Applying for funding

A PhD is not just about doing you're own research, especially in the beginning. These past weeks I've been writing funding applications, drawing up a study plan and attending a multitude of introductory lectures.

Finding a source of funding for your research is essential. For those of you who are not familiar with the Finnish system, here in Finland you first apply to a PhD program at a certain university. The PhD program doesn't usually offer any funding which is sought separately. Many PhD students start their research without funding and do research on the side while working full- or part-time. 

Most universities offer salaried positions but there are not enough of them for all PhD candidates. Some of the biggest external funders are foundations such as Kone Foundation and The Finnish Cultural Foundation which offer millions of euros annually in the form of grants and fellowships. The problem is that there are so many applicants that most are left without funding. I've applied to several foundations which has so far resulted in one rejection and one 5000 euro grant. I'm still waiting to hear from a couple applications. This one grant will help me get started with my research.

These past few weeks I've been writing applications to Kone Foundation and for a salaried position at my university. The salaried position would mean that I would be employed by the university and get to do research on a monthly salary. The application I'm writing to Kone Foundation is for the whole four years of my PhD research which adds up a whopping 120 000 euros. That's the kind of figures you talk about in a fully funded full-time research. And it doesn't even include other costs such as equipment and facilities that some research requires. That is only for basic living expenses.

Getting any one of these fundings would be equal to winning at a lottery and would allow me to do my research full-time until I obtain my doctorate. I can expect to hear back from these in November or December. While I wait I will continue to write more applications – to The Finnish Cultural Foundation in October for instance – and start my own research. Reading some poems of Martial is a nice way to get my mind off these applications.