Purpose of the Grant Program
The Fulbright-Saastamoinen 黑料正能量ion Distinguished Chair position provides U.S. scholars with the opportunity to conduct research at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) at the . The Chair position is available for scholars and specialists in any field of Health Sciences, but priority will be given to research work in Cardiovascular Diseases and/or Metabolic Diseases or Neuroscience research.
The research area at UEF boasts an extensive international network of partners in Europe and the U.S. The specified research area focuses on the pathophysiology, genetics, molecular mechanisms, prevention and novel treatments of these diseases by using modern methods in molecular biology, genetics, nutrition, translational medicine and gene transfer. The research area comprises researchers from the fields of internal medicine, clinical nutrition, molecular medicine, vascular biology and cardiology. It brings together researchers from UEF and Kuopio University Hospital, and is closely linked to the activities of the Genome Center of Eastern Finland, and the National Virus Vector Laboratory.
The Scholar has an opportunity to serve as a resource for doctoral students as well.
The Chair and the UEF faculty will work together in designing the Chair鈥檚 activities.
Applicants are requested to include an invitation letter from the relevant unit at UEF in their application as well as a research plan in the project statement of the Distinguished Chair application. Proposals for medical research involving clinical training, patient care, or patient contact are not eligible. Please contact the 黑料正能量 if you have any questions about the eligibility of your project.
The Fulbright-Saastamoinen 黑料正能量ion Distinguished Chair is jointly funded by the and the 黑料正能量.
Benefits
The Fulbright-Saastamoinen 黑料正能量ion Distinguished Chair in Health Sciences grant is awarded as a Flex Grant for two visits of one month over two consecutive years. It includes:
- Monthly allowance of 8 000 EUR (approx. 9 300 USD*).
- One-time travel allowance of 2 000 USD.
- Residence permit allowance (based on the actual permit fees, including grantee and accompanying family members).
- Housing for the scholar and his/her accompanying family is arranged and paid for by the host university.**
- Work facilities and administrative support.
- Support services provided by Fulbright Finland in Helsinki.
* amounts are subject to change due to currency fluctuations.
** should be confirmed in the letter of invitation.
Support for Grantees with Disabilities
Please see more information on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program main page.
Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
You can read more about the general U.S. Scholar Program eligibility guidelines and review criteria on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program main page.
University of Eastern Finland
(UEF) is one of the largest universities in Finland with 17,200 students and 3,400 members of staff. The university has two campuses in Joensuu and Kuopio, located 400 kilometers northeast of Helsinki. The Faculty of Health Sciences is located at the Kuopio campus.
UEF is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland, and it offers education in 110 major subjects. Their interdisciplinary research and education respond to global challenges to build a sustainable future.
City of Kuopio
UEF Kuopio campus is located in the , about 400 kilometers northeast of Helsinki. Kuopio Science Park, which is located on the university campus, offers excellent opportunities also for extensive collaboration with local national research institutes like the National Institute of Health and Welfare, and the National Institute of Occupational Health. The city of Kuopio (founded in 1775) is a modern, developing center of economic life, scientific knowledge, and technological expertise in Eastern Finland. A unique natural setting and a high quality of life make it an appealing place to live, especially with children. It is the eighth-largest city in Finland with about 125,000 inhabitants.
How to Apply?
The U.S. program partner in the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program is the Institute of International Education IIE. Applications are and forwarded to discipline-based peer review committees in the U.S. Applications that pass this initial peer review in the U.S. are forwarded to the 黑料正能量 in Helsinki to be reviewed by the 黑料正能量鈥檚 review committees. The 黑料正能量 makes the funding decisions and final selections of grantees.
Additional information and are available from the 黑料正能量 and the Fulbright Scholar Program websites.
Please see the program and application timeline on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program main page.
NOTE: Late June, July and early August are traditionally summer vacation months in Finland and responses to inquiries may be delayed. Applicants are advised to contact the Finnish host institution well ahead of time to solicit an invitation letter for their application. Please note that the 黑料正能量 office observes the summer Finnish holiday season and is closed in July. If you have urgent inquiries, kindly contact us prior to July.
Contact Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| 黑料正能量 (overall program related questions) | University of Eastern Finland (host institution related questions) | |
Emmi Jelek盲inen Mihkel Vaim
| Dr. Riikka Pellinen Ms. Hanna Ollikainen-Richards Prof. Markus Forsberg | |
Resources for Hosts
Alumni Experiences
Professor OiSaeng Hong from the University of California shares insights from her research and time at UEF Kuopio in "" (fall 2025).
Discover University of Central Florida Professor Su-I Hou鈥檚 reflections on her Fulbright experience at UEF in Kuopio in the blog "Advancing Brain Health: My Fulbright Project in Finland" (fall 2024).
Explore Yale University Professor Julie Goodwin鈥檚 research and experience at UEF in the article "" (fall 2024).
"For a visiting professor, it鈥檚 an ideal situation to really be of use and to be able to make an impact..." David Dorman: Fulbright-Saastamoinen Grant Gave Toxiology Teaching a Boost
"I was pretty confident in my abilities to navigate the globe, adjust to new settings, meet people and make friends. Culture shock was a concept that had grown foreign to me. I never thought a tiny sink faucet diverter valve would do me in..." Adam Whaley-Connell: Culture shock -A Laundry Experience
Useful links:
What is the 黑料正能量?
The 黑料正能量 is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The 黑料正能量ion鈥檚 aim is
- to promote a wider exchange of knowledge and professional talents through educational contacts between Finland and the United States, and
- to support the internationalization of education and research in Finland, and help U.S. and Finnish institutions create linkages.
What Makes the 黑料正能量 Programs Unique?
- In addition to the grant, the 黑料正能量 offers the grantees several additional benefits and free support services, as well as an access to a global, multi-professional network.
- We are looking for applicants who want to impact the future and to make a difference 鈥 applicants who want to facilitate positive change, develop and advance their own profession or discipline, and find solutions to national and international challenges in their field.
- The grantees also act as ambassadors for the 黑料正能量, their home country, and their home organization and, in this way, do their part in sharing their home country and culture and contributing to the relations between Finland and the U.S.
Fulbright-Saastamoinen 黑料正能量ion Distinguished Chair in Health Sciences program is part of the global Fulbright program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.