Google DeepMind AI Master’s Scholarship (GATE Institute, Sofia University)

The Google DeepMind AI Master’s Scholarship at the GATE Institute funds master’s study in artificial intelligence at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski in Bulgaria. It is part of Google DeepMind’s international programme to widen access to advanced AI education, and Sofia University is one of only four European institutions selected to host it, alongside Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay in France, the University of Warsaw in Poland, and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in Romania. Applications close on 9 October 2026.

The support is comprehensive, worth up to 28,695 US dollars across the 18-month programme. It covers full tuition, housing and living expenses, academic travel, equipment, relocation costs, and funding specifically to attend AI-related academic conferences. That last element matters more than it might appear, because conference attendance is often the difference between a master’s graduate with a research network and one without. For the 2026-2027 year the number of scholarships increased from one to two.

Eligibility is narrow in two directions, and being honest about both saves wasted applications. First, you must be ordinarily resident in Bulgaria or another European Union member state, which excludes most international applicants regardless of merit. Second, the scholarship targets students who identify as female or who come from a low socio-economic background that would otherwise prevent them from studying, and financial need is an explicitly scored component assessed on household income and size rather than a tie-breaker.

Academically you need a bachelor’s degree with a minimum overall grade of 4.50 and a candidate-student examination success rate of at least 4.50 out of 6.00, and you must be admitted to one of three specific master’s programmes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics: Artificial Intelligence, Information Retrieval and Knowledge Discovery, or Big Data Technologies. Admission is a separate process run by the faculty, so the scholarship application and the university application proceed in parallel. Final selection and nomination is completed by 31 October 2026, a fast turnaround after the deadline. With only two awards available, this is worth applying for but not worth planning around.

• You must be ordinarily resident in Bulgaria or another European Union member state. This is the condition that rules out most international applicants, so check it before anything else.
• The scholarship targets students who identify as female, or who come from a low socio-economic background that would otherwise prevent them from pursuing the degree.
• You must be admitted to one of three eligible master's programmes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University: Artificial Intelligence, Information Retrieval and Knowledge Discovery, or Big Data Technologies.
• You need a candidate-student examination success rate of at least 4.50 out of 6.00.
• You must hold a bachelor's degree with a minimum overall grade of 4.50.
• Financial need forms an explicit part of the selection process, assessed on total household income and household size among other factors.
• Only two scholarships are available for the 2026-2027 academic year, up from one the previous year, so the competition is extremely narrow.
• Admission to the master's programme is a separate process handled by the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, and you must complete it alongside the scholarship application.

• Total support of up to USD 28,695 across the programme, which is substantial relative to the cost of study and living in Bulgaria.
• Full tuition fees for the entire 18-month master's programme.
• Housing and living expenses, so the award covers the practical cost of studying rather than tuition alone.
• Academic travel support and funding specifically to attend AI-related academic conferences, which matters for building a research profile early.
• Equipment costs and relocation costs, both of which are commonly overlooked barriers for students from lower-income households.
• Association with Google DeepMind, which is part of a wider international effort to support underrepresented talent in artificial intelligence.
• Sofia University is one of only four European institutions selected for this programme, alongside Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay in France, the University of Warsaw in Poland, and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in Romania.
• Professional networking and hands-on experience with current AI technologies, aimed at preparing scholars for both research and industry careers.

• Official scholarship application form, submitted online through the GATE Institute application system.
• Proof of admission, or of application, to one of the three eligible master's programmes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.
• Bachelor's degree certificate showing a minimum overall grade of 4.50.
• Candidate-student examination results showing a success rate of at least 4.50 out of 6.00.
• Evidence of ordinary residence in Bulgaria or another EU member state.
• Documentation supporting the financial eligibility assessment, including household income and household size.
• Curriculum vitae and a statement covering your interest in artificial intelligence and your career goals.
• Academic transcripts for previous study.

• Confirm the residency condition first. You must be ordinarily resident in Bulgaria or another EU member state, and no amount of academic strength substitutes for it.
• Apply for admission to one of the three eligible master's programmes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics through the official Sofia University process, following the FMI website for admission examination dates.
• Prepare the financial documentation properly, since financial need is a scored component rather than a tie-breaker, assessed on household income and size.
• Submit the scholarship application form online before 9 October 2026.
• Be realistic about the odds. Only two scholarships are available for 2026-2027, so treat this as one option among several rather than a plan.
• Final selection and nomination of scholars is completed by 31 October 2026, so the decision follows quickly after the deadline.
• If you are outside the EU, look instead at the parallel Google DeepMind scholarships at other partner institutions, since eligibility rules differ by host.
• From 2026 the international arm of this programme is administered by the Institute of International Education, whose FAQ page is worth reading for the wider scheme.