

The aim of the grant is to allow professionals from various fields to pursue a project, further education, or training that would enhance their professional development and the field at large. The applicants should be at a point in their careers when the maximum benefit will ensue from this period of professional enrichment.
The program is aimed towards Finnish mid-career professionals. Having an academic degree is not a requirement for applying. The applicant should create a project that may include studies, practical experience in actual operations, visits to organizations in the applicant's professional field, public lectures, or other appropriate professional experiences. Applicants are required to independently arrange their own host organization/institution, as the Fulbright Finland Foundation does not arrange such affiliations.
The focus of the grant cannot be aimed at academic research or full-time studies in the U.S. If you are looking for grants to study in an American university or to pursue academic research, read about the Fulbright Finland Undergraduate Grant Program, ASLA-Fulbright Graduate Grant Program, ASLA-Fulbright Junior Scholar, ASLA-Fulbright Pre-Doctoral Research Fellows and ASLA-Fulbright Senior Scholar programs.
The award is a maximum of 15 000 USD, and the grantee may use the award during the academic year.
The number of granted awards changes every year. In 2020-2021 the award was granted to two Finnish professionals.
The grant is awarded for 3-12 months. The MCPD grantees will receive the full support services provided by the Fulbright Finland Foundation for all Fulbright grantees in Finland. These include a free visa to the United States, personal guidance, and an orientation day in Helsinki, where the grantees will learn about American culture, taxation, social security, school systems, and the upcoming Fulbright period.
While in the U.S., the grantee may ask for guidance from IIE/CIES contact person. The contact person can especially help with matters regarding visas, taxation, etc. The IIE/CIES service page for Fulbright-grantees can be found here.
Other benefits include a supplemental ASPE health benefit, Fulbright Enrichment Seminars, leisure activities provided by IIE/CIES, and a worldwide Fulbright network of over 250,000 Fulbright grantees. A Fulbright grant also gives remarkable extra value to your career growth, as the grant is internationally recognized and respected.
Read more about the Fulbright Enrichment Seminars from the blog of Pirjo Kangas, a 2019-2020 Fulbright MCPD grantee!
Applicants must be Finnish citizens and they must arrive to the United States with the J-1 visa provided by the Fulbright program. Dual citizens of Finland and the United States or applicants who have or wish to gain permanent residency in the U.S. are not eligible to apply.
There are also some restrictions for employees of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. missions abroad. Please see more information on eligibility guidelines and other Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) policies that are applicable to mid-career professional development program candidates under FFSB Policies, Chapter 700.
Fulbright grantees cannot apply for a work permit or a migrant-visa during the next two years after the Fulbright period. Fulbright grantees with J-1 visas are subject to a two-year home-country physical presence requirement. It requires the grantee to return home for at least two years after the exchange visitor program. However, regular tourist trips and studying in the United States are allowed. More information about visa restrictions can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.
The so-called “12-month bar and 24-month bar” guidelines restrict the admittance of a J-1 or J-2 visa for a person who has previously visited the U.S. with a J-1 or J-2 visa. Applicants who have visited the U.S. with a J-1 or J-2 visa during the previous two years should be in contact with the Fulbright Finland Foundation when filling the MCPD application.
Cost-share grants
The MCPD grant can be cost-shared with the candidate’s home institution/organization. Applicants working in higher education institutions are required to find out the home institution’s view on sharing the grant costs. The applicant must attach the “cost-share agreement form” to the application even if the applicant’s home institution will not share costs of the grant.
Since there is a limited amount of MCPD grant funding available, cost-sharing with the applicant’s home institution/organization can play an important role. However, the ability to cost-share is not a requirement for applying for the grant. For candidates who are not from higher education institutions, including the cost-share form is optional.
Read more about the cost-shared grant programs on the Fulbright Finland Foundation website.
Some applications submitted to the ASLA-Fulbright Mid-Career Professional Development Grant program may also be automatically considered for the following two award categories:
Please note that applicants (from higher education institutions) applying solely for the Seeking Solutions for Global Challenges Award do not need a cost-share commitment from their home organization.
The application is submitted through the IIE electronic application form.
Read the application instructions before filling out the application!
Documents which are required to be included in the application:
Only complete applications sent by the application deadline will be reviewed. Applications that are late or incomplete will not be reviewed.
Applicants with little to no experience of the U.S. may be placed before others in the application process.
Applicants that pass an initial screening will be invited for a personal interview. Please note that the Fulbright Finland Foundation does not cover the expenses resulting from the interview.
The interviews are compulsory and will take place at the office of the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki (pending the COVID-19 situation) on February 8, 2021. Candidates invited to the interviews will be notified via email by January 25, 2021. A copy of a passport will be requested prior to the interviews.
The applicant should reserve 20 minutes for the interview. The interview committee consists of 3-5 Finnish or American members and the language of the interview is English.
Read more about the selection process and preparing for the interview here.
Application period starts | September 2020 |
Application period ends | December 6, 2020 |
Technical screening of the applications | December 2020 - January 2021 |
Interview invitations are sent to the selected candidates | January 25, 2021 |
Interviews are conducted | February 8, 2021 |
Selections are made | March 1, 2021 |
Pre-departure orientation | May 2021 (TBD) |
Leaving for the U.S. | August 2021 - May 2022 |
Help finding a host institution can be found from Finnish communities in the U.S. on the Finland.org website.
Get to know the American grantees in Finland through the Fulbright Speaker program. This is a great opportunity to build your U.S. network.
Olen saanut pohtia mielenkiintoisessa ympäristössä asioita, jotka kiinnostavat, jopa kiehtovat ja joiden seuraamiseen ei normaalityössä ole aikaa. Tavata ihmisiä, jotka ovat innostuneita samoista asioista, olematta kuitenkaan välttämättä samaa mieltä. Myös ajattelumaailmaani on tullut uusia näkökulmia. Unohtamatta amerikkalaiseen yhteiskuntaan ja muihin vieraileviin tutkijoihin tutustumista. - Aulikki Pakanen, Finnish MCPD Grantee 2019-2020
The Fulbright Finland Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The Foundation’s aim is
ASLA-Fulbright Mid-Career Professional Development Grant program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.