Module 1: Getting Started With Practical Matters

Learning objectives: To understand what my first action items are and to be confident in how to proceed.

STEP 1: Fill in the Grantee Information and Consent Form

To comply with European privacy regulation standards (GDPR), we ask you to complete the Grantee Information and Consent Form.

STEP 2: Share about your award on social media

If you are active on social media, we encourage you to share about your award on different platforms. See more and learn how to correctly refer to your award in module 4.

STEP 3: Familiarize yourself with the Guide for Coming to Finland

Use the Guide throughout your grant term. It provides crucial information, detailed practical guidance, and alumni tips to help you to

prepare for your stay,
navigate life in Finland during the grant period, and
conclude your grant term successfully.

STEP 4: Complete the fact sheet and send us your photo

Throughout the year, we are often asked about what our grantees are doing during their grant period. This is why we ask you to fill out the information requested in the fact sheet. The information you provide will be made public, for example, on the Foundation website as part of the grantee CV catalog. See previous years' catalogs here.

Fill in the fact sheet by following the instructions in the document.
Submit the completed fact sheet as a Word file, along with a good-quality photo in JPEG or PNG format, to the Foundation by the deadline provided to you by your program coordinator.

STEP 5: Verify your dates and sign the Grant Authorization / Terms of Award

When agreeing on your arrival dates, please note that the Foundation organizes orientations for Fulbright grantees: one in mid/late August for grantees arriving at the beginning of the academic year and another in late January for those arriving for the spring semester (see year-specific dates). Please schedule your arrival so that you can participate. The orientation offers a wealth of essential information, preparing you for your time in Finland, as well as an opportunity to connect with your fellow Fulbrighters and with the Foundation team. See last year’s orientation program.

For grantees living outside the capital region, the Foundation covers hotel accommodation during the orientation and in-country travel. You will receive a separate message about the program and logistics.

Follow the grant category-specific instructions for verifying your dates:

After submitting a signed Fulbright Finland Grant Authorization/Terms of Award to the Foundation, you are officially a grantee.

STEP 6: Finnish language and culture courses

Consider participating in a Finnish language and culture course before your Fulbright project begins. Learn about the options from your host university and through the Guide linked below, and sign up by the deadline.

Does your grant package include a Finnish language and culture course?

If your selection letter/Grant Authorization indicates that your grant package includes a Finnish language and culture course benefit, follow these steps:

Inform the Foundation of your interest in participating in a course well before registering and making any course payments.
After receiving approval for participation from the Foundation, submit the language and culture course application by the application deadline.

The most popular course among the grantees has been the University of Jyväskylä's intensive summer course in Finnish language and culture, which typically begins in late June or early July and has a registration deadline in May.

In the Guide