General Information

• Please read all the instructions carefully and follow the step-by-step application guidelines below.
• Please note that to be eligible for a scholarship at PhD level you must be enrolled in an ongoing PhD studies at your home university in.
• 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.
• All application materials/documents must be received by the application deadline. Any material/document that arrives past the application deadline will not be considered.
• Avoid using all capital letters when answering sections, e.g. name, address, etc. It is better to use a combination of upper and lowercase, e.g. Damla Demir, not DAMLA DEMIR.
• When asked to fill in your name you must state it exactly as it appears (or will appear) on your passport. Please use upper and lower case when entering your name, e.g. Damla Demir.
• When a maximum number of pages or characters are specified you must limit your documents to that requirement. Information that exceeds the specified pages or characters will not be considered.
• Please also note that to be eligible for a scholarship at Postdoctoral level you must be holder of a PhD degree, preferably from 2006 or later.

First steps

The first step necessary in order to apply for this scholarship is to obtain a letter of invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you as a visiting scholar. In fact, any Swedish university could be approached for this proposal. Additionally, your application must be supported by a contact person at your home university. Applications must be submitted online with enclosures as digital documents.

Scholarship categories

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

1. Post-doctoral research: a long-term postdoctoral research for a maximum of 12 months starting from 1 September, 2012.

2. PhD studies: a long-term PhD research visit for a maximum of 12 months starting from 1 September, 2012.

Supporting documents

Please note that the supporting documents must not exceed the 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.

Please include the following documents with your application:

Letter of invitation. Mandatory.
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 Letter of Invitation must 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 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 your application will not be regarded as complete and therefore not be processed. The same policy applies for copies of e-mails.
Maximum 2 pages.

Two letters of recommendation. Mandatory.
Two letters of recommendation from professors/academic supervisors, describing your and their interest in cooperation and the long-term impact of a study/research visit to Sweden, as well as confirming the applicant’s status (holder of a PhD degree, registered PhD student).

One letter of recommendation should also evaluate the applicant’s English language. Both letters must be signed and dated within the last six months.
Maximum 2 pages.

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

Research proposal. Mandatory.
A research proposal describing the scientific quality of the project as well as its originality, methodological approach, and relevance. The research proposal is an important part of your application and should be prepared carefully.
Maximum 5 pages.

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

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

List of publications. Optional.
A list of publications written by the applicant.
Maximum 2 pages.

Personal statement of motivation. Mandatory.
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?
Maximum 2 pages.

Complete the application form

Once the application is completed and submitted online, it will be registered in the Swedish Institute online application system. Please be patient as this procedure may take some time. Only submit the application once and wait until a confirmation with your reference number appears on the screen.

The scholarship application form can now be accessed at the Swedish Institute website.

Deadline

The application deadline for the academic year of 2012/2013 has been postponed until 24:00 CET, Thursday, March 1, 2012.

How are the applications processed?

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 will be finalized during May 2012 and a confirmation will be sent to the appointed scholarship holder and to the supervisor/contact person at the receiving Swedish university. Please note that all decisions are sent by e-mail only. No paper documents will be sent.