General Information

• Please read all instructions carefully and follow the step-by-step application guidelines below.
• Please take note of the fact that the online application system does not offer the opportunity to enter part of your application, and then return at a later date to finish it. Once you have started the online application you need to complete it in one sitting. Therefore we strongly recommend that before you fill in and submit your online application form you carefully study these application instruction to make sure you are eligible, and that you have ALL the mandatory supporting documents.
• One part of the online application will ask you to provide the name and contact details (e-mail and postal address) of your possible future supervisor in Sweden. Please consult these details with your supervisor before entering the online application. It is paramount that these contact details are correct since the postal address stated in the application will be the same address to which we send the first scholarship payment.
• We will only consider one application per person. If more than one application is sent in we will only consider the latest one and disregard all others.
• Applications must be submitted online with enclosures as digital documents in PDF format.
• Avoid using all capital letters when answering items, e.g. name, address, etc. It is better to use a combination of upper and lowercase, e.g. Tania Smith, not TANIA SMITH.
• When asked to fill in your name you must write is exactly as it appears (or will appear) on your passport. Please use upper and lower case when entering your name, e.g. Tania Smith.
• When a maximum number of pages or characters are specified you must limit your documents to that. Information that exceeds the specified pages or characters will not be regarded.
• All application materials/documents, including letters of reference/recommendation, must be received by the application deadline. Any material/document that arrives past the application deadline will not be considered.

Deadline

Application deadline

The deadline is 24:00 CET, Thursday, March 1, 2012.

The process has 6 steps:

1. Review eligibility criteria and award conditions

2. Obtain Letter of Invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you

3. Select scholarship category and period

4. Make sure you have all the necessary enclosures as digital documents in PDF-format

5. Complete the online application

6. Review and send the online application

1. Review eligibility criteria and award conditions

Review the selection criteria and minimum eligibility relating to the category for which you intend to apply before making an application.

If you are applying for PhD studies you will be asked to confirm your status as an ongoing PhD student at a university outside of Sweden by answering “Yes” or “No” in the online application and by having your present PhD supervisor confirming your status in the recommendation letter.

If you are applying for a Postdoctoral research period you must attach your PhD degree to the application or, no later than April 15, 2012, be able to show that you successfully defended your PhD thesis. 

2. Obtain Letter of Invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you

Maximum 2 pages

The Letter of Invitation is an essential and highly important part of your application. Without it your application will not be processed. You must personally obtain a Letter of Invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you. The following applies for the Letter of Invitation:

• The Letter of Invitation should be signed by a professor or head of department at the Swedish university to which you have been accepted.
• It must be dated within the last four months and it must acknowledge the proposed scholarship period.
• Furthermore it must state that you have been officially invited as a student/researcher as well as describing possible ongoing or planned cooperation between the host institution and your home institution.
• The Letter of Invitation should also describe the research environment that you would be affiliated with at your host university in terms of staff resources, financial grants, laboratory or other equipment and how your research proposal would complement or fit into the ongoing work of the department.

Please note that if the formal Letter of Invitation is not signed (we accept electronic scans in the PDF format of signed documents) your application will not be regarded as complete and therefore not processed. The same policy applies for copies of e-mails.

If you are not familiar with Swedish higher education system we recommend that you visit www.studyinsweden.se and/or www.researchinsweden.se to find out more information.

3. Select scholarship category and period

You must register as one of the following categories in your application:

1. Post-doctoral research: a long-term postdoctoral research visit of 6, 12 or 18 months.

You must choose the scholarship period you are applying for from one of the following:

• September 1, 2012 – February 28, 2013 (6 months)
• September 1, 2012 – August 31, 2013 (12 months)
• September 1, 2012 – February 28, 2014 (18 months)
• January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (12 months)

2. PhD studies: a long-term PhD research visit of 6 or 12 months.

You must choose the scholarship period you are applying for from one of the following:

• September 1, 2012 – February 28, 2013 (6 months)
• January 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013 (6 months)
• September 1, 2012 – August 30, 2013 (12 months)
• January 1, 2013 – December 30, 2013 (12 months)

4. Make sure you have all the necessary enclosures as digital documents in PDF-format

Please note that the supporting documents may not exceed the prescribed number of pages or characters stated below. Information that exceeds the specified pages or characters will not be regarded.

