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With a total population of approximately 10.6 million, Sweden is a sparsely populated country, characterized by its long coastline, extensive forests and numerous lakes. It is one of the world’s northernmost countries. In terms of surface area, it is comparable to Spain, Thailand or the U.S. state of California. Sweden’s borders have been unchanged since 1905, and the country has not been at war since 1814. Considering its geographic location, Sweden enjoys a favorable climate. This is mainly because of the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that flows off Norway’s west coast.

Americans visiting Sweden will find that English is widely spoken. Swedish society is welcoming, and the culture is relatively easy to navigate. As a technologically advanced country, Sweden is ideal for many types of research. Scholars can generally expect reasonable access to people, institutions, and information for research purposes. Previous U.S. awardees have remarked on the “Nordic Model” as being built on mutual trust between citizens and government, where individuals generally feel like they can trust their leaders to do what’s best for them. In most aspects of society, Sweden follows “the science,” as opposed to public opinion, and generally trusts the work and research of scientists from the many top-tier universities above political and business interests.

A useful overview of Sweden is available online.

With a strong public emphasis on education, Sweden is an excellent place to teach and conduct research, and all Swedish institutions of higher education and research offer opportunities for international scholars. Candidates from the level of recent Ph.D. scholar to full professor in any discipline will therefore be considered. Preference is given to academic and professional excellence, feasibility and significance of the project, and match with host affiliation. English is sufficient, as Swedish students and scholars have excellent proficiency in English, but interest in or limited knowledge of the Swedish language is appreciated and often useful.

The academic year consists of two 20-week semesters. The fall semester runs from the middle or end of August through mid-January and the spring term from mid-January through the beginning of June. Awards are rarely made in the summer months, unless justified by the nature of the project and prearranged with the prospective host institution.

All applicants should prioritize the search for housing as soon as possible. They may ask their Swedish academic hosts for assistance in identifying housing opportunities for guest researchers that may be offered through the university or through organizations like the Wenner-Gren foundations. Applying for university accommodation may involve joining a housing queue, which should be joined as soon as possible. Fulbright Scholars in Sweden have also found sublet opportunities through websites like Qasa.com. The Commission is unable to assist with housing. As all Fulbright grants are less than one year in length, U.S. grantees will not be issued a personal ID number and will therefore not be included in the social welfare system, nor be required to pay Swedish tax. As such, school options for family members should be discussed with the host institution. 

Grantees in Sweden for less than six months will not be able to open a Swedish bank account and will receive their grant payment to their U.S. bank/financial institution. All grants will be paid in Swedish crowns (SEK) at the current exchange rate.

For more information on living and studying in Sweden, click here.

Please note that applicants currently residing in Sweden or who have already begun a program in Sweden are not eligible for the Fulbright program with Sweden.