The University of Turku TIAS Fellowships 2027 offer eight salaried research positions in Finland, with monthly gross salaries of €3,938 for Postdoctoral Fellows and €5,295 for Collegium Fellows, plus research allowances of up to €3,800 per year. The Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) is accepting applications for four Postdoctoral Fellow and four Collegium Fellow positions in economics, education, humanities, law and social sciences. The three-year appointments begin on 1 September 2027.
International researchers can apply if they meet the relevant PhD requirements. Postdoctoral applicants must normally have completed their doctorate within five years, while Collegium applicants have a 12-year limit. Applications close on 13 November 2026 at 16:00 Finnish time (UTC+2). TIAS reports historical success rates of around 2%, making research quality, feasibility and academic achievements especially important.
University of Turku TIAS Fellowships 2027: Quick Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) Fellowships |
| Host institution | University of Turku |
| Country | Finland |
| Available positions | 8 (4 Postdoctoral + 4 Collegium) |
| Fellowship duration | 3 years |
| Postdoctoral salary | €3,938/month (gross) |
| Collegium salary | €5,295/month (gross) |
| Research allowance | Up to €3,800/year |
| Eligible fields | Economics, Education, Humanities, Law, Social Sciences |
| PhD requirement | Completed by application deadline |
| Application deadline | 13 November 2026, 16:00 Finnish time |
| Fellowship period | 1 September 2027 – 31 August 2030 |
| Application method | Online |
What are the TIAS Fellowships at the University of Turku?
The Turku Institute for Advanced Studies supports researchers who want to develop independent research projects while working within an interdisciplinary academic community.
Unlike research positions attached to a predefined project, TIAS allows applicants to develop their own research proposals. Successful fellows receive support from a department-based supervisor, an external mentor and the Institute’s academic leadership.
There are two fellowship categories.
1. TIAS Postdoctoral Fellowship: 4 positions
The Postdoctoral Fellowship is intended for researchers who completed their PhD within the previous five years.
Applicants should demonstrate academic achievements and experience in international research activities or collaboration.
The position provides a three-year appointment with a current gross monthly salary of €3,938.
2. TIAS Collegium Fellowship: 4 positions
The Collegium Fellowship targets researchers who have progressed beyond the initial postdoctoral stage.
Applicants must have completed their PhD within the previous 12 years and demonstrate a strong publication record, substantial scientific achievements and active engagement with international academic networks.
The position provides a three-year appointment with a current gross monthly salary of €5,295.
Both fellowships are full-time positions requiring 1,612 working hours annually. Fellows are expected to participate in TIAS academic activities and attend campus regularly.
Researchers interested in pursuing independent projects may also consider the Branco Weiss Fellowship 2027, which offers up to CHF 600,000 over five years for eligible postdoctoral researchers.
TIAS vs TIES2 Fellowships: What Is the Difference?
The University of Turku is also recruiting researchers through its separate TIES2 MSCA COFUND programme. Although both programmes offer three-year research positions in Finland, they have different salaries, eligibility conditions and research expectations.
| Feature | TIAS Fellowships 2027 | TIES2 Fellowship 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Available positions | 8 | 7 |
| Gross monthly salary | €3,938 or €5,295 | €4,592 |
| Duration | 3 years | 3 years |
| Career-stage eligibility | PhD completed within 5 or 12 years, depending on position | Different postdoctoral eligibility conditions |
| MSCA mobility rule | Not specified | Applies |
| Research structure | Independent research within TIAS | Research with an intersectoral component |
| Application deadline | 13 November 2026 | 13 November 2026 |
The main distinction is that TIAS offers two career-stage categories, while TIES2 follows MSCA COFUND requirements, including international mobility and intersectoral research planning.
If you are considering both programmes, review our TIES2 Fellowship Finland 2027 guide before preparing your application.
Salary, Research Funding and Benefits
The TIAS Fellowships are salaried university employment positions rather than conventional student scholarships.
| Financial benefit | Postdoctoral Fellow | Collegium Fellow |
|---|---|---|
| Gross monthly salary | €3,938 | €5,295 |
| Gross annual salary (12 months) | €47,256 | €63,540 |
| Gross salary over 3 years | €141,768 | €190,620 |
| Research allowance | Up to €3,800/year | Up to €3,800/year |
| Additional professional development funding | Application possible | Application possible |
The annual and three-year salary totals are calculated using the current published monthly rates. Actual salaries are determined through the Finnish university salary system and may change according to the applicable salary arrangements and personal performance.
Fellows also benefit from employment conditions under the Finnish academic system, including occupational healthcare, annual leave arrangements and applicable social security benefits.
