Journalist Fellowships

Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Journalist Fellowships

Offers mid-career Finnish journalists study fellowships at international universities through the Sanoma Foundation.

Helsingin Sanomain Säätiö (the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation) has supported Finnish mid-career journalists with fellowships to study at leading universities abroad since its establishment in 2005. As of its most recent published figures, the foundation has provided 187 journalist fellowships alongside its research grant programme. The fellowship programme operates on the same twice-yearly decision cycle as the foundation's research grants, with applications accepted year-round through the portal at apurahat.net/hssaatio. Fellowship payments are structured on a per-academic-term basis rather than as an annual lump sum, reflecting the semester calendar of host universities.

Eligibility is restricted to individual Finnish mid-career journalists — universities, research institutions, non-profit organisations, and companies cannot apply. Fellows must be based in Finland and working in journalism at the time of application. Award amounts are not published on the foundation's public-facing pages; applicants should contact the foundation directly for current fellowship values. The application process follows the same concept-paper-first approach used for research grants: a short initial submission is reviewed before selected candidates are invited to submit a full application. Submissions are made exclusively through apurahat.net/hssaatio.

The foundation's broader mission — promoting quality journalism and freedom of speech, with a focus on the Finnish media ecosystem — shapes how fellowship proposals are evaluated. Candidates who can articulate a clear learning objective aligned to the challenges facing Finnish journalism, such as digital transformation, AI in newsrooms, or investigative methods, are likely to be viewed favourably. Recipients must declare fellowship income as taxable income under Finnish law. Journalists undertaking four or more consecutive months of fellowship-supported study are required to take out MYEL pension insurance. The foundation administers the programme from its Helsinki office at Korkeavuorenkatu 28.