Scholarships for international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved the establishment of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for the support of mobility of students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists in 2005. The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP) is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.
The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic supports mobility of international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists for scholarship stays at higher education institutions and research organisations in Slovakia.
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).
5. Application procedure
Scholarship applications are submitted online at www.scholarships.sk. 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 3rd 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.
Required documents that must be attached to online application for a study stay in case of international students(eligible applicants under the category A):
- curriculum vitae;
- motivation letter;
- detailed study programme (it is necessary to state the date of the beginning of the stay, duration of the stay, list of subjects that the applicant would like to study during his/her stay and number of credits that the applicant will gain for the respective subjects);
- two recommendation letters issued by applicant’s university teachers (the document must be issued on headed paper of the respective university, it must be signed by the person who issued the document, and it must contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document); recommendation letters cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;
- confirmation issued by the applicant’s home university confirming that the applicant is a regular student of the respective university – the confirmation must contain information on the expected date of the completion of applicant’s studies; confirmation cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;
- scan of applicant’s bachelor’s diploma, diploma supplement and state examination certificate (if applicable);
- admission letter issued by applicant’s host university in Slovakia. In this document, the university commits itself to accept the scholarship holder for a study stay (exact period of stay must be stated in the document). Admission letter must be issued on headed paper of the respective university, it must be signed by the person who issued the document, and it must contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document. Admission letter must be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline.
Required documents that must be attached to online application for a study and/or research/artistic stay in case of international PhD students (eligible applicants under the category B):
- curriculum vitae;
- motivation letter;
- detailed study and/or research/artistic programme (it is necessary to state the date of the beginning of the stay, duration of the stay and a detailed time plan of the stay);
- recommendation letter issued by applicant’s dissertation supervisor (the document must be issued on headed paper of the respective university/research organisation, it must be signed by the person who issued the document, and it must contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document); recommendation letter cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;
- confirmation issued by the applicant’s home university/research organisation confirming that the applicant is a regular PhD student of the respective university/research organisation – the confirmation must contain information on the expected date of the completion of applicant’s PhD studies; confirmation cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;
- scan of applicant’s master’s diploma, diploma supplement and state examination certificate (if applicable);
- list of publications/artistic activities in required form (otherwise, the application will not meet the programme formal requirements);
- admission/invitation letter issued by applicant’s host university/research organisation in Slovakia. In this document, the university/research organisation commits itself to accept the scholarship holder for a study and/or research/artistic stay (exact period of stay must be stated in the document). Admission/invitation letter must be issued on headed paper of the respective university/research organisation, it must be signed by the person who issued the document, and it must contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document. In case of PhD students, the admission/invitation letter should not be just a formal admission for a scholarship stay, but it should reflect a certain level of host institution’s interest in applicant’s study and/or research/artistic stay in the framework of the NSP. Admission/invitation letter must be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline.
Required documents that must be attached to online application for a teaching and/or research/artistic stay in case of international university teachers/researchers/artists (eligible applicants under the category C):
- curriculum vitae;
- detailed teaching and/or research/artistic programme (it is necessary to state the date of the beginning of the stay, duration of the stay and a detailed time plan of the stay);
- scan of applicant’s diploma of the highest academic degree achieved;
- list of publications/artistic activities in required form (otherwise, the application will not meet the programme formal requirements);
- invitation letter issued by applicant’s host university/research organisation3 in Slovakia. In this document, the university/research organisation commits itself to accept the scholarship holder for a teaching and/or research/artistic stay (exact period of stay must be stated in the document). Invitation letter must be issued on headed paper of the respective university/research organisation, it must be signed by the person who issued the document, and it must contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document. In case of university teachers/researchers/artists, the invitation letter should not be just a formal admission for a scholarship stay, but it should reflect a certain level of host institution’s interest in applicant’s teaching and/or research/artistic stay in the framework of the NSP. Invitation letter must be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline.
6. 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
e-mail: nsp-foreign@saia.sk
tel: +421-2-5930-4733 (direct line)
SAIA, n. o.
Sasinkova 10
812 20 Bratislava 1
Slovak Republic
tel: +421-2-5930-4700, +421-2-5930-4711
fax: +421-2-5930-4701
www.scholarships.sk, www.saia.sk