The Gunnar and Lillian Nicholson Graduate Fellowship and Faculty Exchange Fund in Forestry was established by the late Gunnar Nicholson to enhance scholarly exchange among Swedish and NC State University students, faculty and scientists. Nicholson Fellows are prepared for international careers through work on cutting-edge issues ranging from conservation of genetic diversity in the tropics to tree improvement and silviculture of temperate and northern species.

View the Gunnar and Lilian Nichsolson Endowment Funding Quick Facts Sheet

For questions and more information about how to apply, please email Rajan Parajuli ([email protected]).

Types of Exchange

The Nicholson Fund supports six types of exchange between NC State and Swedish forestry institutions, listed below in priority order. Full eligibility requirements, award packages, and application materials for each are available in the Quick Facts Sheet.

1. Swedish-Educated Doctoral Students — Full PhD (up to 4 years) at NC State for students with a forestry degree from a Swedish institution.
2. Swedish-Connected Doctoral Students — PhD at NC State (1–4 years) for students with a strong Swedish research connection, such as a co-chaired committee or a research stint in Sweden.
3. Faculty Exchange — Travel funding for NC State and Swedish faculty/scientists pursuing collaborative research.
4. Student Visiting Scholar — Short-term exchange (1–6 months) for graduate students collaborating on research with a host at the partner institution.
5. Study Abroad — Coursework-based exchange (minimum one course) for students pursuing a forestry-related degree.
6. Joint NCSU-Sweden Programs — Funding for joint trainings, short courses, or workshops involving both NC State and Swedish forestry faculty/students.

Application Timeline

For priority consideration for summer or fall semester travel, apply by February 15 (5 p.m. EST). For priority consideration for spring semester travel, apply by August 25 (5 p.m. EST). Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered only if funding is still available. All applications should be sent to [email protected].

Student Activities

The Gunnar and Lillian Nicholson Graduate Fellowship and Faculty Exchange Fund has shaped the lives of many researchers. Click on the reports below to read about the impacts that this fund has made:

2025

• Viking Lindholm travelled from SLU in Sweden to take several graduate courses at NCSU for the spring semester of 2025. His courses in the Forestry and Environmental Resources department gave him a better understanding of the forestry and forest products industries in the southeastern United States. Anton was able to travel throughout North Carolina as well as other states during his time abroad.

2024

• NCSU PhD student Madisen Fuller travelled to Stockholm, Sweden to attend the International Union of Forest Research Organizations’ (IUFRO) annual meeting. She presented a poster of one of her dissertation chapters, “Projecting the spatial distribution of tree planting under different policy incentive structures,” which was selected for a “Best Poster” award along with a handful of other presentations.
• Ben Rose traveled to Umeå, Sweden this summer for a short-term research exchange with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Working in a nearly 140-year-old Scots pine forest near the town Vindeln, Ben studied the role of soil fungi in Scots pine regeneration. Ben also was able to attend and present his research at the IUFRO annual meeting in Stockholm and the International Conference on Mycorrhizas in Manchester, UK.
• Thule Grubbström and Isak Haglund traveled from SLU in Sweden to attend forestry classes at NCSU for the spring semester. They both highly enjoyed their time travelling not only throughout North Carolina but other parts of the country, as well. Attending courses at another program in a different country was a rewarding experience for both.