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 motto “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.
More about the background and development of this special award here: Seeking Solutions for Global Challenges (Fulbright Finland News magazine 1/2020)
The award is meant for scholars and professionals who want to have an impact on the future and make a difference by finding solutions to current and global challenges through their research, teaching or professional projects. The proposed Fulbright project should focus on a timely topic of global importance and produce benefits of significance to a wider community. Projects that are focused on a local level that have the ability to address international and global challenges are welcomed. 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.
Extra funding support is available for grantees with disabilities. If you have a disability that would cause additional costs for the grant term, contact the Foundation to discuss reasonable accommodations. Send your self-assessment with a description of the disability and the specific accommodations requested to the Foundation ([email protected]) by the grant application deadline.
Please note that disclosing the need for disability accommodation does not affect the review and selection process.
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:
TIMELINE | |
|---|---|
| Application period starts: | February 1, 2024 |
| Application period ends: | September 16, 2024 |
| Earliest possible starting date: | August 2025 - September 2025 or January 2026 |
| Orientation seminar in Helsinki: | TBC (expected to take place in mid-August 2025 and mid-January 2026) |
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:
Take a look at the stories and video interviews of previous Finnish Fulbright grantees.
Cross-Border Collaboration for Health Literacy and Misinformation Management
Researching Water Quality in the Baltic Sea and Chesapeake Bay
What Accounts for the Erosion of Liberal Democracy?
Three U.S. Scholars Win the New Strategic Award
Discover additional stories about our grantees and alumni by visiting our blog or YouTube channel. Please feel free to reach out to Fulbright Finland Outreach Ambassadors.
Euskirchen, Eugénie
Terrestrial Ecosystem Science
Extreme Events and Carbon Cycling in Northern Peatlands: Implications for Global Climate Feedbacks
University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK
University of Lapland, Rovaniemi; University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu; University of Helsinki
6 months, beginning August 2024
McGowan, Bethany
Infodemic Management
Understanding How Regulatory and Ethical Principles Mitigate the Spread of Health
Dis/Misinformation
Purdue University, IN
Tampere University
5 months, beginning August 2023
Barker, Kash
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Managing Long-Term and Equitable Reassignment of Climate-Driven Refugees
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Aalto University, Espoo
5 months, beginning January 2023
Friedrich, Peter
Drama
Dramatic Entrances: Theatre for Migrant Communities
Berry College, GA
Åbo Akademi University, Turku
5 months, beginning January 2022
Harris, Lora
Oceanography
A Comparison of Estuarine Restoration Trajectories in the Baltic and Chesapeake Bay
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, MD
University of Helsinki
4 months, Flex grant for academic years 2021-22
Livingston, Steven
Technology and Politics
The Conservative Dilemma: Digital Surrogate Organizations and the Future of Liberal
Democracy
George Washington University, DC
University of Helsinki
6 months, beginning July 2021
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.