As a Swedish authority, The Swedish Institute (SI) operates under The Swedish Principle of Public Access to Information. This implies that any data registered in our systems will be treated as a public document. In accordance with this, information about your application and qualifications will be accessible to the public on request.

Two letters of recommendation. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.
Two letters of recommendation from professors/academic supervisors containing the following information:

• At least one of the recommendation letters must confirm the applicant’s status, i.e. either holder of a PhD-degree or enrolled as a PhD-student at the same university as the referee university.
• Evaluation of the applicant’s English language proficiency.
• Possible interest of cooperation and long term impact of a study/research visit to Sweden.

We strongly recommend that the letters of recommendations are submitted with this online application. If that is not possible, the referees can send their reference letters by e-mail to si@si.se or with regular mail to the Swedish Institute, Box 7434, 103 91 Stockholm.  All documents (e-mail or envelope) should then be marked with the reference number of your confirmed application. Please note that this e-mail/envelope must reach the Swedish Institute no later than Thursday, March 1, 2012. 

Copies of university degrees. Mandatory.
Copies of the highest obtained degree, translated into English and certified by the university. Only send copies of highest obtained degree. All other information will not be regarded.

If you are applying for a Postdoctoral research period, but do not hold a PhD degree yet, you should attach a document stating the date at which you expect to defend your PhD thesis. Please remember that by April 15, 2012, you must be able to show that you have successfully defended your PhD thesis.

Research proposal. Mandatory.
Maximum 5 pages.
The research proposal that you provide is an essential and highly important part of your application. You should take great care to write a clear and very detailed description of your research proposal. The proposal must describe the scientific quality of the project as well as its originality, methodological approach and relevance.

CV of the applicant. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.
CV outlining your previous studies, degrees and English language proficiency.

CV of the intended supervisor/contact person in Sweden. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.
If possible the personal website of supervisor/contact person in Sweden should be stated in the CV, as well as the department website.

List of publications. Optional.
Maximum 2 pages.

Letter of Personal Motivation. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.
This document is an essential part of your application and will be studied carefully in order to determine what motivates you on a personal and professional level. We expect the statement of motivation to give us a picture of you as a person, but avoid repeating facts already contained in your application. The statement should describe your goals, both in life and with your career. What plan do you have to reach your career goals and how would a Swedish Institute scholarship and research visit to Sweden contribute to this plan? What do you wish to accomplish with your research and how can your research contribute to either the development in your home country or to the development on a more regional/global level.

Remember to write “Personal statement of motivation” at the top of each page, together with your first and last name (as in the application form).

5. Complete the online application form

The online system does not offer the opportunity to enter part of your application and then return at a later date to finish it. Therefore we strongly recommend that before you fill in the online application form you again study the application instructions to make sure you are eligible and have all the mandatory supporting documents including the formal Letter of Invitation.

If more than one application is sent in we will only consider the latest one and disregard all others. Mandatory fields are marked with *. If any mandatory field is left blank or has been filled in incorrectly, this is indicated with an error message in red text in connection to the field.

The online application form is available here.

6. Review and send the online application and take note of reference number on screen

Please review your application data carefully before submitting it.

When your registration has been submitted you will receive an e-mail confirming that the application has been registered. This automatic e-mail is sent to the email address registered for the application.

How are the applications processed?

Once the application is completed and submitted on-line, it will be registered in the Swedish Institute online application system. Please be patient as this procedure may take some time, i. e. do not submit another application. An e-mail will also be sent to you confirming your application with the Swedish Institute and stating your reference number.

Applications are evaluated by an academic board. The primary evaluation of the application takes into account the Letter of Invitation, the applicant's academic background and personal motivation, the research quality and expertise in the project field of the host department and the strength of the research proposal; its scientific quality, originality, methodological approach and relevance. In the final selection of candidates, academic field, study level, nationality and gender will also be considered.

Decisions are finalized during May 2012.