University of Helsinki Research Foundation

What you get

You get a fully funded doctoral researcher position at the University of Helsinki. The foundation pays your salary as an employed doctoral researcher for 1 to 4 years, usually 36 to 48 months. This is not a grant in your own name but a funded post inside one of the university's doctoral programmes. That means you are employed and paid a normal salary while you work on your PhD. The foundation was set up in 1990 for the University of Helsinki's 350th anniversary. It is funded by donations from more than 200 companies and public bodies.

Who can apply

• Level: You are an early-stage doctoral student (PhD researcher) at the University of Helsinki.
• University: You are in a doctoral programme of the University of Helsinki, run through its Doctoral School.
• Field of study: Any field. The university covers humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, health research, and environmental, food and biosciences.
• Timing: You are at the start of your doctoral studies, not near the end.

How to apply

You do not apply directly. Positions are coordinated through the University of Helsinki Doctoral School and its doctoral programmes. The foundation makes its funding decisions every two years, most recently in December 2025.

How realistic are your chances?

Each round funds about 10 positions. In 2025 the foundation committed 1,720,000 EUR in total across the ten posts.