Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry - Scholarship

MVTT water and environmental engineering grant

You will receive funding for research or study in the field of water and environmental engineering. A scholarship for full-time researchers amounts to 28,000 to 32,000 EUR per year. A grant for a Master’s thesis amounts to up to 2,200 EUR. For shorter projects or those lasting several years, the amount of the grant is determined on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the scope of your work, your salary situation and any other funding you may receive. The grant is provided by ‘Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry’ (MVTT), a Finnish non-profit organisation that supports research in the field of water and environmental engineering. It may be used for final-year dissertations, doctoral and licentiate theses, research, publications, teaching, events, study or research stays abroad, researcher exchanges and conference travel.

Who can apply

• Field: Your work is in water and environmental engineering, for example water management, water protection, water supply, water construction, environmental engineering or rural planning. The link to the water sector must be clear.
• Level: You can apply from the stage of your Master’s thesis onwards, as well as during your PhD and postdoctoral research. Most funding is awarded to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
• Who can apply: Individuals and organisations. Funding for postgraduate studies and subsequent research projects is awarded to individuals on a personal basis. An organisation may only receive funding for a project for which a named project leader, who bears personal responsibility, has been designated.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. You may submit your application in Finnish, Swedish or English.
• Bank account: You will need a Finnish bank account (FI-IBAN), as the grant will be paid exclusively into this account.
• Not funded: Already completed projects, commercial business activity, and equipment or supplies on their own.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the MVTT’s online funding portal. Create an account, select the appropriate form and submit it together with your CV, which is required for all personal applications. You may apply at any time, and the committee makes its decisions 10 times a year. Decisions on applications submitted by 30 September will be made by 30 November of the same year.

How realistic are your chances?

In the year 2025, the MVTT received 354 applications, of which 186 were approved – that is, around 52.5% – with a total of over 5.5 million euros being granted.

If you are planning research or study in Finland beyond this grant, our guide Scholarships in Finland points you to further funding options across the country.