Since 2024, the Academies of Sciences of the Baltic States and the National Commissions for UNESCO, in cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Science, award "Baltic Women in Science" fellowships. The aim of the fellowships is to enhance the visibility of female scientists, promote gender equality in the scientific world, and inspire the next generations of researchers. The contest will be held independently in each country, the laureates will be announced at a joint ceremony.
Applications in Estonia for the three fellowships of €7,000 each are invited from women scientists who are currently doctoral students at any of the Estonian universities or research institutions, or who have completed their doctoral studies no more than seven years ago and are working at an Estonian university or research institution.
The fellowship is awarded in recognition of previous work and to support the execution of a one-year research project as described in the application. The fellowship must be used for conducting scientific research in Estonia. The use of funds is not monitored; however, a brief report on the research and the results is required after one year.
FELLOWSHIPS 2025
On 2025 three fellowships of €7,000 each will be awarded in Estonia to female scientists as follows:
For 1 PhD student in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences or agriculture and veterinary sciences (areas 1–4 of classification according to Frascati Manual)
For 1 PhD in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences or agriculture and veterinary sciences (areas 1–4 of Frascati Manual). Degree obtained no more than 7 years ago. If the applicant has been on maternity leave after obtaining her doctorate the time limit shall be extended by 18 months per each maternity leave.
For 1 PhD in social sciences or and humanities and the arts (areas 5–6 of Frascati Manual). Degree obtained no more than 7 years ago. If the applicant has been on maternity leave after obtaining her doctorate the time limit shall be extended by 18 months per each maternity leave.
The fellowship is awarded in recognition of the research so far and to support the implementation of a one-year research project proposed in the application. The amount of the Fellowship must be used for the pursuit of scientific research in the relevant Baltic country. The use of fellowship is not monitored, but a brief report on the research conducted and its results must be submitted at the end of the year.
TIMELINE OF THE 2025 CALL
June 16 – deadline, proposal can be submitted at ta-konkursid.ee
Mid-September – the results will be revealed
October or November – joint Baltic Award Ceremony in Riga
INFORMATION AND MATERIALS TO BE SUBMITTED
A duly completed application form (including the applicant's contact details, information on academic and professional career, and details of the research project for which funding is being applied)
To be submitted as separate files:
Research proposal
Recommendation letter from an academic advisor or the research institution where the project will be carried out
List of publications (including DOIs or links to the publications)
CV (to be submitted if you wish to add something in addition to your CV in ETIS)
EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSALS
The evaluation will primarily focus on the previous research work and accomplishments of the applicant and the content of the planned research project: the importance of solving the raised problem in the given scientific field, the scientific level of the project, objectives, chosen methodology and content, originality of the scientific approach and clarity of the research questions and problem description, the achievability of the objectives within the given timeframe. All other submitted documents and information will also be considered.
In Estonia, candidates will be evaluated by a committee formed by the Estonian Academy of Sciences lead by Secretary General of Academy Anne Kahru. The committee is under development.
Until 2023, fellowships were awarded within the "Women in Science" initiative by L’Oréal Baltic. The program operated in Latvia from 2005 to 2023, in Estonia and Lithuania from 2017 to 2023. The program supported the professional development of female scientists in the Baltics in cooperation with the Estonian National Commission for UNESCO and the Estonian Academy of Sciences, helping them achieve new goals and benefiting both science and society at large. Science addresses societal challenges, and science needs both men and women equally.
The global "For Women in Science" initiative was established in 1998. Since then, UNESCO and L’Oréal have jointly contributed to the development of science through this program. The program recognizes young female scientists and supports them in achieving their goals and widely disseminating their scientific achievements.
„BALTIC WOMEN IN SCIENCE“ SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS IN ESTONIA
2024 7000 euros
• DrMari Tõrv, Associate Professor of Archaeology at Institute of History at University of Tartu and Research Fellow in Analytical and Physical Chemistry at Institute of Chemistry • Kadri-Ann Pankratov, Junior Research Fellow in Technology at Institute of Technology at University of Tartu • Dr Marju Himma, Associate Professor of Journalism Studies at Institute of Social Studies at University of Tartu See the news about the winners here. The awards ceremony can be viewed on-demand here. The joint awards ceremony took place in Vilnius.
