Scholarship options in Finland

Scholarships in Finland are mainly available for Doctoral level studies and research only, however, there are some exceptions. For example, if you are a non-EU citizen and have been accepted into a Master’s degree programme in which you are charged a tuition fee, you can apply for certain institutional scholarships.

Remember that first of all, you need to apply for a study placement - see section 'How to apply'!

Scholarships that you can apply from Finland include:

• CIMO scholarship programmes for Doctoral level studies and research at Finnish universities.


• Institutional scholarships offered by the higher education institutions themselves, especially for those enrolled in Master’s programmes that carry a tuition fee for non-EU/EEA nationals.

Please refer to the scholarship descriptions in this section to find out more about the different scholarship programmes, how to apply, eligibility requirements, etc.

Scholarships for Bachelor’s and Master’s level studies?

No tuition fees are charged in Bachelor’s level degree programmes in Finland. The same is true of several Master’s programmes. The cost of this education is covered by the Finnish government, therefore, there are usually no scholarships available.

However, in those Master's level programmes that charge a tuition fee from non-EU/EEA students, institutional scholarships for non-EU/EEA students are available. These institutional scholarships are always applied for directly from the university in question.

In the Erasmus Mundus Master's programmes, scholarships are also available. They are always applied via the university consortium offering the Erasmus Mundus programme in question. Please see further info in the section concerning Erasmus Mundus scholarships.

Please note: CIMO does not have any scholarship options for Bachelor’s or Master’s level studies in Finland (excluding the Master's level scholarship programme for advanced-level degree students of the Finnish language).

You may be eligible to apply for some '"study abroad" scholarships in your home country, and from international organisations and foundations. For information on these, please turn to the educational advisers and authorities in your home country.

Source: http://www.studyinfinland.fi/tuition_and_scholarships

 

The Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories (VF) Program

The Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories (VF) Program provides promising emerging scientists and engineers with the opportunity to work with research groups or leaders in Canadian government laboratories and research institutions. Fellowships are awarded for one year with the possibility of renewal for a second and third year, at the discretion of the government department concerned.

The number of awards varies according to the budgets of participating departments and agencies.

Are you eligible for a Visiting Fellowship?

• You must have received a doctoral degree in the natural sciences or engineering from a recognized university within the past five years. Your application will be accepted if you are currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a recognized university; however, you must expect to complete all requirements for your degree (including the thesis defence) within six months of submitting your application.


• If you have withdrawn from the workforce and active research for maternity leave, or to raise a child for at least one year, after you received your doctorate, NSERC will extend the eligibility period to six years.


• You can apply only twice for a Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories.

You will not be allowed to take up your award until confirmation of completion of degree requirements is received. You may hold only one Visiting Fellowship.

There are no restrictions on the nationality of applicants, but awards are subject to a citizenship quota: two-thirds of awards must be made to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Successful candidates who are not Canadians or permanent residents of Canada must satisfy Canadian immigration requirements. The Department of National Defence can consider applications from Canadian citizens only.

Application deadlines

There are no deadlines for application to this program; applications are processed and reviewed as they are received.

Review procedures and selection criteria

Selection committees, appointed by the individual government departments, will be responsible for the pre-selection of applicants, recommending only the most meritorious applicants whose names will be placed on the inventory of approved candidates for a Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories. Applicants will be informed by NSERC if their names have been placed on the inventory.

Note: Candidates should be aware that placement on the inventory does not guarantee a fellowship; it is a preliminary requirement only.

Approved candidates to be offered a fellowship will be selected by the individual government departments. Successful applicants will be notified by NSERC or by the interested government department. Approximately three months after receipt of a complete application, departments may request additional information (e.g., interviews) before offering a fellowship. The names of the approved candidates will remain on the inventory for one full year or until they are offered a fellowship. At the end of the year, if the candidate has not been offered a fellowship, they may request that their name remain on the inventory for one additional year.

