Lotta Svärd Säätiö - Scholarship

Benefit

You will receive a one-off grant of 10,000 EUR to support your doctoral research in Finland. The funding is provided by the Lotta Svärd Foundation (Lotta Svärd Säätiö). In the 2026 round, the award marks the 30-year anniversary of the Lotta Museum and is to be awarded to an ongoing PhD project. Your research must address one of the following topics:

• The ‘Lotta Svärd’ organisation, a Finnish voluntary women’s defence group that was active in the first half of the 20th century.
• The Lotta Svärd Foundation (formerly Suomen Naisten Huoltosäätiö).
• The history of voluntary national defence by women in Finland.
• The ‘Sotilaskotisisaret’ or other women’s organisations that were active during the war.
• Women of the Finnish war generation.
• Työmaahuolto Oy and its activities.

Eligibility

• Degree level: You are a PhD student and are currently working on your doctoral thesis.
• Study right: You can prove an active right to study, including its start date.
• Topic: Your dissertation deals with one of the topics listed above or a closely related area.
• Field of study: Any subject area, as long as the topic is relevant.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the Lotta-apu system (lottasaatio.apurahat.net) by 4 September 2026. Late applications will not be considered. You must submit a research proposal, an academic CV with a list of publications, proof of your eligibility to study, and letters of recommendation. The winner will be announced on 24 October 2026 during a seminar at the Lotta Museum in Tuusula.

If you are exploring further doctoral funding opportunities in Finland, you will find additional options in our guide Scholarships in Finland.