Grants for Planning of Postdoctoral Projects
The Donner Institute announces grants for planning of postdoctoral projects. The application period is 1 June–31 August 2026. The application portal opens on 1 June at 9:00 a.m. and closes on 31 August at 4:00 p.m. (Finnish time, UTC+02:00).
The grants are awarded for the planning of projects that include some form of collaboration with Åbo Akademi University. The work may include preliminary studies, literature reviews, and similar activities. During the grant period, continuous presence in Turku is not required, but the grant holder should maintain close dialogue with a subject at Åbo Akademi University. Presenting the project on site in Turku at a suitable seminar is desirable. Priority is given to research focusing on the study of religion, philosophy of religion, or those areas of the cultural sciences that address religion in a broad sense. The allocation of grants follows the donors’ guidelines.
The Institute will award three grants for a period of six months (3,000 euro per month). The grants can be drawn from November 2026. The full grant amount must be drawn no later than the year following the award (for the 2026 call, no later than during 2027).
Applicants are required to hold a doctoral degree in a field relevant to the Institute. As a rule, no more than three years should have elapsed since the completion of the doctoral degree by the application deadline. Parental leave, sick leave, military service, and similar circumstances are considered. Applications are assessed on the basis of the following criteria: research idea, scholarly quality, feasibility, societal relevance, and the project’s relevance to the Institute’s purpose and mission. The Board expects the grant recipient to present a submitted funding application within one year of drawing the grant.
Applications are evaluated by a committee appointed by the Institute’s Board. The Board will make its decision on grant recipients at its autumn meeting in October 2026.
Applicants must complete the electronic application form and submit the following attachments: (1) a CV, (2) a list of publications, (3) a project proposal, and (4) a statement from a head of subject at Åbo Akademi University who supports cooperation around the project.
The project proposal (maximum 6,000 characters including spaces, excluding references) should include:
Research problem
Description of the collaboration with Åbo Akademi University
Scholarly background
Theoretical perspectives
Research methods and materials
Ethical considerations
Implementation and funding
Research environment, mobility, and international networks
Work plan for the six-month grant period
The application should be filled in in Swedish or English.
For further information concerning the handling of personal data at Åbo Akademi University Foundation, see: http://stiftelsenabo.fi/privacy-policy-statement/. Read about the register of scholarship holders here.
For further information about the application process, please contact Research Manager Sofia Sjö, sofia.sjo@abo.fi, tel: + +358 50 362 3269.