The selection committee will rate the applications according to the following criteria:

• academic excellence
  
  
  
  • scholarships and awards held;
  
  
  • duration of previous studies;
  
  
  
  


• research ability or potential
  
  
  
  • quality of contributions to research and development;
  
  
  • relevant work experience and academic training;
  
  
  • critical ability, capacity for critical thought and analysis;
  
  
  • ability to apply skills and knowledge;
  
  
  • judgment, originality, and curiosity;
  
  
  • initiative and autonomy;
  
  
  • enthusiasm for research;
  
  
  • determination and ability to complete projects within an appropriate period of time;
  
  
  
  


• communication skills
  
  
  
  • ability or potential to communicate scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats (e.g., quality of presentation of application, participation in the preparation of publications, special awards for oral presentations or papers);
  
  
  
  


• interpersonal and leadership abilities
  
  
  
  • professional and relevant extracurricular interactions and collaborations (e.g., mentoring, teaching, supervisory experience, project management, chairing committees, organizing conferences/meetings, and elected positions held);
  
  
  
  


• justification for location of tenure and potential benefits to the government department (e.g., specific skills or experience that relate directly to ongoing research in participating government departments).

Announcement of competition results

Decisions are announced approximately three months after receipt of complete applications.

Source: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PD-NP/Laboratories-Laboratoires/index_eng.asp

La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarships (LTUPRS), Australia

La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarships (LTUPRS)

International students who want to study a higher degree by research at a  Master's or PhD level can also apply for the La Trobe University Postgraduate  Research Scholarships (LTUPRS).

The La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarships are valued at  A$24 653 per annum in 2013 and is designed to assist with the cost of  living (cannot be used to pay tuition fees).

The closing date for these scholarships is 30 September for  students who wish to begin their studies the following year.

Scholarship recipients must be ready to commence no later than 30 June in  the year after application. Please note also that scholarship offers will be  made conditional on evidence of English language proficiency.

International students may apply for this scholarship when they apply for admission to La Trobe University. A separate application form is not  required, although applicants should note that they may be required to submit  further documentation on request (e.g. thesis chapter/s in English translation).

Source: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/fees/scholarships/research

 

Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPS), Canada

Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPS) provide financial support for highly qualified science and engineering graduates. The support allows them to gain research experience in industry while undertaking advanced studies in Canada. These scholarships are aimed at encouraging scholars to consider research careers in industry where they will be able to contribute to strengthening Canadian innovation. Students registered at Quebec universities must apply through the NSERC-FRQNT Industrial Innovation Scholarships (IIS) Program.

Roles and Responsibilities

• The university must ensure that eligibility criteria and standards of excellence are satisfied.


• The university's Graduate Studies Office coordinates all of NSERC's industrial postgraduate scholarship applications and sends the nomination documents to NSERC.


• NSERC reviews nominations and decides which applicants will receive scholarships. The award is made for a specific research proposal involving a student, a faculty supervisor and a sponsoring organization. The ideal project is one that matches the interests of the faculty member, the needs of the sponsoring organization and the student's skills.


• A university faculty member and a researcher from the sponsoring organization will jointly supervise the project.


• The scholarship will be administered by the university.

Are you eligible for scholarship support?

To be considered eligible for support, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Applications will also be accepted from qualified foreign candidates;


• hold, or expect to hold (at the time you take up the award), a degree in science or engineering from a university whose standing is acceptable to NSERC (if you have a degree in a field other than science or engineering, NSERC may accept your application at its discretion);


• have certification from the Dean of Graduate Studies showing that, over the last two completed years of study, you had a first-class academic standing (minimum average of "A-"; see the Note below for more details); and


• be pursuing full- or part-time graduate studies in the natural sciences or engineering at an eligible Canadian university in accordance with the regulations in effect at the university.

Note: If your academic average is slightly below a first-class academic standing, but you have other qualifications and experience relevant to the research project, the Graduate Studies Office must make a case on your behalf for an exception to this requirement.

To determine if you are eligible for the IPS Program, NSERC will count the number of months of graduate studies completed in the program for which you are requesting funding in an NSERC-supported field. It will count two sessions of part-time graduate study as one session of full-time study at the time of nomination.

In evaluating your eligibility, NSERC will consider all studies counted towards a graduate degree, whether completed at the degree-granting institution or not. You must be eligible as of the date the application is received at NSERC.

If your eligibility for the award could run out while the IPS Agreement is in preparation, the university should forward the incomplete application to NSERC with an explanatory cover letter.

What types of scholarships are available?

Industrial postgraduate scholarships are available in two categories: IPS 1 and IPS 2.

IPS 1

This scholarship support is for a minimum of 12 months (in exceptional circumstances only) up to a maximum of 24 months and must be held during the first three years of graduate study.

