University of Helsinki funds and grants

University of Helsinki Funds grant a total of approximately 400,000 euros in various scholarships and grants to students and researchers each year. The University of Helsinki Funds includes over 350 funds: discipline-specific funds and named funds founded by our alumni, friends and other supporters. The funds' assets consist of funds donated to the University of Helsinki over the past centuries.
Student or researcher, apply for a grant

Mainly only students, researchers and staff at the University of Helsinki can apply for scholarships from the University of Helsinki's funds. Read more about applying.

If you have questions regarding the grants and scholarships, please contact studentinfo@helsinki.fi

Grant calls in 2025

Grant calls 2025:

Grants to doctoral students and researchers of (population) ecology and conservation biology from the Academician Ilkka Hanski Fund
Academician Ilkka Hanski Fund will award grants to doctoral students and researchers of (population) ecology and conservation biology, maximum of 2,000 euros. Research plan and CV are required as attached PDF-files. References are not needed. 

Grant for material costs from the Heinonsalo Fund
From the Heinonsalo Fund 3,000 euros as one or several scholarships to postgraduate students and researchers in biological and environmental sciences for material costs.

Grant for research in genetics
From the Biological and Environmental Fund research and travel scholarships to doctoral students and researchers in the field of genetics totaling max. 3,000 euros. Research plan and CV are required as attached PDF-files. References are not needed.

Grant calls 2025:

Grant for research related to animal acupuncture
The Research Fund for Animal Acupuncture offers grants of up to €3,000 to licentiates of medicine or veterinary medicine, or undergraduate students working on their licentiate theses, who intend to engage in scientific research on topics related to acupuncture.

Scholarship to graduate students in veterinary medicine writing their licentiate thesis
From the Uuno Aukusti Toivonen Fund, scholarships of max. 1,000 euro for graduate students who are working on their licentiate's thesis and who are planning to continue their studies as postgraduates and to continue scientific research in the field of veterinary medicine.

Fund for research in Canine Health
From the Fund for Research in Canine health (and from the Thelma Mäkikyrö Foundation's fund) a total grant of up to 14,000 euros is granted 2025. The scholarship can be awarded to one or more applicants and can be awarded to a doctoral student or a person who has a completed doctoral degree. The grant is awarded to research into canine health, especially clinical patient and genetic research. The grant is not for travel expenses. The requested amount must be mentioned in the application.

Grant calls 2025:

Pharmacy Fund
The Pharmacy Fund will award grants and travel grants to Bachelor and Master´s students, in total a maximum of 3,000 euro.

Grant calls 2025:

Scholarship to a Master´s student
The Fund for Arts consists of 30 named funds, which provide master’s thesis scholarships every year for the students at the faculty of Arts. The scholarships are awarded based on academic performance (time spent on studies, including number of credits completed and grades received). In addition to the general evaluation criteria for UH funds, the evaluation criteria are a Bachelor's Degree that has been completed within target duration and the grade of the Bachelor's thesis. The Fund offers nineteen (19) scholarships of €1,000.

The Carl Backman Fund travel grant to a teaching postdoctoral researcher
The Carl Backman Fund is based on the 1856 bequest of Carl Backman, lecturer in the German language. The Fund provides €2,000 in travel grants (grant-funded researchers) or travel funding (University of Helsinki staff) to postdoctoral researchers who provide teaching in Arts.

The Maija Lehtonen Fund grants in French language, French Literature, French History, Finnish-French cultural relations or Finnish Literature
The Maija Lehtonen Fund is based on the approximately €4.3 million bequest from Professor Maija Lehtonen, which the University received in 2017. The purpose of the Fund is to support doctoral students, researchers (particularly postdoctoral researchers) and teachers whose research focuses on the French language, French literature, the history of France, the cultural relations between Finland and France, or Finnish literature. The Fund offers a total sum of no more than €20,000 in travel grants (grant-funded researchers) or travel funding/mobility support (University of Helsinki staff) to University of Helsinki postdoctoral researchers as well as teaching and research staff witch a connection to the research fields of the Fund to participate in academic conferences or work abroad for a fixed time period.

The Oskar Kajava Fund scholarship for studies in French philology
Oskar Kajava Fund will award grants for students of French philology, maximum of 3,000 euros, for studies at a university in France (excluding Paris). The applicant must report the study place, length of the study period and justify the reason to study in France.

