Minor Field Studies is a scholarship programme funded by Sida and administered by the Stockholm University. The programme is aimed at higher education students at bachelor’s or master’s level.

MFS allows you to collect data or conduct a field study for a course project or a degree project in countries where the Swedish government has active strategies for development cooperation. Your field study must last at least eight weeks (56 days). The programme is open to all students, regardless of your research topic or degree. During your field study, you will have a supervisor at Stockholm University, and a contact person in the host country.

Through MFS, you will contribute to knowledge-sharing on international cooperation at the university level and with various actors involved in development cooperation, both in Sweden and abroad. Additionally, you will gain international experience and develop a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

The overall objective of Swedish development cooperation is to ensure that people living in poverty and oppression have the ability to improve their living conditions. Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian assistance are guided by government strategies that set the objectives and priorities. Sida, which serves both as an administrative authority and an expert agency, is responsible for implementing the strategies alongside other agencies, determining how the work will be carried out.

Goals 

The Swedish government sets the direction for development assistance through policies. On the 14th December 2023, the government introduced a new reform agenda for development assistance: "Development Assistance for a New Era – Freedom, Empowerment, and Sustainable Growth". The reform agenda establishes seven thematic priorities:

1. Combating poverty through job creation, trade, and education.
2. Improving health for the most vulnerable.
3. Promoting freedom and fighting oppression.
4. Expanding climate aid and addressing environmental challenges.
5. Strengthening gender equality and empowering women and girls.
6. Aligning development assistance with migration policies.
7. Providing enhanced humanitarian support.

Read more about the government´s reform agenda:
Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth - Government.se

How development assistance is delivered

Swedish development cooperation operates on multiple levels:

Long-term development cooperation

This approach focuses on long-term efforts to combat poverty and promote democratization of countries. These efforts are guided by multi-years strategies decided by the Swedish government. Long-term development cooperation is implemented either multilaterally, where support is given to international organizations that distribute it to various countries and regions, or bilaterally, where Sweden directly provides support to a country or region. Multilateral aid is handled almost exclusively by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, unlike bilateral ais, where Sida is the main actor.

Humanitarian aid 

Humanitarian aid offers urgent support in crisis situations and its goal is to save lives, reduce suffering, and restore dignity for those affected by crises such as armed conflicts or natural disasters. 

Read more on different kinds of aid - Openaid

MFS scholarships are available to all students enrolled at Stockholm University at the time of application and who meet the following criteria:

• Planning to write a course or degree project at the undergraduate or advanced level,
• Swedish citizens or have been registered in Sweden for at least one year at the time of application,
• Have never started a doctoral level education,
• Have not previously received an MFS scholarship for the same level of education.

A field study within the MFS program involves collecting data for a thesis or degree project in a host country for a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks (56 days) and a maximum of 20 weeks. The period is counted from the day you arrive in the host country to the day you leave.

Note: Field studies cannot be split between multiple countries.

To carry out the field study, you will receive a scholarship of 35,000 SEK, which can be used for expenses such as travel, accommodation, vaccinations, and visas. However, note that the scholarship is not meant to cover all costs, but should be an addition to your student grant (e.g. CSN).

For field studies to be approved, it must meet the following requirements:

• Academic relevance: The study must align with your academic program or subject area and meet the necessary academic standards.
• Host country: The field study must take place in a country where Sweden has active development cooperation.
• Strategic alignment: The field study must align with one or more Sweden’s development cooperation strategies in the host country.
• Contact person: You must have a contact person in the host country who can provide support and assistance with the execution of your field study.
• Academic supervisor: Your field study must be supervised by an academic advisor at your Swedish university.
• Final output: The study must result in a course or degree project, which must be written in English.

Students are encouraged to connect their field studies to ongoing research or international projects at their department.

The MFS scholarship allows students to conduct their field studies in countries where Sweden engages in development cooperation. These countries are listed on Openaid under  Openaid under Countries and regions. 

Please note, it is important to read through the below information about the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Utrikesdepartementet) advice against travel as this may affect your choice of host country.

Alignment with Swedish development cooperation strategies

Field studies within the MFS program must align with one or more of Sweden’s development cooperation strategies for the selected host country. These strategies outline the thematic areas Sweden prioritizes and the goals to be achieved in a specific country or region.

There are two types of strategies:

• Geographic strategies: These focus on specific countries or regions.
• Thematic strategies: These address specific issues, such as human rights, democracy, or the development of the justice sector.

To find relevant strategies for a specific country:

• Visit the country’s page on Countries and regions | Openaid and go to the section on strategies.
• Select the strategy most relevant to your project.
• Carefully read the strategy and identify its priority areas and goals.

Ensure that your project aligns with at least one strategy and that you clearly describe this connection in your application, specifying which goal within the strategy your project addresses.

A complete guide on how to link your project to a strategy is available on the MFS national website under Information for Students: How can I link my MFS to strategies?  

If you wish to view a comprehensive list of Sweden’s active development cooperation strategies, you can:

• Explore the active strategies of the Swedish government: Government strategies - Regeringen.se
• Check strategies by country on Openaid website: Openaid - Sida
• Read current bilateral, regional and thematic strategies of Sida: Sida’s strategies

Travel dissuasion issued by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Please note that the MFS scholarship will not be granted to a country or a region if the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Utrikesdepartementet) advise against travel to a specific country or region. The level of safety can quickly change in different countries and regions and it is the duty of the Foreign Ministry to make sure citizens are informed about of the risks of travelling to dangerous areas. When preparing your MFS application, always try to find out as much as possible about the security situation in the area you plan to visit. Note that you have to compare the list of MFS host countries to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs advise against travel. 

