ÅAU research grants 2025
In autumn 2024, Research Services announces a number of doctoral research grants for the year 2025. The grants are announced from specific scholarship funds that are held in trust by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation. The scholarship funds are listed below (b-j). Please read the information about the scholarship fund’s target group and application criteria carefully, so that you only apply for a grant that you are eligible for.
Please note that no general ÅAU doctoral or ÅAU postdoctoral research grants are available in this announcement.
The electronic application form (opens August 23) should be filled out and submitted no later than on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 23.59.
The research plan is submitted as a separate pdf file. For the application to go forward in the application and evaluation process, the research plan must be written as stated in the instructions:
Instructions for the research plan
Information about the evaluation process, evaluation criteria and decision process
Information about the processing of personal data in connection to the application
The granting decision will be published here at the end of November/beginning of December.
All applicants will be informed via email about the decision.
I Grants for doctoral students
General criteria
Doctoral research grants can be applied for by
- doctoral researchers at Åbo Akademi University, enrolled and registered as present within the application deadline, and
- persons who, at the latest by September 18, 2024, have applied to doctoral studies at ÅAU (please see separate application procedure here). If the applicant is considered to be eligible for doctoral studies, the grant application can go forward in the evaluation process. In November, the grant can be awarded on condition that the applicant at that point has been admitted as a doctoral researcher at ÅAU.
The grants are intended for full-time research (leave of absence required).
Grants are paid in monthly installments. The grant is 2300 €/month. Max 12-month grants should be utilized during the year 2025.
If the research grant is partially used for research abroad, an additional 50 % of the monthly sum is available, providing that the doctoral researcher for the given time period leaves the country of permanent residence, which causes increased living costs (double rent, travel costs etc). The plans for the research abroad need to be included in the grant application. Before the grant period begins, the stay abroad must be verified through a certificate or a Letter of Invitation from the host university. The maximum allowed number of months with the 50 % mobility addition is determined from case to case.
The application should include
- the estimated time (mm/year) for the public defense
- a complete account of all previous funding received for the doctoral studies
Please note that doctoral researchers who have already received funding for 48 months (or more) are not entitled to apply for a grant in this specific announcement. Previously received funding will also be considered in the grant decision; if a doctoral research grant is awarded, the total received funding can amount to a maximum of 48 months.
a) General ÅAU doctoral research grants (max 12 mån)
No general ÅAU doctoral or ÅAU postdoctoral research grants are available in the current announcement.
Specific scholarship funds
b) Doctoral research grants from the H.W. Donner fund (max 48 months, part of which conditionally)
The H.W. Donner fund announces doctoral research grants for max 48 months. General criteria applies (please see above), as well as additional special criteria regarding eligibility:
- In first-hand, the H.W. Donner research grants can be applied for by doctoral researchers within the subject English language and literature (Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology).
- Doctoral researchers from other fields of Arts (Languages, Culture, History and Philosophy) can also apply for a H.W. Donner research grant, provided that they have a mobility plan which includes a 3- to 6-month research visit to an English-speaking country. In case the application is made on the basis of a mobility plan, a Letter of Invitation from the host university must be presented upon request. A concrete plan of the research visit must be included in the application (host university, contact person, time schedule for visit, etc.).
Conditional grant: Provided that the Board of the Åbo Akademi University Foundation approves the proposal made by the Donner committee, the Donner doctoral grant can be awarded for a maximum of 48 months. A report on the study progress has to be submitted to the Donner committee every autumn. Based on the report, the Donner committee evaluates whether the doctoral researcher is progressing according within schedule, which is a prerequisite of the grant period to continue.
As a rule, longer grant periods should begin April 1, 2025, at the latest, whereas shorter grants should be utilized during year 2025.
c) Doctoral research grants from the Julius Polin fund (max 48 months, part of which conditionally, or max 6 months)
The Julius Polin grants are awarded to doctoral researchers within the doctoral programme in Theology. These grants require knowledge of Swedish. For further information (in Swedish), please read here.
d) Doctoral research grants from the Dagmar and Ferdinand Jacobsson fund (max 12 months)
Doctoral research grants from the Fabian Klingendahl fund (max 12 months)
The Jacobsson fund and the Klingendahl fund announces doctoral research grants for max 12 months. General criteria apply (please see above), as well as additional special criteria regarding eligibility:
- The Jacobsson and Klingendahl research grants can only be applied for by doctoral researchers within the doctoral programme in Business Administration (Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Economics, and Law).
- grants are awarded for max 12 months, but shorter grants can also be awarded.
e) Runar Erikssons fond (max 12 months)
This grant requires knowledge of Swedish. For further information (in Swedish), please read here.
f) Ellen, Hjalmar och Saga Waselius’ stipendiefond (max 12 months)
This grant requires knowledge of Swedish. For further information (in Swedish), please read here.
g) Marianne Armfelts fond (max 12 months)
The Armfelts fund announces monthly grants for research in connection to the senior population in Finland. The grant can be awarded as a doctoral research grant (2300 €/month) or a postdoctoral research grant (2700 €/month).
Total amount available 2025: 21 408,00 €
h) Anne-Marie Cronströms minnesfond (max 24 months, part of which conditionally)
The Cronström fund announces doctoral research grants within the following fields of research: Estonian-Swedish dialects, material 1923-1940 in Uppsala, Finnish-Swedish dialects, history of art (NB only painting, graphic art), Nordic literature.
Total amount available 2025: 76 848,00 €
Conditional grant: Provided that the Board of the Åbo Akademi University Foundation approves the decision proposal, the Cronström doctoral grant can be awarded for a maximum of 24 months. After the first 12 grant months a yearly report to Research Services is required. Based on the report, an evaluation is made whether the doctoral researcher is progressing according within schedule, which is a prerequisite of the grant period to continue.
i) Fonden för Hedvigs minne
No announcement 2024-25.
j) Nadeschda Martinoffs fond till Hagar Olssons minne (max 12 months)
The Martinoff fund announces monthly grants for research and preservation of the literary remains of Hagar Olsson. The grant can be awarded as a doctoral research grant (2300 €/month) or a postdoctoral research grant (2700 €/month).
Total amount available 2025: 43 830,00 €
More details about the research grants are given by research coordinator Johanna Hedenborg