The Erasmus Traineeship grant

You are responsible for finding your own traineeship, either independently or with support from your department, before you can apply for the Erasmus traineeship grant.

Tips for finding a placement

Applying for a traineeship is like applying for a job. Student of Uppsala University can obtain career advice and guidance, such as guidance and feedback on CVs and cover letters via UU Careers.

You can contact companies or organisations of interest directly. Your department may also be able to help through their research networks and contacts. Many companies advertise internships or traineeships on their websites. You can also search platforms such as GoinGlobal, erasmusintern.org, Erasmus Internships & Placements and Go Overseas.

Organisations not eligible for Erasmus traineeships

Some organisations are not eligible hosts for Erasmus traineeships due to rules on double EU funding and conflicts of interest:

• EU institutions and other EU bodies. The parliamentary offices of MEPs are not eligible, but party secretariats for the EU parliament are not usually considered a part of the European Parliament, and are therefore eligible hosts. See a full list here.
• Organisations that manage EU programmes, for example national Erasmus+ agencies such as the Finnish National Agency for Education
  

Once you have found a traineeship, it is time to create a Learning Agreement for Traineeship. This is a contract of expectations between the trainee, the host organisation, and Uppsala University. It contains key information such as dates. The Learning Agreement is completed and signed by you, your contact person at Uppsala University and your contact person at your host organisation.

Do not leave the Learning Agreement to the last minute. Use the Learning Agreement template in the link list of the landing page for Erasmus traineeship.

Traineeships within the framework of a internship course or degree project

Complete box one, page three of the Learning Agreement. Your supervisor or Erasmus Coordinator in your department should sign as the responsible person in the sending institution on page five.

Traineeship outside of your regular study programme or after graduation

Complete either box two or three on page three. Someone from your department must sign to confirm that your traineeship is relevant to your studies. This may be your programme coordinator, your department’s international coordinator or thesis supervisor. After you have submitted your application the Unit for International Mobility will sign the last page as the responsible person at the sending institution.

The application is submitted electronically through the MoveON system and consists of the following parts:

1. Online application form in MoveON
2. Academic Purpose Statement
3. Learning Agreement
4. Official transcript of records
5. Buddy or mentorship certificate

You can also upload certificates from the buddying or mentorships programmes.

1. Online application form in MoveON

You will need to provide:

• Personal information and contact details: Provide an email address valid for at least 3 months after your end date.
• Emergency contact: You should inform a close friend or relative that they may be contacted in case of an emergency if we are unable to reach you.
  
• Your educational background: Your programme, education level and department
• Information about the traineeship and its duration: Traineeship title, host organisation, start date and end date, and complete the Academic Purpose Statement (APS) in a free-text field in the application form in MoveON. Read more about the APS below.
• Grant Information: Indicate whether you have previously received an Erasmus grant for studies and/or traineeships, and at which educational level, either here or at another university. Also indicate whether you are applying for inclusion support and/or an additional grant for sustainable travel.
  
• Bank details: Provide your bank account number (and clearing number) the bank’s name, country, IBAN, BIC/SWIFT. We can only pay funds to the grant holder’s bank account. Errors here will delay the grant payment.
• Document upload: Upload the completed and signed Learning Agreement, official transcript of records and buddy/mentorship programme certificates.
• Consent: You will need to provide consent to the processing of your personal data.

2. Academic Purpose Statement (APS)

Uppsala University supports students in gaining valuable experience abroad, thereby increasing employability. In the Academic Purpose Statement (APS), you explain how the traineeship relates to your studies and future career goals.

Write a maximum 400 words in the APS text field of the online application. Your APS should be written in English, but can be written in Swedish if it will be the working language of your traineeship.

3. Learning Agreement

Upload your completed Learning Agreement, signed by all parties. If your traineeship is outside of your regular study programme or takes place after graduation, the Erasmus Team will sign on behalf of the sending institution page five, after your application has been submitted.

4. Official transcript of records

You must have completed 60 credits before the start date of the traineeship. Bachelor’s level students must attach a transcript of records showing all credits obtained so far, including credits from other universities. Students at the master’s or doctoral level do not need to attach a transcript of records.

5. Buddy/Mentorship certificate

If you have been involved in any buddy/mentor/welcome activities at Uppsala University, you can include a certificate to confirm this.

To date it has not been necessary to employ a competitive selection process since applications that meet the eligibility criteria are typically awarded a grant. If Uppsala University finds itself in a situation where budget or other restrictions require a competitive process, the selection principles below will be applied.

An application will be awarded up to 8.2 points. If several students achieve the same number of points, selection interviews will be conducted with these students.

The priority order for the traineeship 1–4 points

• 4 points - Students undertaking credit-bearing traineeships that will be entirely credited and included in their degree. For full-time traineeships, 1 week should correspond to approximately 1.5 credits.
• 3 points - Students undertaking credit-bearing traineeships that will be partially credited and included in their degree. For full-time internships, 1 week should correspond to approximately 1.5 credits.
• 2 points - Students undertaking non-credit-bearing traineeships before their degree completion.
• 1 point - Students undertaking non-credit-bearing traineeships after their degree completion.

Academic Purpose Statement 1–4 points

• 4 points - Exceptionally strong academic and professional motivation.
• 3 points - Strong academic and professional motivation.
• 2 points - Satisfactory academic and professional motivation.
• 1 point - Weak academic and professional motivation.

Other

• 0.1 points - Student studying a underrepresented subject (in the application round).
• 0.1 points - Student who has been involved in mentorship or welcome activities.
• -0.1 points - Student who has participated in an exchange with an Erasmus grant for studies through Uppsala University.

What happens after the application deadline?

Application processing starts shortly after the application deadline. A decision can usually be expected within 4 weeks.