Fulbright-Turku UAS Scholar Award

Purpose of the Grant Program

The Fulbright-Turku UAS Scholar Award enables U.S. scholars to undertake teaching at the bachelor’s and master’s levels at the Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS). In addition, the scholar will participate in the research, development, and innovation (RDI) projects together with Turku UAS faculty members. More information about the RDI projects can be found on Turku UAS website.

The scholar’s teaching activities focus primarily on the master’s programs, which at Turku UAS are built on multiform studies: problem-based learning processes, lectures and seminars, e-learning and independent work, and are conducted in close cooperation with business life. Master’s students have a minimum of two years of relevant work experience prior to their studies. Their contact sessions are held usually on two full workdays approximately once a month. For the scholar, this leaves room for participating in RDI activities, which are connected to the development needs of the industry and other organizations.

The grant will be awarded for the field of business administration or engineering and technology (see specializations below). The detailed focus of the grant will be defined together with the scholar based on their expertise.

The Fulbright-Turku UAS Scholar Award is jointly funded by the Turku University of Applied Sciences and the Fulbright Finland Foundation.

Specializations

While this award is open to any project in the disciplines listed above, there is special interest in scholars who are in these particular specialty areas.

• Business
• Leadership and Management
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Marine Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Telecommunications Engineering

Benefits

The award is available for visits of 3–9 months. It includes:

• Monthly allowance of 2,700 – 4,500 (approx. 2,900 - 4,900 USD*) euros per month depending on the expertise of the grantee:
  • For a candidate in the rank of at least an assistant professor and with professional experience outside of academia of at least 5 years in a relevant field 2,700 euros (approx. 2,900 USD*)
  • For a candidate in the rank of at least an assistant professor and with professional experience outside of academia of at least 10 years in a relevant field 3,500 euros (approx. 3,800 USD*)
  • For a full professor with professional experience outside of academia with at least 15 years of work experience in a relevant field 4,500 euros (approx. 4,900 USD*).
• One-time travel allowance of 1,800 USD.
• Residence permit allowance based on the actual permit fees (incl. grantee and accompanying family members).
• Housing for the scholar and their accompanying family arranged and paid for by the host university.
• Work facilities and administrative support.
• Orientation and support services provided by the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki. For example, the Foundation will arrange a four-day arrival orientation in Helsinki for all U.S. Fulbright grantees at the end of August each year (orientation is also arranged in January for grantees arriving for the spring semester).
• Fulbright Finland Foundation mid-year activities and networking opportunities (such as the American Voices Seminar at the University of Turku) each year.
• The grantee will also be eligible, free of charge, to participate in a Fulbright Finland pre-approved summer school in Finland consisting of courses on Finnish language, culture and society, pending availability of suitable programs.

* amounts in USD are subject to change due to currency fluctuations.

Support for Grantees with Disabilities

Extra funding support is available for grantees with disabilities. If you have a disability that would cause additional costs for the grant term, contact the Foundation to discuss reasonable accommodations. Send your self-assessment with a description of the disability and the specific accommodations requested to the Foundation ([email protected]) by the grant application deadline.

Please note that disclosing the need for disability accommodation does not affect the review and selection process.

Eligibility

A candidate for the Fulbright-Turku UAS Scholar Award must hold a Ph.D. degree (or other terminal degree). The grantee must have sufficient experience in teaching in their field. Candidates with academic and relevant professional experience outside of academia are preferred and priority will be given to candidates holding a Ph.D.

The candidate must be a U.S. citizen. Proposals for medical research involving clinical training, patient care or patient contact are not eligible. Please contact the Fulbright Finland Foundation if you have any questions about the eligibility of your project.

U.S. Scholar Program eligibility guidelines and review criteria are published on the Fulbright Scholar Program website.

In Finland, the applications are evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set by the Fulbright Finland Foundation Board.

Applicants residing in Finland are not eligible for a Fulbright grant.

Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS)

Turku UAS is an inspiring community of 13,000 members and an innovative and multidisciplinary higher education institution, which creates international competitiveness and well-being for Southwest Finland. Turku UAS graduates are practice-oriented professionals with top competencies. Studies at Turku UAS are working life-oriented, combining theoretical studies with professional skills. Turku UAS also provides high quality and flexible training and consulting services for both individuals and organizations in the public and private sector. In the field of applied research, Turku UAS represents the top tier in the country. Turku UAS coordinates or acts as a partner in over 200 RDI projects yearly. For more information on Turku UAS, please visit their webpage.

While universities focus on strongly scientific research, universities of applied sciences focus on working life needs and build their education around those needs, both on bachelor’s and master’s levels as well as in continuing education. The applied RDI activities conducted at universities of applied sciences also focus on the development needs of working life.

Turku – a modern European city with a cozy atmosphere

Located on the southwest coast of Finland, Turku is a cozy city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants and altogether six higher education institutions. This former capital of Finland has an atmosphere of both history and internationality. The Port of Turku is a significant commercial hub with busy ferry traffic to Sweden. Turku offers great possibilities for leisure time, whether you’re enjoying a stroll or a café visit along the River Aura, attending cultural events, doing sports, or visiting the beautiful archipelago that opens to the Baltic Sea.

More information on Turku can be found at Visit Turku.

How to Apply?

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program competition for 2026-27 opens in February 2025.

The U.S. program partner in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the Institute of International Education IIE. Applications are submitted through IIE and forwarded to discipline-based peer review committees in the U.S. Applications that pass this initial peer review in the U.S. are forwarded to the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki to be reviewed by the Foundation’s review committees. The Fulbright Finland Foundation makes the funding decisions and final selections of grantees.

Additional information and detailed application instructions are available from the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the Fulbright Scholar Program websites.

Fulbright Finland Foundation encourages potential applicants to contact the office directly with any questions.

Further Information

NOTE: Late June, July and early August are traditionally summer vacation months in Finland and responses to inquiries can be delayed. Applicants are advised to contact Turku UAS well ahead of time to solicit an invitation letter for their application.

• Resources for hosts (invitation letter and preparing for a U.S. Scholar's visit)

Useful links:

• Fulbright Finland Outreach Ambassadors

What is the Fulbright Finland Foundation?

The Fulbright Finland Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The Foundation’s aim is

• to promote a wider exchange of knowledge and professional talents through educational contacts between Finland and the United States, and
• to support the internationalization of education and research in Finland, and help U.S. and Finnish institutions create linkages.

What Makes the Fulbright Finland Foundation Programs Unique?

• In addition to the grant, the Fulbright Finland Foundation offers the grantees several additional benefits and free support services, as well as an access to a global, multi-professional network.
• We are looking for applicants who want to impact the future and to make a difference – applicants who want to facilitate positive change, develop and advance their own profession or discipline, and find solutions to national and international challenges in their field.
• The grantees also act as ambassadors for the Fulbright Finland Foundation, their home country, and their home organization and, in this way, do their part in sharing their home country and culture and contributing to the relations between Finland and the U.S.

Fulbright-Turku UAS Scholar Award program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.