Northern Finland Research Foundation Fund - Scholarship

What you get

You will receive a grant of one-off grant, paid as a single lump sum for academic research in connection with the University of Oulu. The money is intended to fund your research work itself. It is not a monthly living allowance. Doctoral and other research grants totalled 2,000 to 5,000 EUR in 2026, with most amounting to 5,000 EUR. Scholarships for Master’s theses may be higher: in the year 2026, they ranged from 5,000 to 8,500 EUR, as determined by the respective funding body for each topic. The scholarship is drawn from the Northern Finland Research Foundation’s fund. This is one of 25 funding schemes administered by the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation (Oulun yliopiston tukisaatio). In 2026, the foundation awarded a total of approximately 185,000 EUR, mainly for doctoral studies at the University of Oulu.

Who can apply

• University: You are a researcher at the University of Oulu in Finland.
• Study level: You are working on a Master’s thesis or a PhD project.
• Research topic: Your work relates to northern Finland. The scholarships for Master’s theses are linked to specific topics set by the donor.
• Field of study: Any topic, depending on which fund you are applying for.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Employment: To be eligible for a PhD scholarship, you must not be employed by the university during the term of the scholarship.

How to apply

Please complete the application form and attach a brief description of your work and a CV. Calls for applications for Master’s thesis scholarships take place four times a year, in March, May, September and December. Scholarships for PhD students are advertised once a year, usually in April, and you apply via the Foundation’s online scholarship system. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Your faculty assesses and ranks the applications, and the Foundation’s board decides who will receive funding.

Our guide Scholarships in Finland lists further funding options in Finland that may complement this Northern Finland Research Foundation grant.