Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Are you ready to use your STEM expertise to drive societal change? The Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship supports women who want to lead innovation, tackle complex challenges, and contribute to more inclusive and sustainable societies. The Swedish Institute awards academic scholarships for master’s studies in Sweden to women in Africa and Asia who wants to study in the field of STEM. Read through the call for application carefully.

Sweden believes that diversity drives innovation and that complex challenges require sustainable solutions. Through this scholarship, we support women who are ready to shape the future of STEM and strengthen their communities through knowledge, leadership and action.

The scholarship supports full-time, one- or two-year master’s studies at Swedish universities across a range of English-taught programmes focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The scholarship is open for applications once every year, for master’s studies beginning in the autumn semester. To apply, you must:

• Be a female citizen of one of the 10 eligible countries in Africa and Asia (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam.).
• Apply to a STEM-related master’s programme eligible for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship.
• Be liable to pay tuition fees at University Admissions.
• Have documented work and leadership experience.
• Not have previously received an SI scholarship for studies or hold a Swedish degree.
• Read the full call for applications and prepare your documents in advance.

BENEFITS

The SI scholarship Pioneering women in STEM is a competitive fully-funded scholarship that includes:

• Full tuition fee coverage. The fee is paid directly by SI to your Swedish university each semester.
• A monthly allowance of SEK 12,000 to cover your living expenses throughout the study period.
• A travel grant of SEK 15,000. This is a one-time payment and does not apply for students already living in Sweden.
• Membership in the SI Network for Global Professionals (NFGP) – a platform to help you grow professionally and build a network while in Sweden.
• After your scholarship period has ended, you become a member of the Sweden Alumni Network. As a member, you get a unique opportunity for continued networking and professional development.

TIMELINE

• 15 October 2025 – 15 January 2026: Apply to Swedish master’s programmes through University Admissions. 
• Mid-November 2025: Pioneering Women in STEM application documents and eligible master’s programmes are published on this page.
• 9-25 February 2026: The application portal for SI Scholarships is open for two weeks.
• 26 March 2026: University admissions announcement.
• 23 April 2026: SI Scholarship announcement.

APPLICATION

The application process for Swedish universities is managed by University Admissions. It is a centralised process and, on their portal, you can apply for up to 4 master’s programmes.  

• Go to UniversityAdmissions.se and apply for your master’s programme(s) by 15 January 2026. The list of eligible programmes for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship 2026/2027 can be found here in mid-November.
• Once you have submitted your application for master’s at University Admissions, you will get a personal application number consisting of eight digits. Save the number for your application to the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship. Your application for the scholarship will be disqualified if you type in the wrong personal application number when applying for the scholarship. 

To apply for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship, you must submit the documents listed below.  Make sure to read through the instructions carefully. Failing to follow the instructions will result in disqualification. Templates for the listed documents will be published here in mid-November.

• Curriculum Vitae 

You must use SI’s provided template for CV 2026/2027. The CV should not exceed three pages. It is up to you to decide which of your previous experiences are relevant for your application. Additional pages will not be considered during the evaluation.  

• Proof of work and leadership experience  

You must use SI’s provided template for proof of work and leadership experience 2026/2027. The work and leadership form should be signed by the referee ad stamped with an official stamp of the referring organisation or a notary office. The form(s) should be typed, then printed, signed, stamped and uploaded as one single PDF-file. You can find instructions in the template form and our FAQ further down on this page.  

• Two letters of references   

You are required to submit two letters of reference from two different referees. One of the letters must be based on work experience. The second letter can be based on work experience or engagements outside of work. Note! It is a merit if the second letter is based on your involvement in networks or civil society organisations outside of work. 

You must use SI’s provided template for the letter of reference 2026/2027. All letters of reference should first be typed, then printed, and lastly signed by the referee and stamped with an official stamp of the organisation/company or notary office. Scan the letters and upload them to the application portal as one single PDF-file.  

• Photocopy of your valid passport/National ID card 

You must submit a photocopy of your valid passport or National ID card with your scholarship application. It must clearly show your personal data, including your name, citizenship, and photograph. It is your responsibility to ensure that your submitted proof of identification is valid at the time of applying. You will be asked to upload the photocopy in the online application portal.   

• Motivation

In the application portal you will be asked to write your motivation for applying for the scholarship. You might also be randomly selected to record a short video presentation.  

Note! You must complete your application in English. Your application will be disqualified should you not follow these instructions and fail to submit any of the above mentioned documents. We will not consider any other documents than the requested ones.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE