The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) is inviting applications for its Nordic Scholarship Programme, an opportunity designed to support researchers and students undertaking Africa-focused research in the social sciences and humanities.
The scholarship provides successful applicants with a one-month research stay at the Nordic Africa Institute, offering access to the Institute’s library collections, research environment and academic networks. The programme aims to strengthen knowledge production about Africa while promoting connections between African-focused researchers and Nordic research communities.
Applications are open to master’s students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers and mid-career researchers who meet the programme’s eligibility and institutional affiliation requirements.
The application deadline is 11 October 2026.
About the Nordic Scholarship Programme
The Nordic Scholarship Programme is administered by the Nordic Africa Institute, a research institution dedicated to strengthening knowledge and understanding of contemporary Africa.
The programme seeks to contribute to capacity building in the production of knowledge about Africa while establishing and strengthening relationships among Nordic research communities.
Through the scholarship, selected researchers receive an opportunity to spend one month at the Institute. The stay is intended to provide scholars with access to resources that can support their ongoing research while encouraging interaction with researchers and research hosts at NAI.
The programme is particularly valuable for scholars whose research requires access to specialised collections and academic resources on contemporary Africa.
Who Can Apply?
The Nordic Scholarship Programme is open to applicants working on Africa-oriented studies or research within the social sciences or humanities.
Eligible applicants can include:
- Master’s students.
- PhD candidates.
- Postdoctoral researchers.
- Mid-career researchers.
The programme accepts applicants regardless of citizenship. However, there is an important institutional requirement.
Applicants must be affiliated with and based at a university or research centre in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland both at the time of application and when they take up the scholarship.
This means that citizenship alone does not determine eligibility. Researchers from outside the Nordic region may apply if they meet the required university or research-centre affiliation and are based in one of the eligible countries.
Applicants should therefore carefully confirm that their institutional affiliation satisfies the programme’s requirements before submitting an application.
What Does the Scholarship Cover?
The Nordic Scholarship Programme provides financial and research support for the one-month stay at the Nordic Africa Institute.
The scholarship covers:
- Travel expenses.
- Accommodation.
- A subsistence allowance.
- Workspace in a shared office at the Institute for the duration of the stay.
These provisions allow successful scholars to concentrate on their research while benefiting from the academic environment at the Nordic Africa Institute.
The programme therefore offers more than financial assistance. It provides researchers with an opportunity to spend dedicated time in a specialised research institution and connect with existing research activities.
Research Resources and Academic Benefits
One of the central purposes of the scholarship is to facilitate access to the Nordic Africa Institute’s extensive library collections on contemporary Africa.
During the one-month stay, scholars can make use of resources including:
- Books.
- Periodicals.
- Newspapers.
- Government publications.
- Other research materials related to contemporary Africa.
The programme also seeks to connect scholarship recipients with existing work at the Institute through NAI research hosts.
This creates opportunities for intellectual exchange, discussion and networking with researchers working on Africa-related issues.
For master’s and doctoral researchers, the stay can provide useful resources for dissertations and research projects. Postdoctoral and mid-career researchers can also use the opportunity to deepen existing research, consult specialised collections and develop connections with Nordic research communities.
Areas of Research
The scholarship is intended for research focused on Africa within the social sciences and humanities.
Potential applicants may therefore include researchers working on topics connected to African politics, development, society, governance, history, culture, economics, international relations and other relevant social science or humanities disciplines.
The strongest applications are expected to demonstrate a clear reason why a research stay at the Nordic Africa Institute would contribute to the applicant’s academic work.
Applicants should consider how the Institute’s library collections, research environment and research hosts could support their particular project.
Duration of the Scholarship
The Nordic Scholarship Programme provides a one-month stay at the Nordic Africa Institute.
The scholarship is awarded once per year, making the annual application deadline an important date for eligible researchers planning to use the programme for their Africa-focused research.
The short-term structure makes the opportunity particularly suitable for scholars who need concentrated access to research materials, academic networks and institutional resources rather than a long-term study programme.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should apply through the official Nordic Africa Institute application channel.
Before applying, candidates should review the programme’s current application information and ensure that they meet the requirements concerning their research field, academic status and institutional affiliation.
Applicants should pay particular attention to the requirement that they must be affiliated with and based at a university or research centre in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Iceland both when applying and when taking up the scholarship.
The official application information is available through the Nordic Africa Institute.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the Nordic Scholarship Programme is 11 October 2026.
Eligible researchers are encouraged to begin preparing their applications early and verify that their proposed research makes effective use of the Nordic Africa Institute’s resources and academic environment.
Why Consider the Nordic Scholarship Programme?
For eligible scholars researching Africa, this scholarship provides an opportunity to combine financial support, specialised research resources and academic networking through a focused one-month stay.
The programme can be particularly useful for researchers who require access to contemporary Africa collections or want to engage with researchers at the Nordic Africa Institute.
By supporting researchers at different stages of their academic careers, from master’s students to mid-career scholars, the programme contributes to broader efforts to strengthen Africa-focused knowledge production and international research collaboration.
Researchers who meet the eligibility requirements and are based at an eligible Nordic university or research centre should consider applying before the 11 October 2026 deadline.
