The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) gives through its Minor Field Study Programme the opportunity for Swedish undergraduate students to perform a field study in a developing country.
Read about one recent recipient’s work she did in Ethiopia.
The purpose of the MFS program is to broaden and deepen the international competence of Swedish universities and can only be granted to Swedish citizens or persons with a permanent residence permit in Sweden or students from other Nordic countries, who are not Swedish citizens but must have been resident (registered) in Sweden for at least a year on the date they are granted the stipend.
The travel grant will cover the cost of a stay in a developing country for 8-10 weeks.
During the stay, a field study is carried out and this must be included as part of their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree’s essay. The field study will be performed in a country where Sweden is engaged in development cooperation. The study shall be written in English or another viable language in the country. A list of the MFS countries is given here
The MFS grant is SEK 27,000 and is intended to cover travelling to and from the MFS country, some living expenses such as room and board, and the participating in the preparation course. Note that the MFS scholarship is a travel grant and not intended to cover all costs associated with the study.
For more detailed information on the MFS see: Universitets- och Högskolerådet.
As a Minor Field Studies institution, RWI prioritizes essay topics in the field of human rights and related areas of international law, related to the conditions in developing countries.
The application deadline: 28 October 2016.
What is required from the applicant?
- The applicant must be a Swedish citizen or must have permanent residence permit in Sweden. If the applicant has permanent residence permit in Sweden or has dual citizenship (Sweden and another country), it is not allowed to perform the study in the student’s other home country, even if the latter country is on the OECD DAC-list. Applicants who are from other Nordic countries, who are not Swedish citizens, must be permanent residents (folkbokförda) in Sweden for at least a year to be granted MFS scholarship.
• The applicant must have a minimum of 150 credits upon departure.
• The applicant must use the MFS grant to write an essay on Bachelor/Master level or degree. The student should not have begun a doctoral study.
• The applicant must not previously have been granted an MFS scholarship or other Sida funded scholarship for the same type of study applied for here. Other relevant experience, such as study or stay in a developing country is no hindrance to apply.
• The applicant must be proficient in English. In cases where the host country’s official languages are French, Spanish or Portuguese, the applicant must have documented knowledge of the language.
• The applicant may not write his/her essay in Swedish. The essay shall be written in English.
For more information see: www.mfs.nu
What should be included in the application?
No special application form is required but the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law requires only a brief project description in English, along with a budget and a certificate.
Project description should contain:
1) Selection of country and brief description of the study (abstract) and the study’s title
2) Background
3) Objective/Purpose
4) Theory
5) Method
6) Implementation on site
7) Expected results
8) Critical phases of the field study and how they will be solved
9) Date of field work for 8-10 weeks
10) Principal residence
11) Budget (see below)
12) Name, title, full address and telephone / fax of supervisor in Sweden
13) Name, title, full address and telephone / fax contact person abroad
14) The name, address, e-mail address and telephone number of the applicant
15) Certificates (see below)
16) A brief personal motivation why applicant should be awarded a MFS
The project description should be no longer than 2500 words.
The budget must account for:
1) The cheapest mode of travel to and from the country
2) Part of living (rule of thumb, about 50% of overseas subsistence allowance, see www.skatteverket.se)
3) Vaccinations
4) Insurance
5) The cheapest travel and accommodation in connection with the preparation course
Certificates:
• Information if the application also has been submitted to other MFS granting institutions
• Extracts from LADOK
• A statement from the supervisor of the study’s purpose, suitability and feasibility.
• A document (it could be an e-mail conversation, fax or formal invitation) to show that there is a contact person who can assist with practical arrangements, contacts with resource persons, support, etc..
For more information, requirements and conditions for MFS see: www.mfs.nu and Universitets- och Högskolerådet.
For further information, please contact:
.