

This award is designed to enable U.S. scholars and professionals to conduct research and/or teach in any discipline and/or conduct professional projects on topics of current and global importance at any Finnish institution for a period of two to six months.
The Fulbright Finland Foundation operates under the brand promise “Together Shaping the Future” and its vision is to “empower the minds that will find global solutions to tomorrow’s challenges by fostering academic and professional expertise and excellence in leadership”. The award was created to support the Foundation’s vision.
The award is meant for scholars and professionals who want to impact the future and make a difference, finding solutions to current and global challenges through their research, teaching or professional projects. The proposed Fulbright project should focus on a timely topic with global importance and produce benefits of significance to a wide community. Projects that are focused at a local level that have the ability to address international and global challenges are considered. Projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are encouraged.
Academic candidates are expected to teach and/or participate in research work according to the agreement between the candidate and the host. Likewise, candidates pursuing a professional project should discuss the content of the project with the host.
For teaching/research awards, applicants should discuss the teaching/research ratio with the host institution before requesting an invitation letter (e.g. lectures, modules or entire courses).
Project focus areas could include (but are not limited to) the following:
Governance, Peace, and Wellbeing
Shared Environments
Emerging Technologies & Hybrid Threats
Managing Migration & Humanitarian Crises
The Award is available for visits of 2–6 months. It includes:
* amounts in USD are subject to change due to currency fluctuations.
The award is open for both academics and professionals. For academic applicants Ph.D. or other terminal degree is required. Professionals applying for the award should have significant professional experience.
The candidate must be a U.S. citizen. Proposals for medical research involving clinical training, patient care or patient contact are not eligible. Please contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation if you have any questions about the eligibility of your project.
U.S. Scholar Program eligibility guidelines and review criteria are published on the Fulbright Scholar Program website.
In Finland the applications are evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set by the Fulbright Finland Foundation Board.
Applicants residing in Finland are not eligible for a Fulbright grant.
Any appropriate Finnish higher education institution, research center/institute or other applicable institutions to your specific project.
Candidates are expected to secure an affiliation with a Finnish institution and include a letter of invitation in the application. Assistance in locating possible host institutions and making connections is available from the Fulbright Finland Foundation if needed.
Read also about tips for finding a host university in Finland.
The U.S. program partner in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the Institute of International Education IIE. Applications are submitted through IIE and forwarded to discipline-based peer review committees in the U.S. Applications that pass this initial peer review in the U.S. are forwarded to the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki to be reviewed by the Fulbright Finland Foundation’s review committees. The Fulbright Finland Foundation makes the funding decisions and final selections of grantees.
Additional information and detailed application instructions are available from the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the Fulbright Scholar Program websites.
Resources for Hosts:
Application period starts: | February 1, 2023 |
Application period ends: | September 15, 2023 |
Earliest possible starting date: | August 2024 |
Orientation seminar in Helsinki: | TBC (expected in mid-August 2024 and mid-January 2025) |
NOTE: Late June, July and early August are traditionally summer vacation months in Finland and responses to inquiries may be delayed. Applicants are advised to contact the Finnish host institution well ahead of time to solicit an invitation letter for their application.
Useful links:
The Fulbright Finland Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The Foundation’s aim is
Seeking Solutions for Global Challenges Award program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.