Recruitment cycle Cohort 2027

EMAI4EU Recruitment Cycle Cohort 2027 is a cascade funding call run by the EMAI4EU project under the Digital Europe Programme (grant agreement 101123289) providing scholarships for students admitted to the 120 ECTS, two-year double-degree Master’s programme in Artificial Intelligence with a specialisation in Emotion AI. The scheme offers tuition fee waivers (half and full) and a limited number of Scholarships of Excellence that include a living allowance with a base reference of €900 per month adjusted by a Eurostat country correction coefficient, with a total indicative budget of €588,000 and an approximate cap of 42 scholarships. Eligible applicants must be nationals of eligible countries and be accepted and enrolled in the EMAI4EU Master’s programme; application and scholarship consideration are via the Master School portal and awards follow a single unified merit ranking. The call uses a single-stage, single-cut-off submission with a deadline of 30 June 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time and is managed entirely by the EMAI4EU consortium (publication on the EU portal is for information only).

What is funded

Scope

Scholarships for the 2-year double-degree MSc in Artificial Intelligence with Affective Computing (EMAI4EU). Support covers tuition fee waivers (half or full) and, for Excellence scholarships, a monthly living allowance indexed to Eurostat cost-of-living coefficients. Total programme budget: €588,000.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call and practical application information available at the Master School document: masterschool.28digital.eu

Opportunity summary

Eligible applicant types and who should apply

Eligible applicants for the scholarships are individual students who are nationals of eligible countries and who enrol in and are accepted to the EMAI4EU Master’s programme. Institution-level applicants are not applying for the scholarship funds; instead, EMAI4EU grants financial support in the form of tuition waivers and, for some, living allowances. Therefore the relevant applicant types and stakeholders are:

Funding type and nature of support

Funding amount, number and types of scholarships

Consortium requirement and application route

Geographic eligibility and target groups

Target sector and project stage

Eligibility and mandatory application documents

Selection, evaluation and allocation process

Scholarships are allocated based on a single unified merit ranking built from local programme evaluations and quality control. The selection process includes pre-screening (Admission Officer at Master School Office/KTH), evaluation and ranking by the programme selection committee (8 members, including local programme responsibles), and a general requirements check by the KTH admission office. Applicants are assigned entry and exit universities (candidates select up to 3 of each in priority order). Evaluations are numeric across specified criteria and averaged across the two Local Programme Coordinators that accept the applicant; final merit scores are harmonised by Programme Leads and the Quality Assurance Manager.

Selection criteria and scoring

Evaluation criteria include suitability of the Bachelor’s degree for the intended programme, quality and recognition of the home university, study success (GPA/performance), entrepreneurial and innovative experience (CV, recommendations), innovative and entrepreneurial attitude (motivation letter), and overall evaluation of CV and application. Each criterion is scored 1–5 (1 non-satisfactory to 5 excellent). A final merit score is an average of the two local coordinator scores and applicants with an average grade of 3 are considered admissible unless a partner university raises objections.

Appeals, agreement and compliance

Applicants may file an appeal with the Master School Office (masterschool@28digital.eu) if they believe errors occurred; there is no formal deadline stated for appeals. Selected students must sign an agreement with the 28DIGITAL Master School that outlines rights and obligations; non-compliance can trigger termination of support and recovery of funds. The project applies standard clauses aligned with the EU Digital Europe Programme Model Grant Agreement (conflict of interest, confidentiality, ethics, visibility, record-keeping, etc.) to scholarship recipients as described in the call documentation.

Application type and stages

Co-funding requirement and cost coverage

There is no explicit applicant financial co-funding requirement to receive a scholarship. Scholarships cover tuition fees (partial or full) and in the case of Excellence scholarships, living allowances. Students remain invoiced for net tuition after waiver; any remaining tuition or living costs not covered by the scholarship are the student’s responsibility. The call promotes support for diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and asks applicants to document financial situation as part of the application but does not require co-funding as a condition of award.

Application templates and structure

Application is via the Master School portal and requires uploading specific documents and filling structured fields. Key application components (as required uploads or inputs) include:

Applicants should consult the Master School pages for application forms, required documents and fees: application portal: academy.eitdigital.eu; programme information and fees: masterschool.28digital.eu and masterschool.28digital.eu; required documents listing: masterschool.28digital.eu.

