Call for proposals

The Aleksanteri Institute welcomes applications for its visiting fellowships for April – December 2025. The Aleksanteri Institute is the Finnish Centre for Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European studies, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki.
About the Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Fellowship

The Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Fellowship

  • Is intended for scholars who carry out research relevant to one or more of the five focus areas of the Aleksanteri Institute’s multidisciplinary research profile and whose place of residence is outside Finland. Applicants can be at any career stage but must hold a PhD degree. The degree must be granted by 23 December 2024.  
  • Carries a monthly grant of 3400 € to cover expenses related to the stay in Helsinki (e.g., accommodation, travel, insurance, visa). 
  • Is for a period of two consecutive months between April and December 2025 (excluding July 2025).  
  • Last possible starting date for the visit is 3 November 2025. 
  • Aleksanteri Visiting Fellow Alumni may apply for a one-month or a two-month fellowship. 
  • Involves a research stay at the Aleksanteri Institute, during which Visiting Fellows are expected to be present at the Aleksanteri Institute and participate in its scholarly activities. 
  • Provides an excellent opportunity to develop research collaboration between the Visiting Fellow and the Eastern European, Russian, and Eurasian studies community in Finland. Each Visiting Fellow will have academic hosts who facilitate integration into the local academic scene.
  • Provides Visiting Fellows with office space and IT facilities, as well as use of the University of Helsinki libraries, including e-libraries and the Slavonic Library.
  • Visiting Fellows will present their research at the Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Fellows Research Seminar series and can give presentations elsewhere at the University of Helsinki and at other Finnish universities and research centres.
  • Grant-holders are required to have an excellent command of English. 
Visiting Fellowships and Russia’s war in Ukraine

Due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the University of Helsinki does not invite scholars affiliated with a university or a research institute in the Russian Federation or Belarus. 
Applications
  • Submissions must be made by 23 December 2024 (by 23:59 UTC +2:00).
  • Consist of an electronic application form and materials submitted as an attachment to the electronic form (in a single PDF document).
  • Must be written in English.
  • Incomplete applications cannot be considered for selection.
How to submit the application

Complete the electronic application form at: https://www.lyyti.in/Aleksanteri_Visiting_Fellows_2025

The form is open from Tuesday 3 December until Tuesday 23 December 2024 23:59 Finnish time (UTC +2:00). Late applications cannot be considered for evaluation.  

Upload the following material to the electronic application form as a single PDF file:
(1) A cover letter of no more than one page that (a) states the purpose of the research stay, (b) describes how the fellowship would benefit the research of the applicant, and (c) describes how the applicant would contribute to the Aleksanteri Institute’s research agenda.
(2) A research proposal of no more than 2,000 words (excluding references) that must include your name, the title of your research proposal, and all the following sub-headings: 

  1. Background, objectives, and research question(s)
  2. Research methods and research materials
  3. Work plan for the visit 
    (In this section, specify which part of the research you intend to carry out during the research visit. This should also include information on the specific type of work you are planning to do – for example, working on an article or a book manuscript, analysing data, collecting material, using library or archival sources.
  4. Synergies with the Aleksanteri Institute’s research profile
    (In this section, describe how your research relates to one or more of the Institute’s five research focus areas. Additionally, discuss the potential opportunities for collaboration with the Aleksanteri Institute.)
  5. References (Works cited in sections 1. and 2.)   

At the end of the research proposal, please indicate the word count (max. 2,000 words, excluding references).

(3) The applicant’s CV (max. 2 pages).
(4) A list of relevant publications by the applicant (max. 2 pages). Highlight your most important publications, using bold font (from one to max ten publications).  

For all the above documents, use font size 11 or 12. All page margins must be at least 1.5 cm.

If you are using a screen reader and cannot therefore access the online application form, please be in touch with Anna Korhonen (anna.korhonen@helsinki.fi) to receive the application form in an alternative format. All other applicants must submit the application through the online application form. 
Selection criteria

Academic excellence: The quality of the research proposal, feasibility of the work plan for the visit, and scholarly merits of the applicant in relation to the applicant’s career stage. 


Potential for research collaboration: The relevance of the applicant’s research to one or more focus areas of the Aleksanteri Institute’s research profile and prospects for research collaboration between the Visiting Fellow and the Aleksanteri Institute.  

These criteria are combined with our aim to invite a diverse cohort of fellows in terms of research topics, disciplines, and regional foci of study. 
Notification of applicants and evaluation of applications

The selection of the Visiting Fellows for 2025 will be concluded by 27 February 2025 and the names of the Visiting Fellows will be published on the Institute’s website. We expect to invite up to five Visiting Fellows. All applicants will be personally notified of the result, but we are not able to provide feedback on individual applications. The applications will each be evaluated by two experts.
Accommodation and other practical matters

The fellowship is a grant, not a salary, and is not subject to Finnish taxation. Grant recipients should check any potential taxation considerations related to the receipt of this grant in their home country. Because Visiting Fellows are not staff members of the University of Helsinki, they are not covered by the university’s insurance or occupational health care. Fellows are therefore expected to arrange for their own medical and travel insurance and to provide proof of a valid insurance policy when beginning their fellowship term. 

Visiting Fellows will have workspace assigned in the Aleksanteri Institute premises on the City Centre campus, near the University Main Library and the National Library. Please note that we can host at most three Visiting Fellows at one time and our capacity to change the timings of visits from their initial schedules is therefore limited. 

Visiting Fellows can book accommodation, e.g., in the Unihome’s Töölö or City Centre Campus locations, with studios and apartments of different sizes, suitable for single occupants as well as for families. Monthly rent with university guest discount for studios and apartments for single occupancy start from c. 1200 € (for a small studio without breakfast). Visiting Fellows can also look for other accommodation options, but the Aleksanteri Institute is not able to conduct housing searches. 
Visiting Fellow alumni resubmissions

We wish to continue working with our previous Visiting Fellows who want to further develop research collaboration with colleagues in Finland, and we welcome resubmissions to the Visiting Fellows Programme by its alumni. Alumni can propose a one-month or a two-month visit. 
Further information on the Visiting Fellowships

Contact Senior Advisor Anna Korhonen at anna.korhonen@helsinki.fi.