SI Pioneering Women in STEM

Overview

The Swedish Institute (SI) Pioneering Women in STEM Scholarship is a fully funded academic award supporting ambitious women from Africa and Asia who aspire to pursue graduate studies in Sweden.

Through this scholarship, the Swedish Institute aims to create a more diverse and equal STEM field, as well as develop a network of future global leaders who will contribute to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and drive the development of their home countries forward.

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). Sweden’s world-class universities, culture of innovation, and commitment to sustainability make this an exceptional opportunity for women looking to lead change in their fields and communities.

What’s Included?

The SI Pioneering Women in STEM is a competitive fully-funded scholarship that includes the following:

• Full tuition fee coverage — the fee is paid directly by SI to your Swedish university at the beginning of each semester.
• A monthly stipend of SEK 12,000 to cover living expenses throughout the study period.
• A travel grant of SEK 15,000 — this is a one-time payment and does not apply to students already living in Sweden.
• Membership in the SI Network for Future Global Professionals (NFGP) — a platform to help you grow professionally and build a network while in Sweden.
• SI Alumni Network membership — upon completing your scholarship period, you become a member of the SI Alumni Network, giving you continued access to networking and professional development opportunities.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

Nationality: Female citizens of the following countries are eligible to apply: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. You must be a citizen of one of the eligible countries; however, you do not need to reside in the country at the time of the application.

University Admissions: You must follow the steps of University Admissions and be admitted to one of the eligible master’s programmes on the day of admissions announcements.

Applicants listed as reserves, or admitted via late admissions, are not eligible for consideration.

Work & Leadership Experience :You must have demonstrated work experience. In addition, you must have demonstrated leadership experience from your current or previous employer, or from civil society engagement.

Tuition Fee Liability You must be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities, and must have paid the application fee for master’s programmes on time through University Admissions.

Residence Applicants must not have resided in Sweden for more than two years before the scholarship application.

You are NOT eligible if you: Have Swedish or EU/EEA citizenship, a Swedish permanent residence permit, or a temporary work and residence permit based on work or family ties with a citizen of Sweden/EU/EEA. You are also ineligible if you have dual citizenship in countries not listed on the DAC list of ODA recipients 2025–2026.

If you have already been awarded an SI Scholarship or a university degree in Sweden, you are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Dual Citizenship If you have dual citizenship and both are eligible for the SI scholarship, you should choose only one citizenship when applying. Applicants who use their dual citizenship to submit more than one application will have all applications disqualified.

Key Dates

The following are the key dates for the 2026/2027 academic year cycle:

• 15 October 2025 – 15 January 2026: Application round to Swedish master’s programmes through University Admissions opens.
• Mid-November 2025: Pioneering Women in STEM application documents and the list of eligible master’s programmes are published on the official SI page.

The University Admissions announcement day (when admitted students are confirmed) typically falls in late March, following the January application deadline. Scholarship offers are generally communicated to successful candidates in late April.

How to Apply

The application process consists of two key stages:

Step 1 — Apply to a Swedish Master’s Programme

Admissions to Swedish universities and colleges are managed by the Swedish Council for Higher Education through their portal, University Admissions. Go to UniversityAdmissions.se and apply for your master’s programme(s) by 15 January 2026. You may apply for up to 4 master’s programmes on the portal.

🔗 Apply via University Admissions: www.universityadmissions.se

Step 2 — Apply for the SI Scholarship

When you have applied for one or more of the designated master’s programmes through University Admissions and fulfil all criteria, you are automatically considered for the scholarship.

SI only accepts digital applications submitted via its online application portal. You can find the link to the online application portal on the SI official page during the application period only.

Contact Information

🔗 Official Scholarship Page: https://si.se/en/apply/scholarships/pioneeringwomeninstem/