Success rates and competition

No explicit historical success rate is published in the call documentation. Indicative cap of 42 scholarships against an unspecified number of applicants implies competitive selection. Allocation follows a merit-based ranking with priority tie-break rules for women and RIS applicants; actual success rates will depend on the number and quality of applicants in the recruitment cycle and the distribution of tuition and living allowance costs when scholarships are assigned.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

The call explicitly refers to EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories), listed EEA countries, countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme, and countries in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement that enters into force before grant signature. Specific country lists for association and RIS eligibility are referenced via external links to official lists (Eurostat CCC and Digital Europe Programme eligible countries).

Key contact and further information

Data protection

Applicants must agree to 28DIGITAL Privacy Policy and Master School Terms and Conditions and consent to personal data storage and processing. Applicants retain rights under GDPR (access, correction, erasure, withdrawal of consent) and data inquiries can be sent to privacy@28digital.eu. EMAI4EU’s Data Management Plan provides details on data collection and retention.

Final summary

This opportunity is a scholarship recruitment call run by EMAI4EU to fund students admitted to the EMAI4EU double-degree Master’s programme in Artificial Intelligence with a specialisation in Emotion Artificial Intelligence. The scheme makes available an indicative €588,000 to fund up to approximately 42 scholarships (half waivers, full waivers, and Excellence scholarships which include a living allowance). Applicants must apply through the Master School application portal; scholarship consideration is automatic for admitted students and allocation follows a single unified merit ranking administered by local programme committees and harmonised centrally. The call targets nationals of EU, EEA and Digital Europe associated countries, promotes diversity with dedicated streams for women and RIS countries, and applies standard contractual and data protection arrangements. Publication on the EU portal is informational only; EMAI4EU is the sole responsible entity for the call and award decisions 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call document and fees: masterschool.28digital.eu. The call text published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is available at ec.europa.eu.

Opportunity overview

The Recruitment cycle Cohort 2027 is a cascade funding opportunity operated by the EMAI4EU project under the Digital Europe Programme project grant agreement 101123289. It supports students admitted to the two year, 120 ECTS double degree Master’s programme in Artificial Intelligence with a specialisation in Emotion Artificial Intelligence and a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The programme is intended to develop specialists and innovators in Emotion Artificial Intelligence and combines advanced artificial intelligence education with affective computing, innovation and entrepreneurship. Participation is expected to cover four semesters during the academic years 2027 to 2029.

The publication on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal is provided for information and visibility. This is not an EU action or a funding scheme administered directly by the European Commission. EMAI4EU is solely responsible for preparing the call, assessing applications, selecting recipients, awarding financial support and managing the related agreements.

Key facts

What the funding supports

The financial support is designed to reduce tuition and living-cost barriers for eligible students undertaking the EMAI4EU Master’s programme. It is limited to tuition fee waivers and, for scholarship of excellence recipients, a living allowance. It is not a general research grant, business grant or institutional project grant.

Applicants submit one scholarship application as part of the Master’s programme enrolment process and are automatically considered for the available scholarship categories. Financial support is available only to applicants who are accepted and enrolled in the EMAI4EU Master’s programme.

Scholarship categories

The indicative allocation is approximately 42 scholarships, subject to the available budget, actual tuition fees, host-country correction coefficients and the final number of eligible recipients.

The indicative distribution is approximately seven scholarships of excellence, 28 full tuition fee waivers and seven half tuition fee waivers. These figures are planning targets rather than guaranteed quotas.

Scholarship type and value

Half tuition fee waiver

A half waiver has a nominal value of €3,000 per academic year and is applied as a reduction of tuition fees. Over two academic years, the nominal value is €6,000, subject to the applicable programme fee structure and scholarship agreement.

Full tuition fee waiver

A full waiver has a nominal value of €6,000 per academic year and is applied as a reduction of tuition fees. Over two academic years, the nominal value is €12,000, subject to the applicable programme fee structure and scholarship agreement.

Scholarship of excellence

The scholarship of excellence includes a full tuition fee waiver and a monthly living allowance with a base reference of €900 per month. The allowance is multiplied by the Eurostat Country Correction Coefficient for the country where the student studies. The coefficient is captured when the award is made and remains fixed for the full two year programme. It is not recalculated monthly or annually.

The living allowance is intended to support living costs and is paid directly to the student. Tuition fee waivers are not paid as cash and instead appear as reduced tuition invoices. Students are normally invoiced twice per academic year, once for the autumn semester and once for the spring semester.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be nationals of an eligible country and must be accepted into the EMAI4EU Master’s programme. Eligible nationality categories comprise the European Union Member States, including overseas countries and territories, listed European Economic Area countries, countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme and countries negotiating association where the association agreement enters into force before grant signature.