The research allowance can support eligible research-related costs under university financial and travel regulations. Fellows may also apply for additional professional development funding.
Who is Eligible for the TIAS Fellowships 2027?
Applicants must satisfy the general eligibility conditions and the requirements for their chosen fellowship category.
- Hold a completed PhD by 13 November 2026.
- Propose research within one of the five eligible faculties.
- Meet the five-year PhD limit for Postdoctoral Fellow positions or the 12-year limit for Collegium Fellow positions.
- Demonstrate relevant academic achievements and research capability.
- Be prepared to live in Finland during the fellowship.
- Submit a complete application following the official requirements.
Applicants whose PhD defence has been successfully completed but whose certificate has not yet been issued may submit official university confirmation that the doctorate is complete and no further work is required. The doctoral certificate must be provided before the employment contract is signed.
TIAS permits exceptions to the PhD time limits for justified circumstances such as parental leave, military or non-military service, or prolonged illness. Applicants requesting an exception must explain their circumstances in their CV.
Tenured professors holding the title of Professor are not eligible.
The official call does not specify a nationality restriction, so researchers from outside Finland can apply if they meet the programme requirements.
Early-career researchers comparing international funding routes can review the UBC Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 in Canada. This programme provides a $60,000 annual stipend and follows a department-led nomination process with earlier internal deadlines.
Eligible Research Fields
TIAS accepts research proposals within the following five faculties:
| Faculty | Examples of relevant disciplines |
|---|---|
| Economics | Economics, management, finance, entrepreneurship, international business |
| Education | Education, teacher education, learning research |
| Humanities | History, languages, literature, cultural studies, digital culture |
| Law | Legal research |
| Social Sciences | Sociology, psychology, political science, philosophy, social policy |
Applicants must identify an eligible department or unit within the University of Turku where their research would be located.
Research should also connect to at least one of the university’s multidisciplinary themes, including digitalisation, health, learning, cultural and social change, or biodiversity and sustainability.
This does not mean applicants must change their research topic to fit a fashionable field. They need to explain a genuine connection between their proposed work and the university’s existing research strengths.
Required Application Documents
The University of Turku requires six documents for both fellowship categories.
| Document | Official requirement |
|---|---|
| Doctoral certificate | Copy, with official English translation if the original is not in English, Finnish or Swedish |
| Curriculum vitae | Maximum 2 pages, TIAS template |
| Publication list | Maximum 2 pages; identify 5 most relevant publications |
| Research plan | Maximum 25,000 characters, excluding spaces |
| Research plan abstract | Maximum 1 page and 2,500 characters, excluding spaces |
| Motivation letter | Maximum 2 pages, TIAS template |
All documents must be in English, submitted as PDFs and follow the prescribed formatting rules.
The standard font is Times New Roman, size 12, including the bibliography. Footnotes and tables must use at least size 10, while text in figures and maps must use at least size 9. The maximum attachment file size is 10 MB.
The research plan must follow the official template, including its required headings. Text in tables, figures, footnotes and references counts toward the character limit.
Applicants must also declare any use of artificial intelligence in preparing their proposal. TIAS allows certain forms of AI assistance but requires applicants to take full responsibility for the originality, accuracy and integrity of their submissions.
Careers Help Desk Counter Angle: What Actually Matters in the TIAS Selection Process?
The strongest feature of this fellowship is also one of its biggest application challenges: applicants can propose their own research project, but they must demonstrate that the project is academically strong, feasible within three years and suitable for the TIAS research environment.
TIAS uses external reviewers to assess applications against published criteria. These include:
- Previous academic achievements relative to career stage.
- Quality and three-year feasibility of the proposed research.
- Strength of the theoretical and methodological framework.
- Planned publications and other research outputs, including their contribution to career development.
- Overall academic assessment.
Each shortlisted application is evaluated by three external reviewers.
This gives applicants a practical way to prepare a stronger submission.
First, build the proposal around a realistic three-year research plan. A broad research idea may be interesting, but reviewers explicitly assess feasibility. Explain what you intend to investigate, which methods you will use and what results you can reasonably deliver.
Second, connect your previous work to the proposed project. The publication list requires you to identify your five most relevant publications. Use that opportunity to demonstrate how your research experience supports the new proposal.
Third, demonstrate institutional fit without assuming you need a supervisor’s approval. Unlike some postdoctoral programmes, TIAS does not require applicants to contact a professor, secure a supervisor’s agreement or obtain departmental approval before applying. However, you must select an eligible department or unit and explain in your motivation letter how your research complements its existing work.
