Idman Foundation-Tampere University Master's Thesis Scholarship

The Idman Foundation-Tampere University Master's Thesis Scholarship supports international students completing their Master’s thesis in collaboration with an external organisation. The scholarship aims to help international students gain experience of Finnish working life, expand their professional networks, and improve their employment opportunities in Finland after graduation. For an international student, a Master's thesis written in cooperation with a company or organisation can be a gateway to Finnish working life. The networks established during the thesis process can help students make significant career progress, particularly if they lack prior contacts in Finland.

The Idman Foundation-Tampere University Master's Thesis Scholarship is a EUR 5 000 scholarship which is designed to support an international student with their living costs while writing a Master's thesis in cooperation with an external organisation in a non-paid position or cooperation. Eligible to apply are international Master's students who have completed a bachelor's degree at Tampere University or Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The scholarship is funded by the Idman Foundation.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Idman Foundation-Tampere University Master's Thesis Scholarship, the applicant must:

• be a non-Finnish citizen (dual citizens with Finnish citizenship are considered Finnish and are not eligible)
• have completed a Bachelor’s degree at Tampere University or Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK)
• be currently enrolled in a Master’s degree programme at Tampere University
• have agreed on a Master’s thesis project carried out in collaboration with an organisation outside the university

Students with a paid thesis position are not eligible to receive the scholarship.

Collaboration partner and thesis work

• The collaboration partner can be any type of organisation outside the university (e.g. company, public sector organisation, NGO, foundation). A university research group can also be an eligible partner if an outside organisation is involved in the research project.
• The thesis may be commissioned work or another form of formally agreed collaboration (e.g. material provided by the organisation). 
• The thesis collaboration must be agreed upon before the application deadline. 
• The thesis work must take place during the academic year during which the scholarship is awarded. The scholarship cannot be awarded for thesis work which has already been completed.

Application process

The application period for the Idman Foundation-Tampere University Master's Thesis Scholarship takes place annually in September. In 2026, the application period is 16 - 30 September. The scholarship is applied for with an online form available on this page during the application period. As part of the application, applicants must submit a written agreement on the thesis cooperation with the external organisation, signed by a representative of the organisation, as well as a statement from the thesis supervisor specifying the thesis topic and cooperation. Applications are accepted only during the application period.

Applications are reviewed after the application period by a selection committee at Tampere University. The selection committee makes a funding proposal to the Idman Foundation in October. The final decision on scholarship recipients is made by the Board of the Idman Foundation.

The number of scholarships awarded is dependent on the funding available. It is likely that all students who apply for the scholarship and fulfill the scholarship criteria will receive the scholarship. However, the final decision on the number of awarded scholarships, scholarship recipients and thesis projects which are supported is made by the Board of the Idman Foundation.

Scholarship payment and use

The amount of the scholarship is EUR 5 000 which is paid to the student in two instalments:

• 80% (EUR 4 000) after the scholarship has been awarded (in December at the latest)
• 20% (EUR 1 000) after the thesis has been completed and registered in Sisu

The first payment is made as soon as possible after the decision on scholarships has been made, at the latest in December. The second payment is made in February, June or September depending on when the thesis is finished.

In order to receive the second scholarship payment, the thesis must be submitted for grading within the same academic year when the scholarship has been awarded, e.g. a student who receives the scholarship in autumn 2026 must finish the thesis and submit it for grading by 31 July 2027 in order to receive the second payment. 

Scholarship recipients are asked to deliver their bank information for the scholarship payment after the scholarships have been awarded. The scholarship will be paid preferably to a Finnish bank account as paying the scholarship to a bank account abroad may include a delay in the bank transfer as well as bank charges that will be deducted from the scholarship. 

If you have questions on the scholarship, please contact the the Tampere University Student Affairs Office at studentservices.tau [at] tuni.fi (studentservices[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi). Please note that scholarship guidelines are still being prepared and more specific details will be available in September at the latest.