Full-time PhD Study

Scholarships of the Government of the Slovak Republic for doctoral degree programmes

• to students from countries eligible for the Official Development Assistance (ODA) - Kosovo (in accordance with the Resolution of UNSC No. 1244/99), Sudan. The list of eligible countries may vary every year.
• for persons with Slovak Living Abroad status - Croatia, France, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine.

Studies can be carried out only at public universities in Slovakia and are held in the Slovak language. The Scholarships of the Government of the Slovak Republic include a scholarship for a 10-month language preparation course in the case that the applicant has not completed his/her previous education in the Slovak Republic.

Applications are submitted online.
Deadline: 30 May.
Scholarships are awarded by the Assessment Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.

PhD Study Stay (short-term mobility)

Find a grant offer according to your home country:

National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP)

supports research mobility of international PhD students, at higher education institutions (public, state and private) and in research organisations in Slovakia. The Programme supports only short- or medium-term mobility (1 – 10 months) not full degree studies at Slovak universities.

Citizens of any country in the world (except the citizens of Slovakia) can apply for a scholarship in Slovakia in the framework of the NSP.

Scholarships cover scholarship holders’ living costs (i.e. food, accommodation, etc.) during their research stay in Slovakia.

The amount of the scholarship for PhD students is €734 / month 

PhD students can apply also for a travel allowance. The amount of the travel allowance depends on the (linear) distance between the applicant’s place of residence and the place of his/her stay in Slovakia:

• up to 350 km –  €0,
• from 351 km to 2,000 km – €250,
• from 2,001 km to 7,000 km –  €500,
• more than 7,000 km – €1,000 .

Applications must be submitted online together with the required documents. The online application system is opened at least 6 weeks before the application deadline. The submission of applications is exclusively online.

Application deadlines:
• 30 April by 16:00 CEST – scholarship stays during the following academic year,
• 31 October by 16:00 CET – scholarship stays during the summer semester of the current academic year.

More information about the Programme terms and conditions 

Bilateral Intergovernmental Agreements on Educational, Research and Cultural Cooperation

The Government of the Slovak Republic has concluded bilateral agreements on educational, research and cultural cooperation with several countries in order to support exchange programmes providing scholarships for students and researchers coming to Slovakia to study or conduct research at Slovak universities and in research institutes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Scholarships are awarded for study and/or research stays, as well as language courses. There is no general limitation regarding the field of study. Applicants must be nominated by their respective counterpart institutions. Applicants who would like to study or conduct research in Slovakia should arrange in advance contact with their Slovak host institution.

Citizens of the following countries are eligible to apply: *Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and *USA.

*with Austria and the USA special programmes have been created – see below “Action Austria – Slovakia” and “Fulbright Program”.

• Scholarship (if not specified otherwise in the bilateral agreement):
  students (bachelor/master level) –  €280/month,
• PhD students – €330 /month,
• university teachers/researchers –  €550/month.

For further information (specific instructions, exact application deadlines, etc.) the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country should be consulted.

Action Austria – Slovakia, Cooperation in Science and Education

A bilateral programme with the objective to intensify cooperation between Austria and Slovakia in the field of education and research.

The Programme is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria on the basis of the agreement signed in 1992. The Programme is administered by SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency).

The following types of individual scholarships are offered for PhD students from Austria

• scholarships for research stays of PhD students (3 – 6 months); scholarship: 1,050  €/month; application deadline: 15 March and 15 October;
• scholarships for short visits (max. 3 days); scholarship: 90  €/day; application deadline: application possible throughout the year;
• scholarships for Summer School of Slovak Language and Culture; application deadline: 30 April.

Applications for individual scholarships are submitted online.

The following types of projects can be supported:

— Target projects – the organisation of Slovak-Austrian language summer schools, the organisation of Slovak-Austrian training, co-supervised doctoral studies; grant: max. 60 000 €/project, duration: max. 36 months; application deadline: 15 October

— Initiative projects – e.g. cooperation of young researchers, lecture series of excellent researchers; grant: max. 6 000 €/project, duration: max. 12 months; application deadline: 15 March, 15 May, 15 October

CEEPUS – Central European Exchange Program for University Studies

stimulates university cooperation within university networks in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe by supporting academic mobility, as well as by the development of joint programmes and joint diplomas, student excursions and summer schools.
The Slovak Republic is engaged in CEEPUS together with Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.

CEEPUS supports PhD students of respective countries for semester stays (3 – 10 months), short term stays (1 – 2 months, min. 21 days) for elaborating their final thesis.