At the time NSERC receives the nomination, you:

• may be entering, or have begun the first year of a master’s program;


• may be entering, or have begun the first year of a doctoral program (if you were admitted to the PhD program directly from your bachelor’s program);


• must not have been registered in graduate studies for more than 12 months or the award start date must not be beyond the 12th month of studies;


• must not have held a previous IPS 1*, PGS A, CGS M or PGS M award;


• are not eligible to apply for a PGS M or CGS M if you take up an IPS 1 award.

IPS 1 support will not extend beyond the 28th month of your master's program. If you are a successful applicant and if you have completed more than four months full-time equivalent in a master's program at the time you take up your award, the normal 24-month duration of the award will be decreased by the number of months in excess of the four that have been completed at that time.

IPS 2

This scholarship support is for either 24 or 36 months and must be held during the first four years of doctoral-level studies. You are eligible for this type of scholarship only if you are, or will be, a doctoral candidate.

At the time NSERC receives the nomination:

• you must have completed no more than the full-time equivalent of 24 months of studies in the doctoral program for which you are requesting funding in a field of research that NSERC supports, or the award start date must not be beyond the 24th month of studies;


• if you were admitted into a doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program, you must have completed between four and 36 months of studies in the doctoral program for which you are requesting funding in a field of research that NSERC supports. You must hold the IPS 2 during the first five years of your doctoral program, and support will not extend beyond the 64th month;


• if you previously held an IPS 2*, a PGS D, a CGS D, Vanier CGS or PGS B you are not eligible for further support of your graduate studies; and


• if you take up an IPS 2 award, you are no longer eligible to apply for a PGS D, CGS D or a Vanier CGS.

You will be eligible for only a two-year IPS 2, if:

• you previously held a PGS A or IPS 1* for more than 12 months;


• you previously held a one-year CGS M, or PGS M, plus a PGS M Extension; and


• you have completed more than the full-time equivalent of 16 months of your doctoral program (28 months if you were admitted to the doctoral program directly from the bachelor’s program) as of the date of receipt of the nomination.

Maximum total duration of scholarship support

Scholarship support for graduate studies through NSERC is limited to a lifetime maximum of four years (48 months) of full-time equivalency. NSERC will include any graduate-level scholarship funding provided by SSHRC and CIHR in the calculation of previous funding support.

If you have had up to 12 months of support at the M level (through an IPS 1*, PGS M or CGS M) you are eligible for a maximum of 36 months of support at the D level (through an IPS 2*, PGS D, CGS D or Vanier CGS D) providing you meet the other eligibility criteria for those programs (months of study, etc.).

If you have had between 12 and 24 months of support at the M level (through an IPS 1*, PGS A, PGS M + PGS M Extension or CGS M plus PGS M extension), you are eligible for a maximum of 24 months of support at the D level (through a 24-month IPS 2, CGS D, PGS D or Vanier CGS) providing you meet the other eligibility criteria for those programs (months of study, etc.).

Note: If you have held a 24-month IPS 1, you may still be eligible to hold a CGS D for a period of 36 months, providing you meet the other eligibility criteria (months of study, etc.). This is the only exception to the maximum four years of support.

* For purposes of duration of support and eligibility, IPS includes all NSERC industrial postgraduate scholarships programs.

You are not eligible to receive scholarship support while you are in a qualifying year of study.

Value of scholarships

NSERC will pay a stipend of $15,000 per year to your university. In addition, your sponsoring organization is required to pay at least $6,000 per year to the university in scholarship funds to support you (you should not be paid directly by the organization). Although NSERC cannot award you more than $15,000, the sponsoring organization can contribute more than $6,000 to support you or the project. As a result, the scholarship is worth a minimum of $21,000. IPS award holders may be eligible for some postgraduate supplements (see Table of Supplements).

Source: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/IPS-BESII_eng.asp

 

Find scholarship at the University of Westminster, UK

You can apply for a scholarship at the University of Westminster if you have been offered either a conditional or unconditional place but please note that you must apply for the scholarship before your course starts...

If, however, you are an undergraduate UK/EU student who started your course under the new tuition fee regime then there are a number of achievement awards that can be awarded to you at the end of your first year at the University.

All other scholarships are only awarded before you start your course.

Scholarships are awarded on one or more of the following criteria:

Academic excellence
Financial need
Development potential (for international students)

As different scholarships use different criteria, please check that you meet the appropriate criteria for the scholarship you are applying for. Scholarships usually pay for all or part of the tuition fee, and some limited ones include other costs such as accommodation, flights and living expenses

Source: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/fees-and-funding/funding-for-students-starting-from-201213/scholarships