Olvi Foundation - Scholarship (University of Jyväskylä)

Olvi Foundation grant

Depending on the project, you will receive a one-off grant of a few hundred euros up to 20,000 EUR. The largest amounts, up to 20,000 euros, are allocated to PhD projects. The funding comes from the Olvi Foundation (OLVI-säätiö), a Finnish charitable foundation based in Iisalmi, which awards approximately 2 to 3 million euros annually. It supports research in the fields of food safety and the food industry, as well as the development of agriculture and fisheries. It places particular emphasis on environmental sustainability, for example with regard to natural resources, CO₂ capture and the impact of climate change on food production.

Who can apply

• What is funded: These are primarily personal grants for a doctoral thesis (väitöskirja). Master’s theses and postdoctoral research are not eligible for funding.
• Field of study: Food safety and the food industry, or the use of natural resources, including agriculture and fisheries.
• Where you study: You must write your doctoral thesis at a Finnish higher education institution. Study periods abroad, exchange programmes and degrees obtained abroad are not eligible for funding.
• Region: The Foundation’s work focuses on eastern Finland. Nationwide projects may also be supported, provided they are of national significance.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Who may apply: An individual, a working group or an organisation. You cannot apply for a personal student grant yourself; these are awarded by educational institutions.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online via the Olvi Foundation’s funding portal. For PhD scholarships, there is one call for applications per year, running from 1 January to 15 March. For other grants, there is a spring round (from 1 January to 15 March) and an autumn round (from 1 July to 15 September). Applications from PhD students submitted during the autumn round will be automatically rejected. The Foundation makes its decision on the basis of the documents you have submitted.

Our guide Scholarships in Finland lists further grants and funding options available to researchers in Finland alongside this foundation award.