All fields of study are welcome and there are no priority areas.

Application deadline:

• Applicants within the CEEPUS network
  - 15 June for the winter semester of the following academic year,
  - 31 October for the summer semester of the current academic year.
  
  
• Applicants within the category "fereemover"(Should a home university, host university or both not participate in the network, its PhD students may still apply for a scholarship under the category “freemover”).
  - 1 July to 30 November

Applications are submitted online.

The scholarships are paid out by the National CEEPUS Office in Slovakia. Travel costs can be reimbursed by the respective National CEEPUS Office of the scholarship holder’s home country.

Scholarship rates for PhD students in Slovakia: €734 /month.

More information is available at: 

National CEEPUS Office in Slovakia
SAIA, n. o.
Sasinkova 10, 812 20 Bratislava 1, Slovak Republic

International Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund is an international organisation based in Bratislava founded by the governments of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – in 2000. The mission of the Fund is to facilitate and promote the development of closer cooperation among citizens and institutions of the V4 region, as well as between the V4 region and other countries, especially the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions.

Citizens of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia (including Kosovo) and Ukraine can apply for a scholarship to study in the Visegrad countries.

Visegrad Scholarship Program

Offers to post-master scholars and researchers study stays for 1 - 2 semesters at a host institution in V4 country;
Scholarship:   €3,000/semester for the scholar and €1,500  /semester for the host institution;
Application deadline: 15 April;

The application must be submitted online via My Visegrad.

More information is available at: www.visegradfund.org

Contact:
International Visegrad Fund
Hviezdoslavovo námestie 9, 811 02 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
visegrandfund@visegradfund.org

Fulbright Program – J. W. Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange in the Slovak Republic

The J. W. Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange in the Slovak Republic is an autonomous, non-profit, non-partisan, binational organisation established by executive agreements between the United States and the Slovak Republic to promote educational, research and cultural exchanges between the United States and the Slovak Republic through the Fulbright Program. The Commission administers awards of grants, and provides information and advising on study possibilities for citizens of both countries.
General requirements for grants and awards are U.S. citizenship at the time of application and a high level of academic and professional achievements. In the Slovak Republic, the Program is administered by the J. W. Fulbright Commission in Bratislava

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program

offers PhD candidates, artists and young professionals from all over the United States the opportunity to study or conduct research in Slovakia for one academic year (9 months) in all kinds of disciplines. U.S. students are responsible for arranging their own host affiliations and should seek affiliation with Slovak institutions that specialize in their specific fields of interest. The Commission can assist with identifying suitable institutions and establishing initial communication. For independent study or research, preliminary contacts with host institutions and an affiliation letter are necessary at the time of application.

Fulbright Program Mechanisms:

Programmes administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (www.cies.org)

— Fulbright Scholar Program – U. S. scholars with considerable academic experience can propose projects in cooperation with a Slovak institution (usually a university or post/secondary university level institution, research institution or other placement, if necessary). Grantees can lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields, although preference is given to subjects related to the United States and economic and social issues important for the Slovak Republic.

— Fulbright Specialists Program – The program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions providing  short‑term opportunities of two to six weeks in length. —            Fulbright‑Terra Foundation Award in the History of American Art – two grants per year at any university in a European Union country (except France, Germany, and the UK, where the Foundation already has established teaching fellowships). The grants are for undergraduate and/or graduate teaching in history of American art prior to 1980 and for research. Scholars will be expected to aid host institutions in developing, modelling and adapting American art history curriculum. They can also give seminars, workshops, and public lecturers, as well as advise graduate students on theses. The award is for early career scholars up to the Associate Professor level for one semester.

Programmes administered by the Institute of International Education (www.iie.org)

— Fulbright U. S. Student Program – for U. S. graduate students, young professionals and artists to study or conduct research in the Slovak Republic for 1 academic year (October – June). Advanced graduate students interested in studying or independent research are preferred. For independent research or study in fields such as Slovak history, literature, anthropology and political science there is substantial knowledge of Slovak language required. Applications in all fields will be considered.

— Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship – preference is given to candidates with degrees in English, History, American Literature, TEFL/Applied Linguistics and/or experience in teaching. Grantees will be placed in secondary schools that correspond with their background; they are required to teach at least 15 hours per week.

Check application deadline and process.

For more information contact:

J.W. Fulbright Commission
Konventná 1
811 03 Bratislava
Phone: +421 2-43-191-837
e-mail: office@fulbright.sk