HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarships
Belongs to themes:
The 2027 HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarship call is open!
NOTE: If you’re planning to apply for an internship abroad, you should start looking for a research group now. You’ll need an invitation letter from the PI for your application.
***
Do you dream of working one day as a scientist? Wait no longer!
HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarships provide exciting opportunities to follow your scientific curiosity. The scholarships are granted once per year, allowing you to complete hands-on research training on a topic that sparks your interest, locally in Helsinki or in another inspiring location.
Why should you consider applying for the grant?
Practical research training during undergraduate BSc, MSc, and Lic (Med, Vet Med, Dentistry) studies can be an empowering experience. HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarships offer an opportunity to conduct a research training period at a life science research group as a part of your studies (particularly BSc/MSc/Lic thesis). The selected research group can be either at the University of Helsinki or abroad.
The HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarships will provide financial support for a three-month training period (€1 600 / full working month) for a maximum of 20 students.
Read more about the experiences of other trainees in the HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarships blog.
Who is eligible to apply?
This programme is open to all BSc/MSc/Lic students studying life sciences at the University of Helsinki. Although students enrolled in life science faculties will have priority, students from other UH faculties can also apply, provided they have a project related to life science research.
Life Science faculties at the University of Helsinki are:
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The scholarship is intended for students who are starting a new internship and who will use the scholarship-funded training period as part of their studies, for example, to complete their MSc thesis. Moreover, the scholarship cannot be used to carry out research after you have completed your MSc/Lic degree, nor can it be a reason to delay the completion of your degree.
If you intend to apply for a position abroad, you should agree on the host research group already at the application stage. Please ensure you attach an invitation letter from the PI to your application. You can share our “Info Letter for Hosting Research Groups” & “Research Trainee Scholarships Introduction Letter” with the PI, so that both parties are aware of the roles and requirements for the three-month internship period.
Also, if selected for a position abroad, you will have to obtain a co-supervisor from UH and purchase Health Insurance for the duration of your internship. Please also note that Switzerland is not among the countries eligible for this type of internship, due to administrative challenges.
Selection criteria:
- CV (max. 1 page)
- Motivation letter (max. 1 page) where you are expected to describe your motivation to do research and how the internship would benefit your future career. Also, tell us about the research topic that particularly interests you and define an outstanding question in that field. Finally, elaborate on your previous research experience (if any) and practical skills acquired
- Progress of your studies (priority will be given to students who are on track in completing their degree within the expected time frame, i.e. 3 years for BSc, 2 years for MSc, and 5 years for Lic. Med./Vet. Med./Dentistry)
- Video interview for shortlisted candidates (invitations will be sent after the first-round evaluations).
The selection committee is composed of HiLIFE researchers from different life science fields and career levels.
How to apply?
Applications are to be sent by filling out this form: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/141108/lomake.html where you will be able to attach the above-mentioned two attachments (CV and motivation letter). All material included in the application should be in English and in PDF format. The application period is between September 11 – October 23, 2026. Applications close at 23.59 EET, and late applications will not be considered.
Timeline:
- Application period September 11 – October 23, 2026
- Video interviews for the shortlisted candidates during November
- Selected trainees announced during December
- The internship must be conducted between mid-January 2027 and December 2027
Selected trainees will commit to:
- Handling the internship communications with the selected research group independently (HiLIFE EDU can offer advice, but the aim here is to give the Trainees the experience of how it is to “seal the deal” for the position)
- Working full time on the research project during their internship
- Participating in three science communication workshops organized jointly with The Science Basement in early 2027. The specific dates will be announced within a few weeks’ time.
- Creative science writing
- How to prepare for a (podcast) interview
- Communicating science through social media
- Publishing a self-introduction post in HiLIFE Trainee Instagram and writing one blog post for the HiLIFE Trainee blog
Please note that all the Trainee Scholarship-related events and communication will be in English, as it is the official working language of HiLIFE.
Frequently asked questions (updated 11.9.2026):
What is HiLIFE?
HiLIFE is a new life science institute at the University of Helsinki established in 2017 supporting high quality research across campuses and life science faculties. HiLIFE builds on existing strengths and new recruits and partnerships to create an attractive international environment for solving grand challenges in health, food and the environment. HiLIFE operates across faculties that conduct research and education in life sciences. https://www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-institute-of-life-science/about
Who can participate, and how is life science defined?
The program is intended for students interested in life science research that are enrolled in BSc, MSc, or Lic (Med, Vet Med, Dentistry) Degree Programs at the University of Helsinki. Students from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine will have priority in the call, however students from other UH faculties can also apply provided they have a project related to life science research. Exchange students are excluded from this call.
Note for Lic students – the scholarships are aimed at those who have not yet registered for doctoral studies.
What are the criteria to apply for an internship abroad?
If selected for a position abroad, you will have to have an invitation from the host group already at the application stage. You will also need to obtain a co-supervisor from UH and purchase Health Insurance for the duration of your internship.
