The Nordic Africa Institute - Nordic Scholarship Programme

Nordic Scholarship Programme

You get a fully funded one-month stay at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden. The award covers your travel by the cheapest fare from your home in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland to Uppsala and back. You also get free accommodation in central Uppsala and a desk with a computer in a shared office at the Institute. On top of that you receive a daily allowance of SEK 450, which comes to roughly SEK 13,500 for the month (about 1,200 EUR). During the stay you can use the Institute's library on contemporary Africa (books, journals, newspapers and government publications) and work alongside its researchers. The programme is run by NAI at Uppsala University and awarded once a year. Health and other insurance is not included.

Who can apply

• Field of study: Your work focuses on Africa, within the social sciences or humanities.
• Level: You are a master's student, PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher or a mid-career researcher.
• Where you are based: You are attached to and based at a university or research centre in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland, both when you apply and when you start the stay.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply; only your Nordic university affiliation matters.
• Exclusion: Former and current NAI staff cannot apply.

How to apply

You apply online and upload a CV, a 3 to 5 page outline of your research project, a one-page work plan for your time at the Institute, and a signed letter of support from your supervisor or head of department. The deadline is 11 October 2026 for a stay in 2027, and you hear back by the end of November 2026. A selection committee judges applications mainly on the research project outline.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is narrowly cut. You need an Africa-focused research project and an affiliation to a university in one of four Nordic countries, so few people are eligible. If you fit those conditions, your prospects come down to the quality of your research proposal, since that is what the committee weighs most. A clear, well-planned project that makes concrete use of the Institute's library and researchers gives you a real chance.