The Rector Ilkka Niiniluoto Fund scholarship for studying theoretical philosophy
The Rector Ilkka Niiniluoto Fund is based on donations made in 2006 to mark his 60th birthday. The Fund offers one €1,000 scholarship to an undergraduate student of theoretical philosophy.

Dissertation award for research in Women's Studies, Feminism or research in the significance of the Female Gender
The Gender Studies Fund is based on the bequest of Hilkka Pietilä, former chair of the Finnish UN Federation. A prize of 2,000 euros for a merited doctoral dissertation. The prize for the doctoral dissertation can be awarded to a person who has completed his or her doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki in 2024. Support is granted primarily to people who research on women’s studies, feminism or the significance of the female gender. Attach the opponent’s statement and your CV in PDF format (max. 2 pages).

Grant calls 2025:

Scholarship from the Niilo Koljonen Fund
Niilo Koljonen’s Fund gives a 1,000 EUR grant for students studying for a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

Grant calls 2025:

The Ensio Hyvärinen Fund
The Ensio Hyvärinen Fund will award scholarships based on activeness for undergraduates in Medicine. The sums of the scholarships will be decided when the applications have been received.

Grant calls 2025:

The Etelä-Pohjanmaan Maanviljelysseura Fund grant to student from Etelä-Pohjanmaa
The Fund of Etelä-Pohjanmaan Maanviljelysseura will award two scholarships of 1,000 euro each to Bachelor and Master´s students of agriculture, home economics, veterinary science and food sciences, who are from the area Etelä-Pohjanmaa and who are working on their master’s thesis or licentiate thesis. Those applying must explain their connection to Etelä-Pohjanmaa in their application

Scholarship for undergraduate students in agriculture and forestry
The Agriculture and Forestry Fund will award ten scholarships of 1,000 euro each to undergraduate students of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

Grant calls 2025:

Grant for studying Mathematics or Natural Sciences
The Fund for Mathematics and Natural Sciences offers 15 scholarships of €1,000 to undergraduate students of Mathematics and Natural sciences whose academic performance has been excellent. Some of the scholarships are primarily intended for students in the early stages of their studies, and others for students holding a Bachelor’s degree. Successful applicants must have completed an average of 55 credits per academic year.

Huawei grant
Huawei grant à 2,000 EUR will be given the best Master’s Theses in data security and software engineering.

Scholarship to a Master´s student from the Kai Fogelholm Fund
The Kai Fogelholm Fund will offer one €1,000 scholarship. The scholarship will be granted to a Master’s degree student as financial aid. The scholarship is available to students who have completed their Bachelor’s degrees, demonstrated high academic performance and who intend in their Master’s degree studies to continue their studies in Geography or Regional sciences or in the teacher training tracks of these disciplines.

Jouni Lestelin's Fund's scholarship for Master's thesis for Computer Science students
Jouni Lestelin’s Fund gives 17 master´s thesis scholarships to Computer Science students. Students suffering from spinal cord injury are prioritized. 

The Ahti Mykkänen Fund Master thesis scholarship for student in Mathematics
From the FL Ahti Mykkänen Fund one 1000 euro Master Thesis scholarship for student in Mathematics, especially in the field of analysis or probability theory.

Grant calls 2025:

Travel scholarship for undergraduates in Law
The Law Fund will award travel scholarships of max 1,000 euros to undergraduate and graduate law students (in total max. 5,000 euros). Travel grants for legal case competitions are also taken into account.

Scholarships for undergraduates in Law from the Aino Virkkunen Fund for Law
Four scholarships of a maximum of €1,000 for law students. Scholarships are primarily granted to support Finnish-speaking students who are admitted to the faculty, whose studies are related to Swedish legislation and/or legal research and literature, or who are studying at, for example, Uppsala University.

Grant calls 2025:

The Elna Pelkonen Fund grant for research in Carelian Orthodox cultural heritage to an undergraduate student
The Elna Pelkonen Fund will award one scholarship of 1,000 euro to Master´s students for Master´s thesis work in the field of Carelian Orthodox cultural heritage. 

Grant for student exchange for students in Theology
The Theology Fund will award scholarships of max 1,000 euros each to Bachelor and Master´s students in Theology for exchange studies or for a shorter international visit (in total max. 3,000 euros),

Grant calls 2025:

Scholarship for students of the Faculty of Social Sciences from the Liisa Rankama Fund
One €1,000 scholarship from the Liisa Rankama Fund for a student of the Faculty of Social Sciences writing his or her master’s thesis on negative economic growth or the economic system from a critical Marxist perspective.

