About this opportunity
If your doctoral research looks at developing economies, the hardest part is often finding the time, the data and the colleagues to push it over the line. The UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship Programme opens the doors of the World Institute for Development Economics Research in Helsinki to registered doctoral students, who spend three consecutive months working on their dissertation alongside the institute's researchers.
The fellowship is fully funded. UNU-WIDER covers a travel grant to and from your home institution or country of residence, medical insurance for the duration of your stay, and a monthly stipend of EUR 2,100 toward living costs in Helsinki. Expenses for dependents are not covered. During the visit you prepare one or more research papers, present a seminar on your findings, and may publish your work in the WIDER Working Paper Series.
The programme is run by an economics-focused institute, so proposals in other social sciences need to speak to that lens. Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD programme, fluent in written and spoken English, and able to show research ability on developing economies, with the call aimed especially at researchers at a later stage of their PhD. Applications from early-career, female and developing country researchers are particularly encouraged, which makes this a realistic route for Nigerian and African doctoral students. It is competitive, with roughly one percent of applications succeeding in recent years.
Applications close on 30 September 2026 at 23:59 UTC+3, and the online form only becomes active one month before that
Application timeline
Fellowships awarded in the September round run between March and June 2027. Successful applicants are notified by email about a month after closing and have two weeks to accept.
What you receive
- Three consecutive months of funded research time at UNU-WIDER in Helsinki
- Monthly stipend of EUR 2,100 toward living expenses
- Travel grant to and from your PhD granting institution or country of residence
- Medical insurance for sickness and accident during the stay
- Access to UNU-WIDER resources, facilities and researchers working in your area
- Opportunity to publish your work in the WIDER Working Paper Series
Who can apply
- You are currently enrolled in a PhD programme
- You can show ability to conduct research on developing economies
- You are fluent in oral and written English
- You have good quantitative or qualitative analytical skills
- The programme is especially aimed at researchers at later stages of their PhD
- Early-career, female and developing country researchers are particularly encouraged to apply
Who should not apply
- Expenses related to dependents are not covered
- UNU-WIDER does not accept applications by email or post
Documents to prepare
- Curriculum vitae
- Reference letter from your PhD supervisor, emailed by the supervisor to phdreference@wider.unu.edu, which also certifies your enrolment
How to apply
- Check the questions and answers page for the programme before you start
- Ask your PhD supervisor to email their letter of reference to phdreference@wider.unu.edu
- Complete the online application form and upload your curriculum vitae
- Submit before 30 September 2026 at 23:59 UTC+3
- If selected, confirm your acceptance within two weeks of the email offer
Selection process
- Applications are reviewed against the research area, ability to work on developing economies and English fluency requirements
- The programme is highly competitive and only a limited number of fellows are accepted, with about one percent of applications succeeding in recent years
- Submissions on topics related to the UNU-WIDER work programme are particularly welcome
- Selected applicants are informed by email approximately one month after the closing deadline
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
When does the online application form open?
The form becomes available on 1 September and 1 March each year, but the link only activates one month before the submission deadline.
When would the fellowship take place?
Applications submitted in the September round lead to a three month visit between March and June of the following year. Applications in the March round lead to a visit between September and November of the same year.
Can I bring my family?
The programme does not cover expenses related to dependents.
Who do I contact about application problems?
Check the programme questions and answers page first, then email phdfellow@wider.unu.edu. Replies may take up to five working days.
Important disclaimer
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