Mobility grant of the Estonian Doctoral School for doctoral candidates of Humanities and Arts

Doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Tartu can apply for the grant if their supervisor is not the holder of a research grant and the doctoral candidate is not included in the grant as a research staff member, which allows them to cover costs related to participation in conferences or other study and research-related activities.

Those candidates who have no other possibilities for travel support are preferred.

Doctoral candidates from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities whose doctoral studies have not been suspended may apply for a grant.   

Visits eligible for application:  

• participation in conferences with an oral presentation;
• participation in conferences with a poster presentation;
• research in libraries, archives, and research centres;
• participation in training related to the research and events for graduate students (f.ex. summer schools). 

Participation fee

• Compensated based on cost statements.
• Estonian Doctoral School will not compensate for the costs of conferences´ social events, lunches/dinners, membership fees and excursions (except for excursions related to a doctoral student´s research topic) specifically mentioned in the attendance fee.

Travel allowance, accommodation allowance, daily allowance

• Compensated based on unit prices. 

The mobility supported by the Estonian Doctoral School can last 1 day before and 1 day after the event.

If the doctoral student wishes to combine the Doctoral School's support with another mobility grant, it is necessary to check beforehand that the latter's conditions allow this.

The unit costs for international mobility for doctoral candidates will be based on the unit costs of the National Mobility Grant Scheme "Kristjan Jaak Programme".

The travel costs will be covered by a travel allowance, including all the costs related to the outward and return journey, e.g. local transport, travel insurance, etc. Travel expenses will be covered by a travel allowance. The distance will be calculated using the European Commission's online calculator. 

Accommodation costs will be covered by the accommodation allowance, which will be paid during the event abroad and, where justified, one night before and one night after the event. 

Living expenses are covered by the daily allowance.

The daily allowance is 32 euros per day of the mobility. The days will be counted from the official date of the event, plus, in justified cases, one day for travel before and one day after the event.

The maximum amount of the grant is 2000 euros per short-term mobility. If the calculation based on unit costs exceeds this amount, the maximum amount will be paid, and the remaining costs will have to be covered by another source or the doctoral candidate's resources.

Bank transfer fees and VAT can’t be covered by the Estonian Doctoral School. To cover ineligible costs, please contact the supervisor and/or the head of the department. 

To apply for the mobility grant, the doctoral candidate must:

• submit an application, including a motivation letter, via Working Environment of Academic Mobility (to log in, use your UT username);
• submit a confirmation letter about the acceptance of the presentation if the aim is to participate in a conference with a presentation;
• submit a confirmation of the host institution if the aim is to participate in a course, seminar, or other activities (e.g. registration confirmation, letter of invitation, etc.);
• submit a confirmation about the amount of the participation fee in case of a request for reimbursement. 

NB UT staff member! The application is also part of the travel order. Please enter the digital travel workflow through the Working Environment of Academic Mobility! The predictable costs must be visible in the travel order comments section. The financial source holder is Riho Altnurme, financial source NHVHV24187. 

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities doctoral studies council assesses the applications. 

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• the applicant is a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Tartu;
• the applicant has not received a mobility grant from a doctoral school in the current calendar year;
• the application has been correctly prepared;
• the purpose of the trip is clear, and the destination and the tasks are suitable. The link between the trip and the substantive needs and completion of the doctoral thesis is strong;
• the duration and budget of the application are well thought out and reasonable;
• the supervisor has approved the application;
• the supervisor is not a research grant holder, and the doctoral candidate is not included in the grant as a research staff member. 

• A signed activity report must be submitted to the senior specialist (lii.lang@ut.ee) of the Doctoral Centre of Humanities on the Doctoral School form;
• a secondment report must be completed by the junior research fellow;
• a doctoral candidate without a university employment contract must submit an expense report;
• documents certifying the payment of the participation fee (invoice, payment confirmation) must be attached to the secondment report or cost report,
• the programme of the event, and an official letter of confirmation from the organiser stating the date and time of the event must be attached to the secondment or cost report. 

A sentence must be added to the activity report or secondment report: "The secondment/study visit is in accordance with the University of Tartu project "Cooperation between universities to promote doctoral studies" (2021-2027.4.04.24-0003) and with goals and action plan of the project.”

If the doctoral student participates in the event with a presentation or poster presentation, these must comply with the notification requirements. In case of non-compliance with the notification requirements, mobility costs from the Estonian Doctoral School are not eligible. A logo must be placed on the opening page of the presentation or poster; see instructions for use, logo files (EST, ENG).