General Information

The first step in applying for this scholarship is to obtain a letter of invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you. In addition your application must be supported by a contact person at your home university. Applications must be submitted online with enclosures as digital documents.

Please note that to be eligible for a PhD student scholarship you must be enrolled as a PhD student at your home university.

Please also note that to be eligible for a scholarship at Postdoctoral level you must be holder of a PhD degree, preferably from 2005 or later.

Scholarship categories

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

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

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

3. Final year university students of the Swedish language and literature.

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

• September 1, 2010 – February 28, 2011 (6 months)
• September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2010 (12 months)

Supporting documents

Please note that the supporting documents may not exceed the prescribed number of pages stated below. 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.

Letter of invitation. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.

A letter of invitation signed by a professor or head of department at the Swedish university to which you have been accepted, stating that you have been officially invited as a student/researcher as well as describing ongoing or planned cooperation between the host institution and your home institution.

Two letters of recommendation. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.

Two letters of recommendation from professors/academic supervisors containing the following information:

• interest of cooperation and long term impact of a study/research visit to Sweden
• confirmation of the applicant’s status, i.e.  either holder of a PhD-degree or enrolled as a PhD-student at home university.
• evaluation of the applicant’s English language proficiency.

We prefer that the letters of recommendations are submitted with this online application. If that is not possible, they can be sent in a sealed envelope instead. All documents or the envelope should then be marked with the reference number of your confirmed application. The envelope must have reached the Swedish Institute (Box 7434, 103 91 Stockholm) no later than February 10, 2010.  

Copies of university degrees. Mandatory.

Copies of the highest obtained degree, translated into English and certified by the university.

Research proposal. Mandatory. (Not applicable for undergraduate studies in the Swedish language)
Maximum 5 pages.

A research proposal describing 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.

List of publications. Optional.
Maximum 2 pages.

Personal motivation. Mandatory.
Maximum 1 page.

A statement describing the expected long term impact of your studies in Sweden and your goals, your choice of Sweden as your study/research destination, and your reasons for seeking financial support.

Application form

Please find the application form here.

Deadline

February 1, 2010

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. Wait until a confirmation with your reference number appears on the screen. An e-mail will also be sent to you with a copy to the contact person at the Swedish university.

Applications are evaluated by an academic board. The primary evaluation of the application takes into account 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/June 2010 and a confirmation is sent to the appointed scholarship holder and to the supervisor/contact person at the Swedish University. Please note that all decisions are sent by e-mail only. No paper documents will be sent.