Doctoral stipend (smart specialisation)

Smart specialisation scholarships for doctoral students (so called entrepreneurial doctoral students)

To date, all scholarship holders have been selected and no new application rounds will be opened.

The smart specialisation scholarships are paid to the PhD students of Estonian universities who conduct a research related to the smart specialisation growth areas. The aim of the scholarship programme is to encourage the PhD studies in smart specialisation growth areas, increase the number of students graduating from university with PhD degrees in these areas, and, as a result, give an incentive to the industries acting in the growth areas, support cooperation between R&D institutions and companies, diversify the career prospects of PhD graduates and contribute to the capacity building of research-intensive industry sector.

Smart specialisation doctoral stipend and doctoral allowance are two different scholarships. The doctoral stipend can be received simultaneously with the doctoral allowance, paid by the government.

NB! Doctoral stipend is not paid while studying abroad more than 30 days (including visits supported by Dora Plus 1.2 doctoral student mobility scholarship).

Granting and payment of the doctoral stipend

The amount of the doctoral stipend is 440 euros per month (from 1st January 2018). Doctoral stipend is granted for the standard period of study. The university pays the doctoral stipend for the previous calendar month on the basis of the directive of the vice dean for academic affairs by the 10th of each month, except for the doctoral stipend for September and October which is paid by 20 November.

The eligibility period is from 1 August 2015 to 31 October 2023.

The payment of the doctoral stipend is terminated when

• the doctoral student receives a negative evaluation in the progress review or fails to pass the progress review;
• the topic of the doctoral thesis changes;
• the student starts studying part time.

If a student is deleted from the matriculation register, the payment of the doctoral stipend is terminated. The last doctoral stipend is paid for the calendar month preceding the deletion from the matriculation register. If a doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register in relation to completing the curriculum, the doctoral stipend is also paid for the calendar month of deletion from matriculation register. If a doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register due to a negative evaluation in the progress review or because they fail to pass the progress review, the last doctoral stipend is paid for the calendar month preceding the progress review meeting.

If there is a need to change the supervisor, topic of the doctoral thesis or enterprise during the studies, the changes shall be submitted to the stipends committee for evaluation. If the stipends committee determines that the new theme of the doctoral thesis, enterprise or supervisor does not meet the set requirements or the doctoral student does not meet the requirements of the doctoral stipend for some other reasons, the payment of the doctoral stipend is terminated.

Granting and payment during academic leave

If a doctoral student goes on academic leave, the payment of the stipend is terminated, the stipend is paid for the full month of study preceding the beginning of academic leave. If a student who went on academic leave returns from academic leave, the payment of the stipend resumes as of the month following the end date of the academic leave. 
 

Additional information

The payment and granting of the doctoral stipend at the University of Tartu is regulated by the Procedure for Applying for Granting and Payment of Stipends and Study Allowances

Smart specialisation scholarships for PhD students (Education and Youth Authority homepage)

Stipends and allowances main page