Please also note that Switzerland is not among the countries eligible for this type of scholarship, due to administrative challenges. Also, some internships in Singapore and the United States have proven to be challenging to organize due to governmental and institution-specific regulations, however, we have not ruled these destinations out of the scope.
The 2027 HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarship offer does not include travel support to/from the internship destination, so the students heading elsewhere need to have their own means to cover these costs.
Can I apply again, if I have already received the HiLIFE Research Trainee Scholarship?
We have limited number of scholarships available each year, thus, we would prefer to offer the opportunity to those applicants who have not already received the scholarship. You are welcome to apply, but please acknowledge that it is likely for us to prioritize the applicants who have not received the support before.
Can I apply for this scholarship if I want to extend my stay at a UH research group?
The scholarship is mainly intended for students who are starting a new internship and not extending an existing one. You can still submit your application, but priority will be given to students starting a new research project.
Do I have to conduct the internship within one time period?
Yes, the 3 months internship cannot be split into multiple instances with breaks in between. If you are under extraordinary conditions restricting you from having the internship in one go in full time, we can consider exchanging part of the internship to part-time work. This has to be approved by the selected research group. If any special request, make sure to indicate these in your application. Full-time and -length internships are preferred.
I want to try out different types of research. Can I split the internship for conducting research on two groups instead of one?
We highly recommend selecting just one group for the 3 months internship period, as it will give you a more in-depth view of the research topic. Also, this is often preferred by the research groups. However, if the types of research you wish to conduct are offered within the same research group/lab, and both PIs are agreeing on the arrangement, this option can be considered. Please state in your application how you would make such an arrangement work.
Can this scholarship be used for conducting internships at a start-up or other industry-based organization?
Although we would like to see the scholarship opportunities expanding to life science start-ups in the future, at the moment the scholarship is only offered to be used within academia. If a research group is involved in company collaboration, this can be incorporated into the internship, however, the contracting and other official arrangements have to be made through the research group.
Can I apply to this scholarship if I have already completed (or I am in the process of completing) my MSc/Lic thesis?
No, the scholarship cannot be used to carry out research after you have completed your MSc/Lic thesis. Also note that the scholarship should not delay the completion of your degree.
Can I get credits for this training period?
It is strongly encouraged that you try to implement the HiLIFE traineeship as a part of your degree, either as practical training or as part of your thesis. However, policies differ between different study programmes. Therefore, you should consult the guidelines of your study programme to find out how to credit this period as a part of your degree.
What if I have 1-2 courses overlapping my internship period? Am I unable to apply for the scholarship?
Often minimal overlaps of a few hours here and there can be agreed with the research group. More important is to think about the quality of delivered research work, your trainee experience and study performance, if you have multiple commitments at the same time.
Why should I consider applying?
This is an opportunity to work as a part of a research group on a topic that you find fascinating. You are expected to learn new things and improve your analytical, communication, teamwork and technical skills. You will build new personal and professional connections and experience what it is like to be a member of the academic research group. If you are selected, you will be offered a monthly salary/grant (depending on location) covering the living costs.
Where can I start looking for research groups?
The webpages of University of Helsinki Life Science departments and research institutions are a good way to source what type of research is conducted.
Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
HiLIFE Tenure Track Professors research groups
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
A good way to find a suitable research group abroad is to check the corresponding authors of publications you find interesting. If you are planning to do the internship abroad, check out the HiLIFE Trainees Blog for inspiration.
How are the applications evaluated?
In the first round, the applications will be scored independently by a selection committee consisting of HiLIFE researchers. They will look for curious, ambitious, independent, and self-reliant students. The evaluation focuses on your previous success in studies and, especially, on your motivation letter. The best ranked applicants will proceed to the second round, where the selection committee will utilize video interviews in making the final decisions.
Who will be in the HiLIFE selection committee?
The committee includes researchers from different HiLIFE units, representing different disciplines of life sciences as well as career levels. Please pay attention to this while writing your motivation letter and aim to convey the key points of your research in a clear and concise manner to the evaluators.
Do you provide support for work continuation at the research group after the internship has ended?
We cannot guarantee that the research group would provide employment opportunities afterwards, nor do we have a grant for that purpose. However, performing well in the research and actively networking with the research group has provided further opportunities for some of our scholarship recipients. Our tips are to complete your research tasks well, be active and demonstrate that you would be interested in continuing the research.
What will I learn during the science communication workshops?
The three workshops organized jointly with The Science Basement will teach you how to communicate complex scientific information and ideas in a creative and engaging way, and how to utilize different media channels. During the first workshop, you will learn the key elements of a blog post, how to use storytelling in science, as well as a few good practices for peer-review. The second workshop will delve deeper into preparing for an (podcast) interview - an important situation for every scientist to handle. The third (and final workshop) focuses on how to communicate science on social media, especially X and Instagram.