Minerva Scholarship Fund

Apply for a grant

Apply for a scholarship

Do you dream of gaining experience abroad during your time at Leiden University (in the form of a semester of study, doing research or completing an internship), but are the high costs holding you back? Your special project may well qualify for an MSF scholarship. Check the requirements and submit an application!

What do you need to do?

Please note: the MSF does not handle applications to study at Leiden University or to pay for a degree programme at Leiden University. Applications from students who are currently studying at Leiden University, and who meet all the criteria, will be processed.

  • Download the MSF Application Form 2023/2024.
  • Complete this form.
  • Check that all the required documents are complete (see the list of attachments below).
  • Also complete the following Google Docs document.
  • Send the complete application package by email to the address stated in the application form, before the deadline of 15 April or 15 November.

What happens next?

Once all the requirements have been met, you will receive a confirmation of your application by email. Your application is only valid once you receive this confirmation email. Your application will then be assessed by our Allocation Board. As soon as possible after the deadline has passed, you will receive a message stating whether your scholarship has been granted or rejected. If the scholarship has been granted to you, it will be deposited into your account no later than six weeks after the deadline.

What do we ask in return?

In exchange for a scholarship, we ask you to send us a report after completing your project, together with some visual material of your stay and/or research there.

List of attachments that must be submitted digitally with the application form:

  • Project description
  • Budget
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of motivation
  • Transcript of grades
  • At least one letter of recommendation

Criteria

To submit an application to the Minerva Scholarship Fund, there are a number of criteria you must meet:

  • You are a student at Leiden University (both bachelor's and master's students can apply).
    • In short: international students who are studying at Leiden University may apply. International students who still live abroad and wish to come to Leiden University may not.
  • Membership of the L.S.V Minerva is not a requirement.
  • The application is for an exceptional or prestigious study or research project abroad.
  • The scholarship application may not relate to a project that has already started.
  • The project falls under one of the following categories: internship, study or research. This does not include: a full master's programme or a PhD track.
  • No scholarships are awarded to projects in the Netherlands.

In addition:

  • If the application is granted, you are required to write a report on the project, supplemented with visual material, within three months of its completion. After your project, you are also willing to take part in promotional activities.
  • The Allocation Board assesses applications against predetermined criteria. The assessment considers the relevance of the research, the extent to which it advances scholarship, and the extent to which the university or professor the research is affiliated with is a leading one.
  • No appeal is possible against the decision of the Allocation Board.