Scholarship for Master’s level students at the Faculty of Social Sciences
13 scholarships of max €1,000 for Master’s level students at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Grant calls 2025:

Grant to a gifted and active student
Two scholarships of 1000 euro to gifted and active Bachelor and Master´s students. The applicants are expected to demonstrate evidence of academic success, activity and enterprise. Involvement in organisations within the academic community will be considered an asset.

Väinö Linna scholarship
The University of Helsinki Alumni Association Fund will award a Väinö Linna scholarship of 1000 euro to a Bachelor or Master´s student in economics, specifically macroeconomics.

The friends of the Environment Fund scholarship
The Friends of the Environment Fund will award max. 10 scholarships of 2,000 euro each to Bachelor and Master´s students, who have limited economical means and who are working on their master’s theses concerning environmental research. The faculty or field of applicants is not restricted (e.g. students of science, social sciences and law may receive a scholarship), but the topic of the thesis must be related to environmental research. The applicants must explain their limited economical means in their applications and attach a copy of their latest confirmed certificate of taxation (year 2022) as a PDF to the application.

The Timo Sahi Fund travel grant
Timo Sahi Fund will award max one travel grant of 1,000 euro for a young researcher in the field of Public health promotion, especially physical education or nutrition, or Ethnology.

Juha Korppi-Tommola scholarship
One scholarship of 1000 euro to a gifted undergraduate or graduate student, whose success in studies is above average and who has been an active member of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki, one of the university’s nations or in a student organisation of the faculty or department.

Grant calls 2025: 

Scholarship for research or studies that support the development of the Lahti region and Päijät-Häme
The purpose of the University of Helsinki Lahti Fund is to support innovative and practice-oriented research, adult education and development activities in the Lahti region and Päijät-Häme through grants, scholarships and financial contributions. In 2025, the University of Helsinki Lahti Fund will award grants of 2,000 euros degree students and grants of 4,000-5,000 euros for doctoral students or researchers.  Grants are awarded for studies, theses and research that support the development of the Lahti region and Päijät-Häme. In line with the strategy of the Lahti University Campus, in their evaluation the board values applications that take sustainability (e.g. economic, social, ecological and cultural sustainability) into account. Applicants are advised to include at least one recommendation in their application. The recommendations should indicate the connection between application and the purpose of the Fund.

Grant calls 2025: 

Scholarships for undergraduates in sustainability from the Helen Ltd Fund 
In 2025, Helen Ltd Fund offers five master's scholarships of 2,000 euros to students whose master's thesis relate to sustainability, such as the Baltic Sea research in the Gulf of Finland.

Grant calls 2025:

Scholarship from the Edit Saarela Fund
From Edit Saarela's fund, travel grants of 1,000–3,000 euros are granted to less wealthy undergraduate students, totaling a maximum of 11,000 euros. Only apply for grants that are between 1,000-3,000 euros. The applicant must justify in the application that s/he is less wealthy and attach a tax certificate for 2023 in pdf format. The travel grants granted to undergraduate students (Bachelor's and Master's studies) are intended for independently organized studies abroad. Travel grants are granted for trips starting on January 1, 2025 at the earliest. In your application, include information about the destination, the length of the trip (at least 1 month) and briefly justify the content of the trip. In the evaluation, we pay particular attention to the feasibility of the travel plan, the content of the possible research plan, the reasons presented as the purpose and benefit of the trip, references and previous academic success, i.e. completed studies and if the studies have progressed according to the recommended timetable. We do not grant grants for conference trips due to their short duration, and we do not grant grants to students who go on exchange and whose exchange is already financed by exchange programs and agreements organized by the university and the National Board of Education's Internationalization Services. Ask for a reference for your travel grant, so that we can have proof of the necessity of the travel and that it is relevant for your studies/thesis. 

Laura Kolbe and Thomas Forss travel grant
A scholarship of max. 1,000 euros for the advancement of studies in International Private Law, Urban Studies or European Studies.

