The Finnish Cultural Foundation offers doctoral students an opportunity to combine a half-day grant together with a part-time employment contract, allowing the student to pursue their postgraduate studies full-time. This model has received widespread support from universities and is hoped to establish itself as a common way to finance doctoral studies. The aim is to decrease the gap between grant researchers and those under employment contracts in such a way that makes a researcher's funding motivating and longer-term.

A doctoral student who has been awarded a grant for full-time work is encouraged to enquire from their doctoral school/programme for a possibility to enter into part-time employment under a university or other corresponding institution. The net earned income of this type of a half-day combination of employment contract and grant is often higher than if the work was done solely on a grant or under an employment contract.

If an employment contract is made, the Cultural Foundation grant awarded for full-time work will be changed into a half-day grant, which doubles the duration of the grant. The total amount of the grant remains the same.

  • A half-year grant for a doctoral dissertation is extended to one full year (14 000 euros 12 months)
  • A full-year grant for a doctoral dissertation is extended to two years (28 000 euros 24 months)
  • A two-year grant is extended to four years (56 000 euros 48 months)
  • As for three- and four-year grants, it is not possible for the work to exceed 48 months and thus the exceeding part is cancelled as unnecessary.

The employment contract (including start and end dates) must be reported and the matter  officially agreed to on the Online Service for Grantees, preferably before the payment of the grant or its first instalment. In this way, Mela can be notified of the duration of the grant as per agreement and the corresponding Myel insurance may be applied for. Mela is bound by the grant duration notification from the awarding party.