Finland Government Fellowship Scheme
The Finland Government Fellowship is administered by EDUFI (the Finnish National Agency for Education) on behalf of the Finnish Ministry of Education. It pays €1,500/month for 3 to 12 months and funds doctoral candidates and early-career postdoctoral researchers to spend time at a Finnish university or research institute. This is a research mobility scheme — NOT a degree-program scholarship. Awardees remain enrolled in their home institution and use the Finnish stay for research collaboration, data collection, lab work, or fieldwork. Sri Lankan PhD candidates at home universities (or pursuing PhDs elsewhere) can use this to add a Finnish research dimension to their doctoral work. Strong fit for those in STEM, environmental sciences, education research, or Nordic studies.
EDUFI (Finnish National Agency for Education)
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Monthly Stipend
€1,500/month
Duration
3-12 Months (Research Stay)
Eligible Levels
PhD Candidate / Junior Postdoc
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Doctoral or Early-Postdoc Candidate
You must be a doctoral candidate (already enrolled in a PhD programme) or a junior postdoctoral researcher (typically within 3-5 years of PhD completion). Master's students are not eligible — there is a separate EDUFI scheme for those.
Open to All Nationalities
Open to applicants from any country, including Sri Lanka. No country quotas. Selection is competitive based on academic merit and proposal quality.
Confirmed Finnish Host
You must have a written invitation from a host professor or research group at a Finnish university or research institute (VTT, Finnish Meteorological Institute, etc.). The host must commit to supervision and confirm office/lab access.
Working Language
Research work in Finland is typically conducted in English — Finland has the highest English proficiency in the EU (EF EPI). No language certificate is required at application; demonstrable English fluency is enough.
account_tree Application Process
Identify your Finnish host
Search the research portals of Finnish universities (Aalto, Helsinki, Turku, Jyväskylä, Oulu, Tampere) to identify researchers in your field. Email your top choices with your CV, research proposal, and proposed dates.
Secure a hosting invitation
Negotiate the visit details with your host — duration, lab/desk access, supervision arrangements, and a written invitation letter on institutional letterhead. This is the most critical part of the application.
Submit the EDUFI application
Apply via the EDUFI online application form (oph.fi/edufi) by the relevant cycle deadline. Required: research plan, CV, doctoral supervisor's recommendation letter, host invitation letter, and (for postdocs) PhD certificate.
Selection + visit start
EDUFI's academic panel reviews applications. Decisions are typically announced 2-3 months after the deadline. Awarded fellows arrange the Finnish residence permit for research (Type D) via the Finnish embassy. The stipend is paid monthly into a Finnish bank account opened on arrival.
Why Finland for Research?
Finland has the highest per-capita R&D investment in Europe and consistently leads global education and innovation indices. Finnish universities are particularly strong in education research, sustainable forestry, ICT, life sciences, and environmental sciences. The country's small size means easy collaboration access — a research stay here can yield co-authored publications and lasting EU network ties.
3%+
Finland R&D Spend as % of GDP
#1 EU
English Proficiency (EF EPI)
2 yrs
Post-Research Job-Search Permit
Similar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
Aalto University School of Business Scholarship
Aalto University School of Business
University of Helsinki International Master's Programme Scholarship
University of Helsinki
Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP)
Australian Government