Travel grant for studying
Travel grants of 1,000–3,000 euros are granted from the Jubilee Fund to undergraduate students, i.e. bachelor's and master's studies, up to a total of 16,000 euros. Only apply for grants that are between 1,000-3,000 euros. The travel grants granted to undergraduate students are intended for independently organized studies abroad, primarily for students who go on exchange outside of the exchange programs and agreements organized by the university and the Board of Education. Travel grants are granted for trips starting on January 1, 2025 at the earliest. In your application, include information about the destination, the length of the trip (at least 1 month) and briefly justify the content of the trip. In the evaluation, we pay particular attention to the feasibility of the travel plan, the content of the possible research plan, the reasons presented about the purpose and benefit of the trip, references and previous academic success, i.e. completed studies and if the studies have progressed according to the recommended timetable. We do not grant grants for conference trips due to their short duration, and we do not grant grants to students whose exchange is financed by exchange programs and agreements organized by the university and the National Board of Education's Internationalization Services. Ask for a reference for your travel grant, so that we can have proof of the necessity of the travel and that it is relevant for your studies/thesis. 

Scholarship to students with disabilities
The Fund of Helsingin yliopiston professorien puolisot ry. provides scholarships for disabled students up to a total sum of €2,000. A central criterion for the scholarship is that the student is progressing in their studies. Scholarships may also be awarded to students who have completed a degree in 2024.

Grant calls 2025:

Kaarlo and Irma Koskimies Fund's Scholarship
The Koskimies Scholarship Fund will award a 1,000 euro grant for a studious and well-progressed MA student, who must be a member of the South Ostrobothnia Nation and currently working on their MA thesis. A separate certificate of membership need not be added to the application; the university will confirm the memberships of applicants from the South Ostrobothnia Nation.

Grant calls 2025:

Grant for research and teaching in co-operatives
The Fund for Research and Teaching in Co-operatives offers one to four scholarships of a total sum of no more than €4,000 to undergraduate students of the University of Helsinki as well as of other universities whose theses study topics related to the study of co-operatives. The scholarship may be granted to a doctoral student to finish a doctoral dissertation on a topic related to co-operatives.

Grant calls 2025:

Scholarships for students who are members of the Satakunta Nation
Suoma Loimaranta-Airila's Fund grants scholarships to talented students who are members of the Satakunta Nation and study at the University of Helsinki. Scholarships of 3000 euros are for students writing their Master's Thesis or other equivalent thesis.

The nation and the university check the membership of the Satakunta Nation, a separate proof does not need to be attached to the application. Being a member of a nation means that you have registered as a member of the nation and that the membership has been approved at the nation's meeting. The membership fee must be paid for the year the application applies to. Descendants of Governor Wilhelm Lindstedt and his wife Hilma Nyholm are given priority in the application even if they would be members of the Satakunta Nation. In that case, proof of the family relationship must be attached to the application.

Student exchange scholarships for students who are members of the Satakunta Nation​​​​​​​
From Suoma Loimaranta-Airila's Fund scholarships of 1000 euros are granted for student exchange for students who are members of the Satakunta Nation and study at the University of Helsinki. You can apply for a scholarship for student exchange primarily for student exchanges that begin in the same year that the scholarship is granted.

The nation and the university check the membership of the Satakunta Nation, a separate proof does not need to be attached to the application. Being a member of a nation means that you have registered as a member of the nation and that the membership has been approved at the nation's meeting. The membership fee must be paid for the year the application applies to. Descendants of Governor Wilhelm Lindstedt and his wife Hilma Nyholm are given priority in the application even if they would be members of the Satakunta Nation. In that case, proof of the family relationship must be attached to the application.

Grant calls 2025:

Grant for research in Asian and African Studies
The scholarships (á 25,000 euros) are intended for one year of full-time research work for doctoral students at the University of Helsinki.
The grant recipient must have a valid right to postgraduadte studies. Research plan and CV are required as attached PDF-files. References are not needed. Recipients of the SYLFF grant have opportunities for additional funding through the SYLFF program, https://www.sylff.org.

Grant for research in International Relations
The scholarships (á 25,000 euros) are intended for one year of full-time research work for doctoral students at the University of Helsinki.
The grant recipient must have a valid right to postgraduadte studies.  Research plan and CV are required as attached PDF-files. References are not needed. Recipients of the SYLFF grant have opportunities for additional funding through the SYLFF program, https://www.sylff.org

Grant for research in Social and Cultural Anthropology
The scholarships (á 25,000 euros) are intended for one year of full-time research work for doctoral students at the University of Helsinki.
The grant recipient must have a valid right to postgraduadte studies.  Research plan and CV are required as attached PDF-files. References are not needed. Recipients of the SYLFF grant have opportunities for additional funding through the SYLFF program, https://www.sylff.org