The opportunity is therefore aimed at individual students rather than companies, universities or research organisations applying as grant beneficiaries. Admission to the Master’s programme is a prerequisite for scholarship eligibility.

The programme also promotes diversity. It aims for at least 30 percent female scholarship recipients and at least 50 percent recipients from EIT Regional Innovation Scheme countries. Women and applicants from RIS countries compete within the same unified merit ranking and receive priority only where applicants have equal final merit scores. These targets do not create separate ranking lists or guaranteed awards.

Academic and admission requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised and accredited higher education institution. The detailed selection process indicates a minimum academic performance threshold equivalent to a GPA of at least 70 percent during pre-screening, together with a degree relevant to the intended Master’s programme.

The programme may permit applicants in the final year of their degree to apply, provided they submit an official statement from the relevant university administration confirming final-year enrolment and the expected completion date.

Applicants should also satisfy the English-language requirement applicable to the selected university and country. The precise evidence and minimum level can vary by institution and should be checked in the current admissions guidance.

Required application documents

The detailed call identifies the following documents and information as part of the application package:

Applicants should ensure that scans include all relevant stamps, signatures, front and back pages and complete transcript information. Translations must be prepared in accordance with the call requirements and, where applicable, show the authorised translator’s credentials, signature and stamp.

Application process

The application process can be accessed through 28DIGITAL Master School application information and EIT Digital Academy application portal.

Selection and evaluation

Applications undergo administrative pre-screening, programme-level evaluation and a final requirements check. Pre-screening includes verification of university recognition, academic performance and relevance of the Bachelor’s degree. The programme selection committee then assesses the candidate and determines suitable entry and exit universities.

Applicants are placed on one unified merit ranking. Scholarship awards are made in ranking order, beginning with scholarships of excellence, followed by full tuition fee waivers and then half tuition fee waivers, subject to the planned distribution and remaining budget.

The main evaluation criteria are:

Each criterion is assessed on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is non-satisfactory, 2 is borderline, 3 is admissible, 4 is very good and 5 is excellent. An average grade of 3 is generally considered admissible unless a participating university raises an objection.

The initial merit result is based on the average of assessments from the entry and exit university coordinators. Programme Leads review scores for consistency, after which the relevant programme representatives and quality assurance management agree the final merit result.

Allocation, duration and payment conditions

Scholarships are allocated on a rolling basis until the available budget is exhausted or the maximum planned number of recipients is reached. If a selected applicant declines an offer or withdraws, the support may be offered to the next eligible applicant on the reserve list.

Selected students must sign a scholarship agreement with 28DIGITAL Master School. Failure to comply with the agreement or applicable programme obligations may lead to termination of financial support and recovery of amounts where permitted by the applicable conditions.

The scholarship arrangement applies during the two years of study. Tuition support is materialised through reduced invoices rather than direct student payments. Only the living allowance included in a scholarship of excellence is paid directly to the student.

The detailed call applies relevant provisions of the EMAI4EU grant agreement to selected students, including requirements relating to conflicts of interest, confidentiality and security, ethics, visibility, action-specific rules, information obligations and record keeping.

Important conditions and risks for applicants

Appeals and contact points

Applicants who believe that an administrative or ranking error occurred may contact the Master School Office. The call does not specify a formal appeal deadline. Appeals are reviewed by the responsible Master School and programme officials, who may correct the result if an error in scoring, administration or allocation is identified.

General EMAI4EU information is available at EMAI4EU project information. The published contact address for the opportunity is emai4eu@28digital.eu. Appeals may be directed to masterschool@28digital.eu and data protection requests to privacy@28digital.eu.

Applicant assessment

This opportunity is most suitable for high-performing graduates or final-year students with a relevant technical Bachelor’s degree, strong academic results, demonstrated interest in artificial intelligence and affective computing, and a credible innovation or entrepreneurship profile. Applicants with documented financial need may be particularly aligned with the purpose of the tuition support and diversity measures.

The strongest applications should combine clear academic fit, evidence of technical capability, a specific and credible entrepreneurial or innovation idea, a persuasive explanation of financial need and careful compliance with document, translation and language requirements. Because awards are merit-ranked and budget-limited, applicants should not assume that meeting minimum eligibility requirements will result in financial support.

Source and verification note 1

Footnotes

1. 1The primary source is the EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity supplied for this analysis, supplemented by the official EMAI4EU 2027 FSTP call document and official Master School information. The detailed call document should be checked immediately before submission because application dates, fees, participating universities, country eligibility and administrative instructions may be updated.