UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship in Helsinki with EUR 2,100 a month 2026/2027

UNU-WIDER runs a visiting fellowship in Helsinki for people already registered on a doctorate whose research touches developing economies. Fellows spend three months at the institute, write, and present their findings in a seminar.

What the fellowship pays

Three things are covered. There is a monthly stipend of EUR 2,100 for living costs in Helsinki, a travel grant covering the journey from your university or country of residence and back, and medical insurance for sickness or accident during the stay. Costs for family members who come with you are not covered.

Who can apply

You must already be enrolled on a doctoral programme and be able to show you can do research on developing economies. The institute is economics-focused, so candidates from other social sciences are welcome but should read that signal carefully. Fluent spoken and written English is required, along with solid quantitative or qualitative analysis. The programme is aimed at people in the later stages of a doctorate rather than at the beginning.

Be honest about the odds

The institute publishes something most funders hide: in recent years about one percent of all applications have succeeded. That is not a reason to skip it, but it is a reason to send a proposal that connects tightly to the institute's own work programme rather than a general research summary.

What you send

A completed online form and your curriculum vitae. Separately, your doctoral supervisor emails a reference letter directly to the institute, which also serves as proof that you are enrolled. Applications by email or post are not accepted at all, and the online form only goes live one month before each deadline.

Deadline

Applications close at 23:59 UTC+3 on 30 September 2026, one of two rounds the institute holds each year. Applying in this round means visiting for three months between March and June of the following year. Decisions arrive by email about a month after the deadline, and you then have two weeks to confirm.