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Minor Field Studies (MFS)

On this page you will find information about the Minor Field Studies (MFS) programme and how it is administered at Stockholm University. The content is intended for staff who support students at their departments.

What is Minor Field Studies?

Minor Field Studies (MFS) is a Sida-funded scholarship programme that gives students at Swedish universities the opportunity to conduct field studies in countries where Sweden engages in development cooperation.

Students are awarded a grant of SEK 25,000 to carry out a minor field study for at least six (6) consecutive weeks (42 days), forming the basis for a Bachelor’s, Master’s (one-year), or Master’s (two-year) thesis/degree project. The field study must be conducted in one (1) eligible MFS partner country.

Note: The updated grant amount and minimum duration requirements apply due to recent programme changes. Read more here: Latest developments in the MFS programme - Stockholms universitet

The grant is not intended to cover all expenses but should be regarded as a contribution towards carrying out the field study. The study must relate to one or more Swedish development cooperation strategies in the host country.

Read more about the connections with Swedish development cooperation and the possible countries on the national webpage: About MFS - Stockholms universitet

Please note that MFS grants are not awarded for travel to countries to which the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) advises against travel.

An MFS study requires both an academic supervisor at Stockholm University and a contact person in the host country. Both should be contacted—and preferably confirmed—at the time of application. The Swedish supervisor has overall academic responsibility for the project. The local contact person should work within the relevant field and assist in identifying and facilitating contacts with relevant individuals or organisations for interviews or data collection. They should also be able to provide practical support before and during the fieldwork, such as advice on accommodation, transport, and safety. Students are encouraged to identify a contact person through the department’s international partnerships or agreements (e.g. research collaborations).

The aim of the programme is to promote knowledge of international development cooperation within Swedish higher education institutions and among external stakeholders, by giving students experience of fieldwork in countries where Sweden has active development cooperation strategies. The programme is expected to contribute to increased and more systematic use of Swedish students’ competencies and experiences in international development cooperation.

Since 2024, the programme has been coordinated nationally by Stockholm University.

The general conditions for the MFS Programme 2025-2028 pdf, 243.4 kB. (in Swedish)

Since 2024, Stockholm University has served as the national programme office for Minor Field Studies (MFS). The responsibilities include handling applications from Swedish universities, distributing scholarships, collecting reports from participating universities, and overseeing the programme's implementation and reporting to Sida. Additionally, Stockholm University is responsible for developing guidelines for individual scholarship recipients and providing guidance to participating universities.

The programme office announces scholarships once per year to all higher education institutions. Stockholm University then announces MFS scholarships for its own students twice per year: the application round for the autumn semester is open from 15 March to 15 April, and the application round for the spring semester from 15 September to 15 October.

Student application

Here you can find more information about eligibility requirements, fields study condtitions, and how students apply.

To be eligible for an MFS scholarship, the student must:

  • Be undertaking a degree project or thesis at Bachelor’s or Master’s level
  • Be actively enrolled at Stockholm University at the time of application
  • Be a Swedish citizen or have been registered in Sweden for at least one year at the time of application
  • Not have started doctoral studies
  • Not previously have been awarded an MFS scholarship at the same level of study

For a field study to be approved, it must:

  • Maintain academic quality and relevance to the student’s programme or subject
  • Be conducted in a country where Sweden conducts development cooperation and align with one or more Swedish development strategies for that country
  • Last at least 6 consecutive weeks (42 days) and no more than 20 weeks (counted from arrival to departure)
  • Be supported by a contact person in the host country
  • Be supervised by an academic supervisor at Stockholm University
  • Result in a thesis written in English

It is common—and recommended—that two or more students travel together, although applications are assessed individually.

Applications must be written in English and submitted via the Stockholm University MFS portal.

Required attachments:

  1. Project description (max. 4 pages, excluding references and appendices)
  2. Budget plan
  3. Cover letter (max. 1 page)
  4. Confirmation from contact person in the host country
  5. Official transcript (or Ladok extract)
  6. Copy of passport or proof of citizenship/residency

The “Certificate from Institution” must be completed by the academic supervisor or Director of Studies and sent directly to the MFS coordinator at mfs@su.se.

Assessment Process

The assessment and selection process ensures a thorough and fair evaluation of each application based on three criteria: academic quality and relevance, completeness, and feasibility.

1. Department level
The department evaluates the academic quality and relevance of the project and completes the Certificate from Institution, which must be sent directly to the MFS coordinato by the student’s academic supervisor or, if no supervisor has been appointed at the time of application, by the Director of Studies. This assessment includes:

  • The project’s academic relevance to the field of study
  • The feasibility of the project and whether the timeline is realistic in relation to the course syllabus
  • Ethical considerations
  • The student’s suitability

2. International Office
The International Office is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete and that the student meets all eligibility requirements. Basic eligibility includes:

  • The application has been submitted on time
  • The application is complete and includes all required documents
  • Registration in Ladok
  • Swedish citizenship or registration in Sweden for at least one year
  • The host country is one where Sweden conducts development cooperation and complies with Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) travel recommendations
  • The field study duration is at least 42 days

Applications that are incomplete, involve a country subject to a UD travel advisory, or where the student does not meet the eligibility requirements will not proceed further in the assessment process.

