American-Scandinavian Foundation fellowships for Norway

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) runs a fellowship programme for Americans who want to spend time in the Nordic countries. Norway is one of the eligible destinations, along with Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Sápmi and Sweden. The money comes from ASF, a nonprofit that promotes exchange between the U.S. and the Nordic countries.

There are two kinds of award. Year-long fellowships go up to $23,000. Short-term fellowships, for one to three months, go up to $5,000. Both are for graduate students (preferably doing dissertation research) and academic professionals. Projects can be research or creative-arts work. Awards are made in all fields.

Priority is given to candidates at the graduate level for dissertation-related research. The number of awards varies each year according to total funds available. The foundation does not ordinarily support art residency programmes, but you can apply if you explain why the residency is crucial to your work.

ASF expects you to arrange your own affiliations or placements in Norway. It cannot help you make contacts. If your project involves interviews or other work in a Nordic language, you need the necessary proficiency, and one of your letters of recommendation must address it.

• Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents.
• Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education by the start of their project in the Nordic region.
• Team projects are eligible, but each member must apply as an individual, submitting a separate, fully-documented application.
• First priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received an ASF award. Applicants are eligible to receive only two awards within a ten year period. Only in exceptional cases will a third award be considered.
• ASF considers it desirable that all candidates have at least some ability in the language of the host country, unless your project does not require the use of a Nordic language. For projects that require a command of one or more Nordic (or other) languages, candidates should defer application until they have the necessary proficiency.
• If interviews are part of the project, the applicant is expected to be able to conduct the interviews in the appropriate local language/s. If language proficiency is required for your project then one of your three letters of recommendation must address the level of Nordic language proficiency, as necessary for the project, and must be written by a qualified instructor or professional in that Nordic language.

• Year-long fellowships of up to $23,000.
• Short-term fellowships (1-3 months) of up to $5,000.
• The awards support project-related costs, including roundtrip airfare, room and board in the Nordic region, in-country travel, tuition and fees (where applicable), and materials (e.g., books, photocopying, art supplies).

Follow these steps, based on the ASF guidelines:

1. Complete the ASF application form. Include a well-defined project description and project statement that outlines your research, study, or creative arts project and describes why a stay in the Nordic region is essential. All applications are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel and thus should be accessible to non-experts.
2. Justify the length of time needed to complete your project. Applicants are expected to devote full time to their proposed study or research.
3. If your research involves human beings, provide evidence that you comply with research ethics and seek informed consent (e.g., an IRB approval letter from your institution; a professional code of ethics and related sample release forms).
4. Arrange your academic or professional affiliations as far in advance as possible. You must secure these placements or affiliations on your own; ASF cannot assist in establishing contacts. ASF requires confirmation of invitation or affiliation from the institution or individuals detailed in the proposal.
5. Submit three letters of recommendation. If you are an MA or doctoral candidate, one letter should be by the supervisory chair of your MA or PhD committee. If language proficiency is required for your project, one letter must address the level of Nordic language proficiency and must be written by a qualified instructor or professional in that Nordic language.
6. Note that incomplete applications cannot be processed. Unsuccessful applications will be discarded.

Confirm every detail on the official ASF page before you apply.