Fulbright-EDUFI grantee Steffaney Wood doing her research

Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship

Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowships (previously Fulbright-CIMO grants) are targeted at doctoral degree studies in any Finnish university chosen by the grant applicant.

The Fulbright Finland Foundation collaborates with the Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI to support U.S. students interested in doctoral degree studies in Finland. The Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship is a partnership award provided by these two organizations.

For information on doctoral studies in Finland, please see Study in Finland website.

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Karli Storm, Fulbright-CIMO doctoral student grantee 2013-2014, at the VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies, tells why she enjoys studying at the University of Eastern Finland.

Benefits

  • Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship award 1 900 euros per month (paid for nine months),
  • travel allowance (USD 1600), 
  • residence permit allowance (based on the actual permit fees, incl. grantee and accompanying family members),
  • supplemental accident and sickness benefit (ASPE),
  • full support services provided by the Fulbright Finland Foundation,
  • variety of networking opportunities throughout the year in Finland,
  • Education loan deferment: While on a Fulbright in Finland, U.S. student grantees have often been able to defer loans. Fulbright grants usually fall under the Graduate Fellowship deferment category. Grantees should confirm this with the lending institution.
  • Alumni who successfully complete the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are eligible for 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the U.S. federal government, with the possibility of extensions if certain criteria are met.
  • Opportunity to apply for an additional 3-month scholarship from EDUFI after the 9-month Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship. (This funding is applied for after arrival to Finland.)
  • Opportunity to apply for additional funding from the Lois Roth Foundation. (This funding is applied for after arrival to Finland.)
  • Alumni network and activities provided for the grantees of the Fulbright Finland Foundation programs.

Application

Please see below the different phases of the Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship application process.

Finnish host submits an application:

The Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship applicants must ask their Finnish host to submit a separate application form to EDUFI by mid-September 2023. Please share the application instructions with your host here. Please note that it is a mandatory step for your Finnish host to submit the host application form to EDUFI by mid-September 2023. After reviewing the host application, EDUFI shares its recommendation with the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki for final decision-making.

U.S. Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship candidate submits applications:

  1. Submit the Fulbright program application according to the detailed instructions and deadlines in the “How to Apply” section on the general Fulbright U.S. Student Program site on the Fulbright Finland Foundation website.
  2. Apply to the doctoral program according to the university’s application instructions and deadlines indicated for the specific doctoral program you are interested in.
It is a mandatory step for your Finnish host to submit the host application form to EDUFI by mid-September 2023.

Please note that if you wish to apply for the Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship and the Fulbright Finland Foundation fully funded or Finnish university-sponsored grants, submit only one Fulbright program application. All the applications are considered in each of the grant categories which the applicant is eligible for. Please see the affiliation letter instructions and submission deadline in the Affiliation section on the U.S. Student Program website.

Grant payment

The Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI pays the grant to the grantee’s Finnish host institution. The Finnish host institution pays the monthly maintenance allowance to the Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship recipient each month.

The Fulbright application deadline is usually in early October for At-Large applicants. Candidates applying through a U.S. institution usually have a separate campus deadline for their Fulbright application which is typically 4-6 weeks earlier than the final October deadline. Please confirm the campus deadline with your home institution's Fulbright program advisor.

Grant Timeline

Please see the Grant Application timeline on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website under the heading Grant Timeline.

Cost of Study and Living in Finland

Please find information for budgeting on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.

U.S. Partner Organization Contact Information

Institute of International Education (IIE)
Kyler Castro, Regional Program Officer, Europe, and Eurasia
Fulbright Student Scholar Program
Email: [email protected]

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 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.
Global Fulbright Program logo

The Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.