3. Central Evaluation Committee
The central assessment committee evaluates the feasibility of the proposed project using a scoring system. The committee assesses:

  • The project’s alignment with one or more Swedish development cooperation strategies in the host country
  • The feasibility of the timeline
  • Consideration of local conditions
  • Identification of potential challenges and alternative solutions
  • Safety aspects (including UD travel advisories)
  • The reasonableness of the budget

In addition, the committee evaluates the personal statement, focusing on the student’s motivation to carry out the MFS study, the alignment of the project with the student’s academic and career goals, and the student’s level of preparation and readiness for fieldwork, including relevant experience and skills.

4. Decision-making
The MFS coordinator prepares the case and makes the formal decision on the allocation of scholarships in accordance with the delegation of authority.

5. Notification and payment
The MFS coordinator informs all applicants of the decision and administers the scholarship payments.

The central evaluation committee consists of appointed faculty representatives, representatives from the Student Services division, and one student representative from the Stockholm University Student Union (SUS). The student representative does not participate in the assessment itself but attends committee meetings in an advisory capacity to the MFS coordinator.

Faculty representatives assess applications based on a structured assessment protocol. The protocol includes several criteria, with each assessor assigning a score from 0 (not addressed in the application) to 3 (very good). Applications are then ranked based on the total score.

Faculties and the Student Union must inform the MFS coordinator in the event of a shortage of representatives. Absence from a meeting must be reported in advance in accordance with established procedures. An appointed substitute, where available, should replace the regular representative, or alternatively, written comments on the project applications should be submitted prior to the meeting.

Support for Minor Field Studies students

More information about the steps students need to follow before, during, and after their field studies is available on the student website under “After you have been awarded an MFS scholarship.”

Stockholm University provides a group insurance policy, Student UT, for all MFS students. The insurance is issued through Kammarkollegiet and does not cost the student anything. The insurance covers all students who are registered in Ladok. The insurance is valid during the field study period as well as 14 days before and after the field study. It is therefore important that the student is correctly registered before departure.

MFS students receive their insurance certificate from the MFS coordinator at the International Office.

Once the student has been awarded a scholarship, they must attend a mandatory MFS Pre-Departure meeting organised by the International Office. During the meeting, students receive information about the scholarship, insurance, personal safety, health, and practical matters before, during, and after their planned MFS study.

The preparation meeting also gives students the opportunity to meet other students who will be undertaking an MFS.

All MFS scholarship holders are students at Stockholm University and must therefore be registered for their thesis course/degree project in Ladok throughout the entire field study period (even if the field study takes place during the summer).

The thesis/degree project must be written in English (alternatively, in the official language of the host country with an English summary) and approved by an examiner at Stockholm University. The department is responsible for language review, printing, and reproduction of the thesis.

When students have returned, they are expected to disseminate the knowledge and skills they have gained by:

  • Presenting the project to other students in their class.
  • Making the study available in the host country in the local language, where possible, for example in the form of a summary or article.
  • Participating in knowledge dissemination activities and events organised by the International Office or their department.

Safety, Ethical Guidelines and Data Managementäkerhet

Safety

Stays in particularly dangerous areas, such as war zones, should normally be considered unsuitable for students. Students must always follow the travel recommendations issued by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD). If UD advises against non-essential travel to a country, students are not permitted to travel to that country or the parts of the country covered by the advisory.

UD:s reseinformation (in Swedish)

UD:s avrådan (in Swedish)

Anmäl utlandsvistelse - Svensklistan (in Swedish)

Ethical Guidelines

Ethical assessments regarding appropriate academic subjects and approaches, for example concerning the design of studies for degree projects, are conducted at the respective department. This applies regardless of whether the project is carried out in Sweden or abroad and takes place within the framework of the specific subject area.

The MFS coordinator ensures that students are aware of and follow the ethical guidelines for research and studies abroad applied at Stockholm University, as presented in this document.

Research and Studies Abroad – Guidance on Ethics and Risk Management pdf, 301.8 kB.

Management of Research Material – Data Management Plan

Regarding anonymity and confidentiality, it is important to inform students about applicable regulations on personal data processing, as well as the rules concerning public access and confidentiality that apply to documents at Stockholm University. It is normally not possible to guarantee anything other than confidentiality (i.e. that unauthorised persons will not have access to the material). Chapter 4 of the Swedish Research Council’s Good Research Practice contains information and advice on this matter.

All processing must comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and supplementary national legislation. It is recommended that students conducting an MFS study, at an early stage and in consultation with their supervisor, develop a data management plan describing the collection, storage, dissemination, and other handling of research material. To some extent, this may be necessary in order to obtain legally valid consent from research participants.

Contact

Last updated: 2026-07-14

Source: Student Services