Scholarships for research stays in 2026 for PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows at SAM

PhD candidates employed by and enrolled in the doctoral program at SAM, as well as postdoctoral fellows employed at SAM, may apply for the research grant. Grants are not awarded to other groups.

Applicants are generally encouraged to explore various co-funding opportunities, such as Erasmus+, external grants, and scholarships. You must ensure that the research stay is not double-funded.

You cannot apply for the researchs grant if:

• You have previously received an research grant from OsloMet.

• You are eligible to apply for an research grant from the Research Council of Norway. In such cases, you should use their program.

• You are not employed at SAM.

The application deadlines for 2026 are:

• October 15, 2025, for research stays during the spring semester of 2026.

• March 15, 2026, for research stays during the fall semester of 2026.

The purpose of the research grant is to support the establishment and development of collaborations with international research environments that will benefit both the candidate and OsloMet.

The rsearch stay is expected to include one or more of the following activities:

• Supervision

• Collaborative publishing

• Seminars

• Other academic activities at the host institution

The activities must be relevant to the applicant's ongoing research at OsloMet.

The host institution and relevant research environment should be selected in consultation with your supervisor.

You are encouraged to involve the faculty administration early on so they can help determine whether there are existing collaboration agreements between OsloMet and the host institution. In many cases, tuition fees may be waived if an exchange agreement is in place. Such an agreement can also make it easier for the traveler to secure housing during the stay.

Support is provided for research stays lasting a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months.
The research stay must be completed at least 6 months before the end of the PhD/postdoctoral period.
Grants are not awarded for stays during any extension period funded by a completion grant.

You can apply for up to NOK 20,000 per month, with a maximum total of NOK 60,000 for your stay. You can only receive funding for one stay during your fellowship period through this program.

The grant is intended to cover travel and additional expenses related to the research stay, i.e., costs incurred as a result of traveling that you would not normally have. It is meant to cover expenses you pay yourself as well as invoices sent directly to OsloMet (e.g., invoices from the travel agency). Only the cheapest travel option will be reimbursed. Note that no additional funding is provided to cover family travel costs.

You can also receive reimbursement for visa costs and documented tuition fees. To have tuition fees covered, the amount must be clearly stated in the invitation letter from the host institution.

Applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the document research grant – information sheet (.docx) available on the webpage Research grant: Payment and Travel Reimbursement to gain an overview of documentation requirements, eligible expenses, and potential deductions. Any overpaid grant must be repaid through payroll deductions. If anything is unclear, it is recommended to clarify this with the finance department at SAM.

Note that all expenses must be documented in your travel reimbursement submission afterward.

Examples of  activities that are not covered:

• Teaching activities conducted by the grant recipient
• Mandatory participation in doctoral training courses
• Activities related to data collection
• Support for activities such as courses/conferences outside the host institution
• Academic activities not directly related to the applicant’s ongoing research project

• The grant cannot be used as co-funding for projects where the faculty or departments have committed to funding obligations.

Applications must be submitted through the Nettskjema online form.

The following documents must also be attached:

• An invitation letter from the host institution (including information about resources made available, any requirements/conditions such as tuition fees, and the academic plan).
• A signed recommendation letter from the applicant’s personnel manager at OsloMet (this may also include any plans for future collaboration with the host environment).

Applications will be processed administratively as soon as possible after the application deadline. We aim to provide a response within three weeks after the deadline. Only applications that meet all formal requirements (all sections of the form are completed clearly and satisfactorily, and all required attachments are included) will be considered. If the number of applications exceeds the available funding, a lottery will be conducted.

Payment and travel reimbursement

Separate guidelines and forms exist for the payment of the research grant and travel reimbursement. The awarded grant, as specified in the application budget, may be paid as an advance prior to the research stay. Please note that after completing the stay, you must document your travel expenses as well as establishment and additional costs incurred during the stay to the faculty administration. Any excess grant funds must be repaid through payroll deductions.

Reporting

No later than two months after completing the research stay, the grant recipient must complete a reporting form detailing the outcomes of the stay. This form should be sent via email to Anne Thorsen (anne.thorsen@oslomet.no) and Kersti Ahrén Heløe (kersti-ahren.heloe@oslomet.no).

Practical implementation

On the webpages for researcher mobility and career development, you will find advice on the practical implementation of your research stay.

For practical questions regarding the submission of applications or the implementation of the research stay, you may contact Anne Thorsen (anne.thorsen@oslomet.no) or Kersti Ahrén Heløe (kersti-ahren.heloe@oslomet.no).