Fulbright-University of Vaasa Scholar Award

Purpose of the Grant Program

The award is intended for conducting high quality research, but some lecturing at the graduate or doctoral level during the visit is also welcomed. The award can be offered for any field represented by the following four schools or the three multidisciplinary research platforms below. Applicants are encouraged to contact the host schools and the research platforms to plan their grant activities.

The University of Vaasa has four schools for research and teaching:

• School of Accounting and Finance
• School of Management
• School of Marketing and Communication
• School of Technology and Innovations 

In addition, the University of Vaasa has three multidisciplinary research platforms, which combine the disciplinary knowledge with prevailing global trends, and advance multi-, cross- and inter-disciplinary research: 

• Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre VEBIC  
• Digital Economy  
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab 

The Fulbright-University of Vaasa Scholar Award is jointly funded by the University of Vaasa and the Fulbright Finland Foundation.

Benefits

The award is available for visits of 3–12 months. It includes:

• Monthly grant of 4,000 EUR  (approx. 4,400 USD*), paid out in euro in monthly installments.
• 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 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 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-University of Vaasa Scholar Award must hold a Ph.D. degree and should have several years of research and teaching experience in their field. 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.

The University of Vaasa

The University of Vaasa offers education in the fields of business, technology, administration, and communication. Their multidisciplinary research programs and strong disciplinary expertise provide an impactful research and learning environment that serves society and brings together business, management, and technology experts.

The University research infrastructures provide resources and services for researchers to conduct research and foster innovation in their fields. The multidisciplinary research platforms combine strong disciplinary knowledge with prevailing global trends.

Inspiring Community

The 5,000 students and 600 employees of the University of Vaasa thrive at the maritime campus located close to the city center.

The University embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities for all staff members. 30 percent of the university’s research and teaching staff come from outside of Finland. The students, researchers and other staff members represent more than 80 different nationalities.

The University offers an opportunity to build a successful career in an international research university. The University has been awarded recognition for its efforts in improving researchers’ working conditions and career development, by receiving the European Commission’s ‘HR Excellence in Research’ quality label.

The University operates at the heart of EnergyVaasa, the leading energy and environmental technology competence center in the Nordic countries. EnergyVaasa includes over 160 companies, several of which are global market leaders and employs over 12,000 experts from over 120 nations. Important partners in the surrounding region also includes the business community and municipalities, other universities and polytechnics. The University is well positioned to interact actively with the surrounding society – internationally, nationally and regionally.

In the Vaasa region, beautiful nature and urban city life can be easily combined. Everything in the Vaasa region is close by and moving from one sort of atmosphere and experience to another is effortless.

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.

Resources for Hosts

• Instructions for writing invitation letters and a checklist for a U.S. scholar's host

Further Information

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

Useful links:

University of Vaasa
Guide for incoming researchers
University of Vaasa Visitors
Vaasa Region
This is Finland

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