An MFS-study cannot be undertaken when the Foreign Ministry advise against the below travel: 

• “dissuasion from non-necessary travels to the country”
• “all travels to the country”
• “all Swedes to leave a country/part of the country”

Note: If the dissuasion from non-necessary travels and all travel is only applicable to one specific part of the country (a region), students may still carry out his/her field study in a secure area of the country as long as the dangerous areas are avoided also when travelling to or from the main destination. 

Note: If the advice against travel is introduced, or changed, after departure and includes a dissuasion from “non-necessary travels”, the University shall, in consultation with the relevant foreign authorities and students, decide whether it is appropriate to stay in the country or return to Sweden.

Note: If the advice against travel is introduced, or changed, after departure and includes a dissuasion from “all travels”, the students need to leave the country and return to Sweden within 30 days.

Note: If the advice against travel is introduced, or changed, after departure and “urges to leave the country / part of the country”, the University must ensure that the student immediately follows the dissuasion and leaves the country / part of the country.

Should the Foreign Ministry dissuade from travelling when you have already arrived in the host country, you do not need to meet the MFS conditions of spending 8 weeks in the field. This is specified in the MFS general terms.

Even if a travel dissuasion has not been issued by the Foreign Ministry, Stockholm University should always secure that the personal safety and health of the student, and of persons concerned in the host country, is not at risk during the period of the Minor Field Study. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel information (in Swedish)

Participants in the MFS programme will need a supervisor at Stockholm University as well as a contact in the host country. Your supervisor in Sweden will be responsible for the academic supervision of you project. The contact person in the host country, however, has no academic responsibilities, but must be an expert in the field of your research and able to support you in your study.

Supervisor at Stockholm University

The supervisor at Stockholm University has the same responsibility for MFS students work as for other dissertation projects at home base. The supervisor should be well acquainted with the research method and be knowledgeable within the field. In addition, the supervisor may assist you in identifying a contact person in the host country.

During you time abroad, your supervisor will be on hand to assist in theoretical or methodological problems, should they arise. After returning to Stockholm University, the same supervision as for other degree projects will be available to you. Also, please note that some departments require the supervisor to have a PhD.

In the MFS portal, you can download the template for the confirmation letter from your supervisor or director of studies at Stockholm University. This letter certifies the academic quality and relevance of the study and who will be your supervisor. It also serves as a proof that your department supports your project and it is a compulsory requirement. The document must be filled by your supervisor or director of studies and sent directly to the MFS coordinator at msf@su.se. Contact your programme coordinator to get a supervisor. 

You can download the template of the certificate from the MFS-Portal.

Contact person in the host country

Your contact person in the host country can be employed at a governmental authority, Higher Education Institution, organisation or company in the country. They may also represent development projects such as Sida, the UN, NGOs, or similar. However, the contact does not necessarily have to be a part of an organisation. Many students choose to find a contact person themselves through their personal network or through research. 

Your contact should be someone who works in the field of your research and who can help you in identifying and connecting with relevant individuals or organisations for interviews or data collection. The contact person should also be able to help with practical things both before and during your time in the country, such as advice on accommodation, travel, transport and safety. The contact will not receive compensation from Sida or Stockholm University for their efforts. Therefore, it is important that you reimburse any expenses agreed by the both of you beforehand, for example for transportation or data collection.

In the MFS application, you need to submit a confirmation from the contact in the field (formal invitation or certificate/contract such as an email exchange) showing there is a contact in the country to assist you. If you submit an email exchange, make sure you include both your initial email requesting for a contact person and the contact person's reply confirming the request.
Please note: the confirmation must be submitted in English. If your contact does not speak English, please write a translation in English and attach to application.

Tips how to find a contact person:

• Research various host organisations and make contact. 
• Ask your department if they have suitable contacts or collaborations abroad that align with your research topic.
• Check if your department or institution is engaged in research or collaborations with universities, organisations or networks internationally.
• Stockholm University has many international partnerships, networks and collaborations. You can read more on this link Collaboration and societal development. Did you know that Stockholm University has a Nordic Institute of Latin Amerika Studies? Do you know about SPIDER that works with ICT4D projects in Africa? If you want to get in contact with SPIDER about their projects, please contact the MFS Coordinator on mfs@su.se.
• Is there an MFS alumnus that has been to the country where you would like to go? Ask the Exchange Coordinator at your department or the MFS Coordinator on mfs@su.se to get in touch.

Find more detailed application instructions for Minor Field Studies (MFS) here

Click here to find out more about the next steps after being accepted

Stockholm University serves as the program office for MFS and is responsible for its administration on a national level. Our responsibilities include distributing scholarships among institutions, collecting reports from both students and institutions, and reporting back to Sida. For more information about MFS at the national level, please visit the Programme Office’s webpage.

If you work at another institution, please feel free to contact mfsprogramkontor@su.se for more information.

Note: Students need to apply for the MFS scholarship through their own university. Please contact the international coordinator of your institution if you have questions.