Slovak Republic Governmental International Scholarships 2017

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for a scholarship in the framework of the NSP:

A) students who:

• are university students at universities outside Slovakia;
• are students of the second level of higher education (master's students), or are students who at the time of application deadline have already completed at least 2.5 years of their university studies in the same study programme;
• will be on a study stay in Slovakia during their higher education outside Slovakia and who will be accepted by a public, private or state university in Slovakia for an academic mobility to study in Slovakia.

All 3 conditions must be met. This category does not apply to doctoral (PhD) studies (or their equivalent).

• Duration of a scholarship stay (students): 1 – 2 semesters (i.e. 4 – 5 or 9 – 10 months) or 1 – 3 trimesters, in case the academic year is divided into trimesters (i.e. 3 – 4 or 6 – 7 or 9 – 10 months). 

B) PhD students whose higher education or scientific training takes place outside Slovakia and who are accepted by a public, private or state university or a research institution in Slovakia eligible to carry out a doctoral study programme (e.g. the Slovak Academy of Sciences) for an academic mobility¹ to study/conduct research in Slovakia.

• Duration of a scholarship stay (PhD students): 1 – 10 months. 

C) international university teachers, researchers and artists who are invited to a teaching/research/artistic stay in Slovakia by an institution with a valid certificate of eligibility to carry out research and development, which is not a business company and it has its headquarters in Slovakia.

• Duration of a scholarship stay (university teachers, researchers or artists): 1 – 10 months.

SCHOLARSHIP STAY AND USE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship is intended to cover international scholarship holders’ living costs, i.e. the costs related to staying in Slovakia (food, accommodation, etc.), during their study, research/artistic or teaching stay at universities and in research organisations in Slovakia. The scholarship holder can ask for assistance concerning accommodation and formalities related to entering and staying in the territory of the Slovak Republic either his/her host institution, or he/she can handle all the necessities him-/herself.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

• 30 April till16:00 CET – scholarship stays during the next academic year
• 31 October till16:00 CET – scholarship stays during the summer semester of the current academic year

 Note: International applicants who need visa in order to enter the territory of the Slovak Republic are recommended to take into consideration time necessary for visa application procedure when determining the date of the beginning of their potential scholarship stay (up-to-date information about visa application procedure is provided by the Embassies of the Slovak Republic abroad).

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

 Online application system is opened at least 6 weeks prior to the application deadline. Applications can be filled in only in case that the online application system has already been opened.

Note: Applicants are recommended not to submit their applications at the last moment. Number of operations executed within the last minutes prior to the application deadline may have an influence on the reaction time of the application system. Please, keep that in mind, in order not to miss the application deadline.

Applicants must fill in their online applications and upload all the required attachments in required format to their online application.

Students (eligible applicants under the category A) are allowed to submit (fill in) applications and the required attachments in Slovak or English language only (documents written in other languages must be officially translated into Slovak or English language – translation can be certified by the same institution that issued the respective document).

Other applicants (eligible applicants under the categories B) and C) are allowed to submit (fill in) applications in the following languages:

• Slovak language – in this case, all attached documents must be in Slovak or English language only;
• English language – in this case, all attached documents must be in Slovak or English language only;
• Russian language – in this case, all attached documents must be in Slovak, English or Russian language only.

If the documents are issued in other than aforementioned languages, these documents must be officially translated into one of the aforementioned languages (translation can be certified by the same institution that issued the respective document).

Once the application is filled in and all the required documents are attached to the application, the applicant must submit the application by clicking the "SEND" button. It is also necessary to deliver original of the admission/invitation letter to SAIA, n. o., in Bratislava (SAIA, n. o., Sasinkova 10, 812 20 Bratislava 1). This document must be delivered⁵ at latest on the 3^rd working day after the application deadline until 12 p.m. (when determining the working days, legal status in Slovakia is taken into consideration).

Note: Applicant must receive at least a scan or a copy of his/her admission/invitation letter issued by his/her host institution in Slovakia, since he/she must attach it to his/her online application. Without attached scan to the online application, the applicant cannot submit his/her online application, i.e. his/her application will not be further reviewed.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Selection of scholarship holders is carried out by the Selection Committee appointed by the Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. The Selection Committee award the scholarships based upon the documents attached to applicants’ online applications. The Committee focuses mostly on:

• reasons, why the applicant has decided to study, teach, conduct research or artistic activities in the respective host institution;
• programme of applicant’s study, research/artistic or teaching stay and how the applicant will use the results of his/her scholarship stay for further studies or teaching/research/artistic activities;
• applicant’s professional and personal qualities;
• study or research achievements;
• attitude of applicant’s host institution toward the applicant in the admission/invitation letter;
• overall quality of submitted application. 

Scholarships and/or travel allowances are not legally enforceable; to be or not to be awarded a scholarship is influenced by meeting all the formal requirements of the programme according to the respective call for applications, applicant’s quality, content of applicant’s proposed stay and its necessity, and budget possibilities of the NSP according to the respective call for applications.

SAIA, n. o., will inform every applicant about being/not being awarded the scholarship within 8 weeks from the application deadline.

SAIA, n. o., will issue a Letter of Award (official confirmation on being awarded a scholarship in the framework of the NSP) for every scholarship holder. This document will be sent to every scholarship holder together with other information and requirements for the scholarship payment. Eligible applicants under the category A) and B) (students and PhD students) are obliged, in case of being awarded the scholarship, deliver original of confirmation on studies to SAIA, n. o., in Bratislava. This document will confirm that the scholarship holder is still a regular student or PhD student of the respective university/research organisation during his/her study/research stay in Slovakia (in case that the confirmation is issued in other than Slovak, English or Russian language, official translation of the document into one of aforementioned languages is required).

More information:

Lukáš MARCIN, programme administrator

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://www.scholarships.sk/en/main/programme-terms-and-conditions/foreign-applicants