Osuuspankki Research Foundation - Scholarship

What you get

As a PhD student, you can receive up to 29,000 EUR per year to work full-time on your thesis for up to 4 years. Each grant is valid for one year, so you must reapply every year. The funding comes from the OP Financial Group’s Research Foundation (OP Pohjolan Tutkimussäätiö). The Finnish banking group OP established this foundation to promote economic research; it awards around 1.5 million euros annually.

Researchers at other stages of their careers may apply for this funding:

• Research costs: up to 10,000 EUR for materials, travel or a research stay of up to 12 months in Europe. Outside Europe the limit is 15,000 EUR.
• Postdoctoral research: ‘Postdoc’ refers to research work undertaken after completing a PhD. You can receive up to 75,000 euros per year, and the funding can be extended up to 3 times. The funds are paid to a Finnish university that agrees to employ you.
• Professor's research leave: to 36,000 euros to spend 12 months on research rather than teaching.

The funding does not cover research projects that have already been completed, printing costs or travel expenses for conferences.

Who can apply

• Degree: You are a PhD student or a researcher who has already completed a PhD, and therefore already hold a Master’s degree. Master’s or Bachelor’s degree programmes are not eligible for funding.
• Doctoral grant: You are writing your PhD thesis full-time at a Finnish university.
• Field of study: Your research is in economics. Topics on cooperative banking and the financial sector get priority.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Postdoc grant: Your PhD thesis had already been assessed at the time of your application. Recent graduates will be given preference.
• Other funding: You will not receive any further funding for the same purpose.

How to apply

Apply online via the Foundation’s application system at op.fi. Submit a research proposal of up to 4 pages and a CV of up to 3 pages. The call for applications opens in early January and closes in early February (6 February for the 2025 round). The Foundation’s Board will make its decision by the end of March, and funding will commence in the same year.

If you want to explore other funding options beyond the OP Research Foundation grant, you'll find further possibilities in our guide Scholarships in Finland.