Guidelines for PhD fellowships

PhD fellowships can only be applied for by the fellow. The fellowships are personal and cannot be transferred to others. Fellowships cannot be sought for nameless candidates. The names of the supervisors, principal investigator and others are to be mentioned in the partnership section on the application form. At least one of the supervisors must be employed by a university or university college in the region. Applicants can only send one application in the same category.

Who can apply – requirements at the time of application

The research fellow, supervisor or principal investigator must be either employed by or provide an agreement of support with a health trust or a private, non-profit institution in the region.

Applicants must have a master's degree or equivalent, (cf. requirement for transcripts that are to be attached with the application).

If research funds are awarded, the candidate must be admitted into a PhD program, as a general rule at a university in the region. Confirmation of admission must be sent within 3 months.

If funds are awarded

Positions financed by Helse Vest research funds must be employed by the applicant institution (health trust or private, non-profit institutions). The research fellow is expected to activly partcipate in the research enviroment they will part of.

PhD fellowships are awarded for 3 years (100% position). The fellowship can be implemented as either a 50 % or 100 % position (payment of the fellowship will follow chosen period). If other implementation schemes are needed, this must be specifically applied for after the award letter is received.

Please note: Applicants for PhD fellowships must be able to start the fellowship at the latest on the 1st of July in the year for which the funds are awarded.

It should be possible for the research fellow to change employers during the fellowship, as long as this is another health trust or private, non-profit institution in the region. It is nevertheless the applicant institution that has the final word on whether the institutional responsibility for the project should also be changed. Conditions for any such potential change must be clarified by agreements between the institutions in question.

What can be applied for

PhD fellowships are awarded according to rates that are regulated yearly based on the estimated price increase in the national budget. The rate is to be used for salary with social expenses and running costs in the project.

It is not possible to apply for short term scholarship for completing PhD.

Rates for PhD fellowships

Rate 2024: 1052 000

Need for running cost beyond what is included in the scholarship rate, must be met from other sources.

Project description and other attachments

Two attachments must be uploaded with the application:

A general template for project description has been prepared, which is to be used when submitting applications for research funds. The template gives information about which elements to include in the project description. The project description is to be uploaded as an attachment to the application (PDF document).

The attachments must be compiled into one attachment in the order that is outlined below. Upload the attachment as one PDF-document under "other attachments" in the application form.

1. The applicant's CV (see template suggestion) and list of publications from the last five years
2. Agreement of support, if applicable (refer to the information about who can apply )

3. CV and list of publications from the last five years for the main supervisor
4. Declaration from supervisor, including assessment of feasibility
5. Diploma and transcripts from master’s degree or equivalent

If applicable

6. Applicants with international master’s degree must document how this compares to an equivalent Norwegian degree. See requirements for admission on the University of Bergen's website