TIAS provides successful fellows with a department-based supervisor and an external mentor. Your priority during the application stage should therefore be identifying the right research environment and explaining why your proposed project belongs there, rather than sending unnecessary emails to potential supervisors.
For a programme with historically low acceptance rates, meeting eligibility conditions is only the starting point. The research proposal and academic case must be competitive.
Another option for researchers who meet its specific UK connection and heritage requirements is the Royal Society Career Development Fellowship 2027, offering up to £703,800 over four years to support independent research.
How to Apply for the University of Turku TIAS Fellowships 2027
Applications must be submitted through the University of Turku’s official electronic recruitment system.
Step 1: Visit the official TIAS application instructions.
TIAS Fellowships Instructions for applicants as a PDF document
Step 2: Select either the Postdoctoral Fellow or Collegium Fellow application route.
Step 3: Identify the eligible department or unit where you want to conduct your research.
Step 4: Download the required CV, research plan and motivation letter templates.
Step 5: Prepare the six documents, checking all page limits, character limits and formatting requirements.
Step 6: Complete the electronic application and upload the required attachments.
Postdoctoral Fellow applications
Submit your application before 13 November 2026 at 16:00 Finnish time (UTC+2).
You can submit only one application to the TIAS call, choosing the fellowship category appropriate to your career stage.
The recruitment system sends a confirmation email after successful submission. Applicants can make changes to their submitted applications until the deadline.
Application and Selection Timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened | 18 September 2026 |
| Application deadline | 13 November 2026 |
| Shortlisting notifications | By 15 February 2027 |
| External evaluations | February–April 2027 |
| Selection decisions | May 2027 |
| Final results published | By June 2027 |
| Fellowship starts | 1 September 2027 |
Successful candidates must accept their offer within two weeks of notification.
Researchers who have already established independent academic careers may also be interested in the Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027, which fund eligible UK–Brazil and UK–South Africa research partnerships rather than individual fellowship appointments.
Common Application Mistakes to Avoid
One of the most consequential mistakes is overlooking the official formatting requirements. TIAS states that incomplete applications or submissions that do not follow the prescribed structure and limits may be excluded.
Other avoidable problems include choosing the wrong fellowship category, failing to explain the relationship between the proposed research and the host department, exceeding the research plan character limit, or forgetting the required declaration of AI use.
Applicants should also distinguish the TIAS Fellowships from the separate TIES2 MSCA COFUND programme at the University of Turku. The programmes have different funding arrangements and eligibility conditions.
Ready to Apply for Fellowships in Finland
The University of Turku TIAS Fellowships 2027 provide eight three-year research appointments in Finland, with competitive salaries, research allowances and opportunities to develop independent academic work. Researchers in the eligible disciplines should focus on choosing the appropriate fellowship category, preparing a feasible research proposal and demonstrating a clear connection to the University of Turku’s research community. Applications close on 13 November 2026 at 16:00 Finnish time.
Official application and programme instructions: University of Turku – TIAS Call 2026–2027
For application-related questions, contact tias@utu.fi.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are the University of Turku TIAS Fellowships 2027 open to international applicants?
Yes. The TIAS call is international and does not specify a nationality restriction. Applicants must meet the academic and career-stage requirements and be willing to live in Finland during the appointment.
2. What is the salary for TIAS Fellows in Finland?
The current published gross monthly salary is €3,938 for Postdoctoral Fellows and €5,295 for Collegium Fellows. Both categories may also receive research allowances of up to €3,800 per year.
3. Can I apply without receiving my PhD certificate?
Yes, provided your doctorate has been successfully completed, including the required defence, by the application deadline. You must provide official university confirmation and submit the doctoral certificate before signing the employment contract.
4. Do I need to contact a professor before applying?
No. TIAS explicitly states that contacting departments or staff members is not necessary. You must, however, identify a suitable department and explain the research alignment in your motivation letter.
5. Can I apply for both the Postdoctoral and Collegium Fellow positions?
No. Applicants may submit only one application, choosing the fellowship category that fits their academic career stage.
6. How competitive are the University of Turku TIAS Fellowships?
TIAS Fellowships are highly competitive. According to the University of Turku, previous TIAS calls have generally had success rates of around 2%. This is a historical figure, not a confirmed acceptance rate for the 2027 intake.
Applications are assessed based on academic achievements, research quality, methodological strength, feasibility within three years and expected research outputs. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee shortlisting.
7. What is the application deadline for TIAS Fellowships 2027?
The deadline is 13 November 2026 at 16:00 Finnish time (UTC+2). Late applications cannot be submitted.
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