(This FAQ is adapted from the very nice FAQ of HeCSE which is gratefully acknowledged.)
FIGS plans to admit new students once a year depending on available funding. The present funding provides for at most ten funded positions. The number of adjunct positions varies depending on other research funding.
Students may apply for an adjunct position in FIGS without funding. An adjunct position entitles the student to participate in FIGS events. Students with already guaranteed funding (holding a research position or employed by a university research project) are encouraged to apply for these adjunct positions.
The benefits of being an adjunct student include the right to apply for travel funds from FIGS and to participate in all its activities (courses, gettogethers, summer schools). Both funded and adjunct students are also assigned a support team.
All applications will be considered for adjunct positions, except if the applicant is only applying for a funded position.
Applications are submitted electronically. They consist of
In addition, a senior researcher who knows the applicant well must submit a recommendation form.
A curriculum vitae should be at most three pages long and include among others the applicant's personal information (name, contact information, age), education (institutions, degrees, grade average) and work experience.
Electronic copies (scanned pdf) of relevant diplomas should be included in the PhD studies portfolio. Relevant diplomas are, e.g., diplomas for MSc and BSc degrees.
Applicants that are accepted for FIGS positions must submit officially confirmed (paper) copies of relevant diplomas when registering for PhD studies at the universities.
Diplomas must be in Finnish, Swedish or English. If not, they must be translated and the translations must be officially confirmed.
Applicants who have already been accepted as post-graduate students by the one of the universities in FIGS can use the normal Finnish style of confirming copies. There is no need for official confirmation of the diplomas.
The funded doctoral student positions to be filled in the Call 2012 will start on 1 May, 2012 at the earliest. Funding is provided until the projected completion of the PhD studies, maximally until 31.12.2013.
Applicants should state in the application for how long a period they would prefer funding and when the funding period would start. In normal cases, the period would start on 1 May 2012 (the earliest), but in some cases the funding period may start later (e.g., if the applicant already has some other funding/work commitment for the spring of 2012, the period could start on 1 August 2012).
FIGS expects students to finish their PhD degrees in 4 years and will take this into account when providing funding. If the applicant is not a fresh MSc graduate, he or she should describe the current status of his or her PhD studies and research. The applicant must state the estimated date of the PhD defense, and in such cases the date is expected to be roughly four years from the start of the PhD studies (not from the enrollment to FIGS). Admission to FIGS is based both on studies and research so far, as well as on the plan to complete them.
The applicant is expected to have a Master or Licentiate degree, as well as an interest in scientific research and the work of a researcher. The applicants, if accepted, are expected to engage themselves in full-time research and study for a maximum of four years. They are also expected to participate in the events organized by the graduate school. The progress of the research has to be reported periodically to the school.
The official requirements for doctoral students are found in the study guides of the universities. Applicants should check especially the study guide of the university they are going to do their studies in. Please check the web pages of the Departments, especially their Studies pages:
The number of vacant funded positions varies yearly. The best applicants (unless applying only for adjunct positions) will be considered for funding. See also adjunct positions.
The language of FIGS is English. Students must have strong English language skills to be accepted to the school.
Applicants must provide a TOEFL certificates of their knowledge of English unless they had their education in English or unless they have a degree from a Finnish university.
If students have already been accepted as a PhD student to one of the universities participating in FIGS, they have already submitted proof of their language skills. When applying to FIGS, the student can then use the same certificate (TOEFL or some other certificate), but should make it clear in the application that he or she has already been accepted as a post-graduate student by either university (and indicate which university).
In the letter of introduction the applicant states his/her research interests, which unit and/or research group the applicant is associated with or would like to be associated with, the reasons for pursuing graduate studies in FIGS, and career objectives. (max 1 page)
The positions are located in one of the units participating in FIGS: Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (Aalto/T University/TKK and University of Helsinki), Department of Communications and Networking (Aalto/TKK), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (Aalto/TKK), Department of Economics (Aalto/HSE), University of Art and Design (Aalto), Department of Computer Science (UH) or Department of Communications Engineering (Tampere University of Technology).
A PhD studies portfolio must be included in the application. It should contain the following parts.
The portfolio is created as a single pdf document using the EasyChair system. Note that you must create an EasyChair account to be able to submit your portfolio. Please follow the advice given on the EasyChair page. When you submit your portfolio in EasyChair, please make sure that you tick the box for being the corresponding author, enter the title and a short abstract (4 lines) about your intended PhD research, and add at least two key words referring to your research. This information will make evaluating the applications easier.
The number of vacant funded positions varies yearly. Positions without funding (adjunct positions) are also available and entitle the student to participate in FIGS events. Students with already guaranteed funding (holding a research position or employed by a university research project) are encouraged to apply for these adjunct positions.
The benefits of being an adjunct student include the right to apply for travel funds from FIGS and to participate in all FIGS activities (courses, gettogethers, summer schools). Both funded and adjunct students are also assigned a support team.
All applications will be considered for adjunct positions. The best applicants (unless applying only for adjunct positions) will be considered for funding.
If the applicant has publications, he or she should make a list of them with explanations of how the applicant has contributed to the publications (if there are several authors) and how the publication possibly will contribute to the applicant's forth-coming thesis.
At most three publications can be included in the application.
Applications must include a recommendation prepared using the recommendation letter Web form and submitted electronically.
Applicants from Aalto University, University of Helsinki, or Tampere University of Technology who have established contact with the intended supervisor of their PhD studies should ask the supervisor (or possible instructor) to submit the recommendation. All other applicants should ask a recommendation from a senior researcher from their home institution.
Applications must include a detailed research and study plan for the whole period of PhD studies from start to finish. The plan should include at least the following sections (4-5 pages, with scientific references when appropriate and a reference list at the end).
The salary for a doctoral student is based on levels 1 - 4 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel of the university salary system (VPJ). With the salary component based on personal work performance the overall salary range is 1 608 - 3 209 euros per month (2009).
Admission to FIGS is based on the quality of the research and study plan, previous studies and research (if applicable), financing plan, recommendation , and other possible indicators.
FIGS only admits applicants who will be supervised a senior faculty member from one of the participating units. Consult the Instructors and Supervisors page for a current list of supervisors. Applicants from Aalto University, University of Helsinki, or Tampere University of Technology who have established contact with the intended supervisor of their PhD studies should indicate the supervisor in the application form and ask the supervisor (or possible instructor) to submit a recommendation. FIGS will assign the supervisor for all other applicants.
A transcript of studies includes a list of all courses, number of credits and grades that the applicant has passed (Fi: opintorekisteriote, Sw: studieutdrag). Make sure that the transcript is well structured and readable. The transcript should be in English, Finnish or Swedish and the grading system (if differing from the Finnish one) should be explained.