Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship

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

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 1500 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),
a 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 Endowment. (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.

Submit the Fulbright program application according to the detailed instructions and deadlines on the “How to Apply” section on the general Fulbright U.S. Student Program site on the Fulbright Finland Foundation website.
Those applying for the Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship must also ask their Finnish host to submit a separate application form to EDUFI. Please share the application instructions with your host here. It is a mandatory step for your Finnish host to submit the host application form to EDUFI by mid-September 2021. After reviewing the host application, EDUFI shares their recommendation with the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki for final decision making.
If you wish to complete a full doctoral degree in Finland (vs. visiting student research placement), apply to the Finnish university according to the university’s application instructions and deadlines indicated for the specific doctoral program you are interested in.

Please note that if you wish to apply for the Fulbright-EDUFI Fellowship as well as for 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.

Grant payment

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

The application deadline is usually in early October for At-Large applicants. Candidates applying through a U.S. institution have usually 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 Fulbright program advisor.

Grant Timeline


Fulbright application period starts:	March 31, 2021
Host submits application form to EDUFI:	By mid-September 2021
Fulbright application period ends:	October 12, 2021 (5:00 P.M. ET.), campuses deadlines are typically 4-6 weeks earlier
Earliest possible starting date of the grant term:	August 2022
Orientation seminar in Helsinki:	TBC (expected in mid-August 2022)

NOTE: July and August are traditionally summer vacation months in Finland and responses to inquiries may be delayed.

U.S. Partner Organization Contact Information

Institute of International Education (IIE)
Mary-Rolfe Zeller, Regional Program Officer, Europe and Eurasia Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 202 326 7855

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 Program 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.