The Nordic Africa Institute

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Nordic Scholarship Programme

Nordic scholarship at Nordic African Institute

Fisseha Tefera from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, one of our Nordic scholarship holders 2023.

If you are a student or researcher engaged in Africa-focused studies at a University in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland, the Nordic Scholarship Programme gives you the opportunity to visit NAI for one month.

Now open for applications for scholarships in 2027!
Closing date 11 October 2026

Through the Nordic Scholarship Programme, NAI aims to contribute to building capacity in the production of knowledge about Africa, and to promote and establish relations with and between Nordic research communities.

Who can apply?

  • You must be pursuing Africa-oriented studies/research within the fields of social sciences or humanities.
  • You can be a master student, PhD candidate, postdoctoral or mid-career researcher.
  • You may apply regardless of citizenship, but you must be affiliated to and based at a university or research centre in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland (both when you apply and when you take up the scholarship).

What's in it for you?

  • The scholarship covers travel expenses, accommodation and a subsistence allowance.
  • You get access to a workspace in a shared office at the Institute for your one-month stay.

The purpose of the programme

The aim of the scholarship programme is to offer a 1-month stay at the Nordic Africa Institute in order to facilitate use of the Institute’s library collections on contemporary Africa (books, periodicals, newspapers, and government publications), and to support connection to existing work at the Institute through NAI research hosts. The scholarships are awarded once per year.

Financial support and other benefits

The scholarship covers travelling expenses for the least expensive fare from residential address (in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland) to Uppsala and return. The scholarship holders are provided with a desk and computer in a shared office at the Institute and free accommodation centrally located in Uppsala. The scholarship also includes a subsistence allowance of SEK 450 per day.

Please note: The scholarship does not include health care insurance or other insurances.

How to apply

Apply online and upload the following documents:

  • Up-to-date CV, including list of publications (if any).
  • Outline of research project, 3-5 pages:
    • Objective of the research project: The research topic should be clearly identified and contextualized within its academic discipline.
    • Method and time frame: Describe how the research project will be accomplished, state the research method, data gathering techniques and time frame.
    • Theoretical explication: A brief indication of the theoretical basis of the research project must be included.
  • Work plan, 1 page:
    • The plan should be specific for the time spent at the Institute; clarifying what part of the research project the applicant will work on during the stay at the Nordic Africa Institute.
  • Reference: A signed letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor or head of department, which confirms current affiliation and field of research.

Applications are primarily evaluated based on the outline of the research project. Please be aware that we read proposals carefully and it is important to us to learn about your research in your words and framing. Using AI to develop your text may place you at a disadvantage in our assessment process.

Please note: Incomplete applications will not be considered. Persons currently or previously employed by or otherwise professionally affiliated with the Nordic Africa Institute are not eligible for scholarships. Kindly also note that the application and appendices must be in English. Applicants will be informed about the outcome of their application as soon as the selection process is finialized; by the end of November 2026 the latest.

In the extraordinary event that the scholarship programme does not receive full funding or cannot for other unforeseen reasons be implemented in 2027, applicants will be informed accordingly.

Further information

Marie Karlsson, marie.karlsson@nai.uu.se, phone +46 (0)18 471 52 54.

The selection process

The GDPR and our integrity policy

The way we manage your personal data, such as your name and email address, falls under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. More information can be found in our integrity policy.

Why Apply to the Nordic Scholarship Programme? Insights from Zarreen Kamalie