Kirkon tutkimus ja koulutus - Scholarship

Church research grant

For your doctoral-level research, you will receive a tax-free scholarship of up to 2,300 EUR per month. The exact amount depends on your academic qualification: up to 2,100 EUR if you hold a higher academic qualification, up to 2,200 EUR for a licentiate degree, and up to 2,300 EUR if you hold a doctorate. In addition to this living allowance, you may also receive funding for research costs and for research stays abroad. Provided you meet the eligibility criteria, you will also receive contributions towards statutory pension and accident insurance. The scholarship enables you to concentrate fully on your research without having to take on regular employment. It is awarded annually by ‘Kirkon tutkimus ja koulutus’ (the Church Institute for Research and Further Education), which is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Who can apply

• Study level: You already hold a higher academic qualification and are conducting research as part of a postgraduate programme, usually in the context of a doctoral thesis. Funding is not available for work on a Master’s thesis.
• Right to do a doctorate: You must be eligible for a postgraduate programme on the day the application deadline expires.
• Research topic: Your work must fit the church's priority areas for 2026-2029. These cover Christian spirituality and education, religious pluralism and interreligious encounter, religion and ecological sustainability, new technologies and theology, Finnish Lutheranism and global Christianity, and church administration and leadership.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Other income: You cannot receive this grant whilst also receiving a full-time salary, another grant or an adult education allowance. During the grant period, you may spend up to 25% of your monthly working hours in paid employment.
• Preference: Preference will be given to applicants who are currently working on their doctoral thesis, although this is not a mandatory requirement.

How to apply

Apply online at kirkon-tutkimus.apurahat.net. The application period runs every year from 15 to 30 September.

Our guide Scholarships in Finland lists further funding options you can pursue alongside or after this church research grant.