Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Teach and/or conduct research in the proposed area(s) of interest. The ratio of teaching vs. research and the number of courses to be taught (when applicable) is to be arranged between the scholar and the host institution and stated in the letter of invitation.
Affiliation with most institutions of higher education or research, museums, or cultural institutions in Sweden is acceptable. Applicants are responsible for arranging their affiliation by the time of application. Applicants are free to contact the Commission with any questions regarding acceptable hosts, and guidelines are available on the Commission homepage. Assistance for making housing arrangements is often available through the host institution. No additional allowances for housing or dependents is provided outside the award amount. Scholars should contact their potential host In Sweden with questions regarding the local community (daycare, preschools, schools, etc.) for accompanying dependents.
This grant is awarded for one or two academic semesters, with a required minimum of three and a maximum of nine months. Grantees will need to provide a letter of invitation with the dates of their teaching and/or research specified at the time of application. Guidelines for potential hosts are found on the Commission homepage.
Applications are welcome in all fields, including the arts.
All U.S. awardees to Sweden have several opportunities to gather together as a group during the academic year. The first is a Welcome Orientation held in Stockholm mid-September. Domestic travel and lodging expenses (where applicable) for these gatherings are covered by the Fulbright Commission. A calendar of these events will be provided following selection.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
All teaching and research activities can be conducted in English. However, knowledge of Swedish can be advantageous. Applicants requiring translation services or research assistance must arrange for this at their own cost.
Please note that candidates currently residing in Sweden or who have already begun a program in Sweden are not eligible for the Fulbright program in Sweden. Early career applicants who are working on a Ph.D. at the time of application will need to submit a copy of their doctorate degree prior to arrival in Sweden.
You may be asked to participate in an interview as part of the in-country selection process.
The grant period may range between three and nine months. Grants will be paid in Swedish crowns (SEK) at the current exchange rate. A fixed living allowance of SEK 30,000 (approx. $3,000 and untaxed) per month is provided. Under this grant, a separate allowance for housing or dependents is not provided. Grantees are responsible for arranging their own housing.
A one-time relocation allowance of 15,000 SEK (approx $1,500) is provided.
Housing costs can vary considerably depending on the type of place scholars rent, including whether or not they have access to research housing at the host university. Information on general living costs is available on individual host university webpages.
Public schools are usually free of charge from the primary through the upper-secondary level and many public and private schools offer English instruction at these levels. Personal funds are usually necessary for accompanying dependents to complement grant benefits, including the additional cost of daycare and international schools. Please note that children may be eligible to receive subsidized daycare and free schooling as long as the other parent is working or studying. However, it is the responsibility of the grantee to contact any schools and daycare centers directly to negotiate the terms of stay and applicable costs.
Scholars are encouraged to apply to the Fulbright Intercountry Lecture Program through participating European Fulbright commissions or posts for additional funding to travel within Europe for activities related to their academic project. Please see the Commission website for information.
Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State and the Fulbright Commission in the host country reserve the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
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 American 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 making a preliminary reservation at the university housing office of the host institution as soon as possible. If additional help is needed, they should ask their Swedish academic hosts for assistance in placing them in the university's housing queue. 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.
The Fulbright Commission Sweden is proud to have welcomed scholars in a variety of disciplines from the creative and performing arts to education, mathematics and the natural sciences. Applicants interested in contacting previous Fulbright alumni in a certain field/area of research or geographical location may contact the Commission. Please visit the Commission's social media channels for spotlights and testimonials from a number of previous Fulbright grantees to Sweden, as well as updates about ongoing grantee activities. Find Fulbright Sweden on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Applicants should clearly explain their reason for choosing to submit an application to Sweden (i.e. specific institutions, contacts, resources, areas of research, or other specific factors that make Sweden a particularly attractive destination). The number of months and specific dates for which the scholar plans to stay in Sweden must be included in the application AND in the letter of invitation. The period of the grant should be carried out during the academic year (August-May), unless otherwise justified.
Scholars may be asked to participate in an interview as part of the in-country selection process.
General information on host institutions and academic life in Sweden is available here.