WINNERS OF THE L'ORÉAL BALTIC „WOMEN IN SCIENCE“ INITIATIVE
2023 7000 euros
• Dr. Triin Laisk, Associate Professor of Reproductive Genetics and Genomics at the Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu • Kertu Liis Krigul, Junior Researcher in Microbiomics at the Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu
2022 6000 euros
• Dr. Ester Oras, Researcher at the University of Tartu • Karolina Kudelina, PhD Candidate at Tallinn University of Technology
2021 6000 euros
• Dr. Kaija Põhako-Esko, Researcher • Mari-Ann Lind, PhD Candidate at the University of Tartu
2020 6000 euros
• Prof. Maarja Grossberg, Researcher at Tallinn University of Technology • Lisandra Marina Da Rocha Meneses, Junior Researcher at the Estonian University of Life Sciences
2019 6000 euros
• Dr. Tuul Sepp, Researcher in Animal Ecology at the University of Tartu • Kaarin Parts, PhD Candidate in Botany and Ecology at the University of Tartu
2018 6000 euros
• Dr. Karin Kogermann, Associate Professor and Lead Researcher at the Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu
2017 6000 euros
• Dr. Els Heinsalu, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Chemical and Biological Physics
The Estonian Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the Slovak Academy of Sciences, announces a call for applications to support research visits within the framework of research cooperation projects in the years 2026–2027. The general aim of the call is to support cooperation between Estonian and Slovakian researchers.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 30, 2025.
Project partners In Estonia, applications are welcome from researchers of all disciplines and research fields who work in positively evaluated research institutions here and wish to continue existing or start new cooperation with cooperation partners in Slovakia. The Slovakian partner must be from institutes and research centres of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. See the list here – the Estonian researchers can select an institute/research centre from Scientific Section 1, 2 or 3.
Financial support Through this scheme academies support mutual visits of researchers. The host academy books and covers the visiting researcher's accommodation expenses during the visit and pays the per diem according to the host academy's tariffs. NB! Within this scheme, the visa and international travel costs of Estonian researchers are not covered, nor are the costs of conducting research. Conditions may be different in Slovakia, it depends on the organization.
Submission of applications In Estonia, the application must be submitted together with the mandatory annexes (including a project description and a declaration signed by both partners) in the e-application portal of the Estonian Academy of Sciences at ta-konkursid.ee. NB! An application with the identical content must be submitted by the Slovakian partner to the Slovak Academy of Sciences based to their conditions. The deadline for applications in Slovakia is also June 30, 2024. More information in Slovakia: Dr. František Fundárek, e-mail frantisek.fundarek@urad.sav.sk, phone +421 2 5751 0138
Schedule of the Call
before submitting the application – contact with the institution (researchers) with whom you wish to cooperate and together prepare the content of the project;
June 30, 2025 – deadline for submission of applications in both Estonia and Slovakia
September–November – Evaluation of the proposals in Estonia and Slovakia
December – the Council of the Foreign Exchange Foundation of Estonia Academy of Sciences and the Slovakian Academy of Sciences together make the final decision on the funded of applications. Hopefully the results will be known before Christmas and will be communicated to applicants as soon as possible.
Additional information and contact: Terje Tuisk, terje.tuisk@akadeemia.ee
The Estonian Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, announces a call for applications to support research visits within the framework of research cooperation projects in the years 2026–2027. The general aim of the call is to support cooperation between Estonian and Bulgarian researchers.
The deadline for submitting applications is September 30, 2025.
Project partners In Estonia, applications are welcome from researchers of all disciplines and research fields who work in positively evaluated research institutions here and wish to continue existing or start new cooperation with cooperation partners in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian partner must be from the institutes affiliated with Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Financial support Through this scheme academies support mutual visits of researchers. The host academy books and covers the visiting researcher's accommodation expenses during the visit and pays the per diem according to the host academy's tariffs. NB! Within this scheme, the visa and international travel costs of Estonian researchers are not covered, nor are the costs of conducting research. Conditions may be different in Bulgaria, it depends on the organization.
Submission of applications In Estonia, the application must be submitted together with the mandatory annexes (including a project description and a declaration signed by both partners) in the e-application portal of the Estonian Academy of Sciences at ta-konkursid.ee. NB! An identical application must be submitted by the Bulgarian partner to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences based to their conditions. The deadline for applications in Bulgaria is also September 30, 2025. More information in Bulgaria: Alexandra Dimitrova, e-mail a.dimitrova@cu.bas.bg, phone +359 2 979 52 36
Schedule of the Call
before submitting the application – contact with the institution (researchers) with whom you wish to cooperate and together prepare the content of the project;
September 30, 2025 – deadline for submission of applications in both Estonia and Bulgaria
October–November – Evaluation of the proposals in Estonia and Bulgaria
December – the Council of the Foreign Exchange Foundation of Estonia Academy of Sciences and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences together make the final decision on the approval of applications. Hopefully the results will be known before Christmas and will be communicated to applicants as soon as possible.