approval is needed.
Cost of living in the U.S.
The cost of living in the U.S. has been increasing recently and can be significantly higher than in Finland depending on city. The total costs (including potential host institution fees, insurance, and living costs) vary by institution and city. Living costs (accommodation, meals, and everyday expenses) typically range anywhere between USD 3 200 to 4 850 per month depending on the city. Minimum funding requirements for accompanying family members are USD 1 400 to 2 150 (for dependent one) and USD 700 to 1 100 (for each additional dependent) per month. It is important to estimate the total costs of the grant term as accurately as possible and budget accordingly.
For example, renting a studio apartment in high-rent regions such as San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford University campus, and New York City may cost between USD 2 500 and USD 3 000.
Benefits
- Grant: The maximum grant amount is 5 000 USD per month up to 6 months (maximum total grant amount 30 000 USD). If you wish to stay longer than 6 months (up to 12 months allowed by the Fulbright visa), you must provide proof of additional funding (e.g. salary from the home institution or other grants).
- Personal advising and guidance services: Supporting you before and during the grant term.
- Free visa: J-1 visa for you, and J-2 visa for family members who travel with you
- Orientation training: Extensive orientation training to U.S. culture, the higher education system, and details for the upcoming Fulbright period, including online materials, virtual meetings, and an orientation day in Helsinki.
- Networking opportunities: Enabling you to build connections professionally and internationally in Finland and the U.S. As a Fulbright grantee, you are provided an opportunity to participate in the Fulbright enrichment activities (Fulbright Enrichment Seminars, events, and workshops) allowing you to connect with fellow grantees from all around the world as well as local community members. In addition, you will be joining a global network of 400 000+ alumni as well as the Fulbright Finland alumni community.
You can find the full list of additional benefits and program services here.
Support for Grantees with Disabilities
Extra funding support is available for grantees with disabilities. If you have a disability that would cause additional costs for the grant term, contact the Foundation to discuss reasonable accommodations. Email the Foundation (emmi.jelekainen@fulbright.fi) by the grant application deadline your self-assessment with a description of the disability and the specific accommodations requested.
Please note that disclosing the need for disability accommodation does not affect the review and selection process.
Application Requirements
Academic requirements
- Doctoral degree: The applicant must have earned a doctoral degree at least four years prior to the application deadline. If your doctorate was received within the past four years of the deadline, please see the instructions for the ASLA-Fulbright Research Grants for Junior Scholars.
- Cost-share funding from the home institution: The ASLA-Fulbright Research Grants for Senior Scholars are co-funded by the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the applicant’s home university. The applicant must hold a position at a university participating in the cost-share program in order to be eligible.
Ambassadorial Role
- Cultural ambassador of Finland: You are motivated to learn about other cultures and to share your own. The grantees contribute to the enhancement of Finland-U.S. relations by acting as citizen ambassadors of their home country and institution, and by promoting cultural understanding.
- Representing a Fulbright Finland Foundation grant program: You may seek and receive additional funding for your time in the U.S. from other organizations or foundations, but your primary affiliation is always with the Fulbright Finland Foundation as your stay in the United States will be on the Fulbright program and on a Fulbright sponsored visa.
- Motivated to learn and share: You are motivated to develop your field of specialization and share your knowledge and learning during and after the grant term. After the grant term, you are interested in engaging as an alum of the Foundation.
Other eligibility and visa requirements
- J-1 Visa: You will travel to the U.S. with an exchange visitor visa (the J-1 visa) organized by the Fulbright program.
- Finnish citizenship and residence: You must be a Finnish citizen (if you are not a Finnish citizen but work as a researcher in Finland, please consider our travel grant programs). You cannot have Finnish-American dual citizenship or a permanent residence permit in the U.S. The grant cannot be given to an applicant who already resides in the U.S. The applicant has to start their research in the U.S. with this grant. The J-1 visa sponsorship of the Fulbright program is available for a maximum period of 12 months. Candidates planning longer research projects in the U.S. should contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation before submitting their applications.
- Previous stay in the U.S. (for both applicant and family members): Due to the 12-month bar and 24-month bar regulations, if you and your family members have visited the U.S. with a J-1 or J-2 visa within the past 24 months, please contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation before applying.
- Two-year home country residency requirement: Grantee cannot apply for a work permit or an immigration visa to the U.S. immediately after the end of their grant term. One has to reside in their home country/country of residence for two years after the grant period. However, normal tourist visits and for example studying in the U.S. is possible. Read more about this requirement here.
- Open for all fields (some restrictions for medical sciences): The program is open for all fields. However, proposals for medical research involving clinical training, patient care or patient contact are not eligible. This restriction is applied quite widely and applicants are advised to contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation if they have any questions about the eligibility of their project.
How to Apply?
The detailed application instructions and more information on the interviews and the application process can be found in the links below. Please read them carefully.
These instructions, targeted at Finnish applicants, provide you with further information on the questions of the application form and guide you through the application step by step. Please follow the instructions while you are filling in the form. If there is any contradictory information in the form and the instructions, always follow the instructions for Finnish applicants specifically.
Application and attachments
The application is submitted through the IIE electronic application form.
The application must include the following documents:
Use the checklist to make sure you have attached all the required documents in the application.
The applicant is responsible for saving all the required attachments in the application system by the deadline.
Evaluation criteria
The applications are evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set by the Fulbright Finland Foundation Board, and the interviews focus on the following attributes. The Foundation does not provide feedback on individual applications, their review process, or on any single grant decision.
As part of the application review process, IIE, our U.S. partner organization, will screen the applications to identify any instance of plagiarism.
If you face any technical difficulties when filling in the application form, you should immediately contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation.
Timeline |
|---|
| Application period starts | Summer 2025 |
| Deadline for applications | October 1, 2025 (Finnish time at 23.59) |
| Interviews (virtual) | November 5-6, 2025 |
| Selections announced | December 2025 |
| Program-specific online meeting | March 2026 (date TBC) |
| Compulsory Orientation Day in Helsinki for all selected grantees | May 2026 (date TBC) |
| Earliest possible starting date of the grant period | August 1, 2026 |
Alumni Experiences
Fulbright Finland Outreach Ambassadors are happy to share their experiences from the U.S. Feel free to contact them.
What is the Fulbright Finland Foundation?
The Fulbright Finland Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The Foundation’s aim is
- to promote a wider exchange of knowledge and professional talents through educational contacts between Finland and the United States, and
- to support the internationalization of education and research in Finland, and help U.S. and Finnish institutions create linkages.
What Makes the Fulbright Finland Foundation Programs Unique?
- In addition to the grant, the Fulbright Finland Foundation offers the grantees several additional benefits and free support services, as well as an access to a global, multi-professional network.
- We are looking for applicants who want to impact the future and to make a difference – applicants who want to facilitate positive change, develop and advance their own profession or discipline, and find solutions to national and international challenges in their field.
- The grantees also act as ambassadors for the Fulbright Finland Foundation, their home country, and their home organization and, in this way, do their part in sharing their home country and culture and contributing to the relations between Finland and the U.S.
ASLA-Fulbright Research Grants for Senior Scholars program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.
