Research Funding News 3 2025 Research Services, Lund University |
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Happy birthdayAfter consulting the Word Wide Web on noteworthy events that have taken place on this day (23 May) in the past, we are excited to announce that today marks the 318th birthday of Carl von Linné, Sweden’s perhaps best-known natural scientist! (He was a student at Lund, but eventually relocated to Uppsala University, demonstrating that no one is perfect.) Happy B-day, Kalle the Floral King! We are quite sure that Carl von Linné didn’t have to spend an excessive amount of time applying for external research funding. Ah the good old days. Or not.
... and a happy summer!Anyhow, we have a jam-packed newsletter for you, with for example info on the Horizon Europe work programmes, ERC webinar and workshop, the KAW 2026 project call, the needs inventory of research infrastructure of national interest… and a long list of calls to apply for! Should keep you busy until September 😊. With this, we wish you a lovely spring and summer, Research Services
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Network grant for planning future excellence clusters for cutting-edge technologiesUpcoming with the Swedish Research Council
The purpose of the grant is to create an opportunity for a constellation of researchers and other relevant stakeholders to plan for a future grant application to establish excellence clusters for cutting-edge technologies, with a focus on future technology areas. The grant must be reported back to the Swedish Research Council after 6 months.
Further information will become available here | | Funding for visiting professors of the underrepresented gender
In an effort to stimulate work with gender equality and equal opportunities, Lund University invites the faculties to apply for funds to finance fixed-term appointments of visiting professors of the underrepresented gender. The visiting professor should be provided the opportunity to participate in both research and teaching at different levels, and in this way reach out as role model for both researchers and students, strengthening the faculty's work on gender equality and equal opportunities.
Further information and application (deadline 30 May 2025) | | | |
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Swedish National Space Agency: new initiatives
The Swedish Space Agency will establish a national program for the increased use of satellite data (2025-2028). The program is to be relevant to a broader range of stakeholders and contribute to societal benefit. The Agency will contact authorities, academia and industry to discuss how the program can be designed and implemented. Exemples of initiatives: - Development of skills-enhancing initiatives for different target groups
- Cooperate with relevant units at universities and university colleges (Collaboration, Innovation Commissioned Research)
- Innovation procurements aimed at authorities
- Collaboration with industry organizations
- Funding of industrial and municipal doctoral students
| New call: Climate and Environment 2025The call Climate and Environment 2025 is now open, with deadline 8 September 2025. It is aimed at consortia consisting of at least one authority (main applicant) and at least one additional actor from academia, industry or the public sector. Further information | New conference: Swedish Earth Observation
SWEO2025The conference will be held 23-24 October in Stockholm.Themes include
societal challenges and the need for Earth observation data, next generation
Earth observation, innovation for the application of Earth observation data and
New Space development, ecosystems for skills development and collaborations,
and upcoming funding opportunities, programs and calls.
Further
information and registration | | | | | |
UZH Global Funding Scheme The University of Zurich (UZH) will open their UZH Global Funding Scheme (GFS) on 3 June 2025. Three funding lines, open to academic and professional services staff at UZH in partnership with colleagues at Lund University. Global Outreach Fund: Grants of up to CHF 5,000 to increase global visibility of UZH excellence Global Seed Fund: Grants of up to CHF 5,000 to help develop larger global initiatives Global Champion Fund: Grants ranging from CHF 20,000 to 60,000 to support projects with strong potential for long-term institutional collaboration The call opens on 3 June 2025, with deadline of 15 August 2025. Further information can be found on the UZH Global Affairs website. Questions? Please reach out to Leslie Reinhard (fundingscheme@global.uzh.ch), Global Affairs Office.
| | | Webinar: The Kamprad Family FoundationThe foundation supports, stimulates and rewards education and scientific research to promote entrepreneurship, the environment, competence, health and social improvement.
At the webinar, the foundation will present the autumn call for research grants in the areas of - Entrepreneurship for a Living Rural Area
- Improved Quality of Life for the Elderly
They will also introduce a new grant type, Continuation Grants, with a focus on implementing previously conducted research. After the presentation, there will be a Q & A. Day & time: 4 June 2025 12:15-1:00 PM Registration and meeting link
| | | Work Programmes for 2025 launched The European Commission has presented the work programmes for 2025. This includes in particular WPs for all thematic clusters in pillar 2, as well as an updated MSCA WP (see news item below). The first calls opened on 15 May and deadlines per clusters are as follows (some exceptions may exist, so check the deadline for each call topic): - Cluster 1: 16 September 2025
- Cluster 2: 16 September 2025
- Cluster 3: 12 November 2025
- Cluster 4: 23 September 2025 (industry and space), 2 October 2025 (materials and data), 10 February 2026 (space)
- Cluster 5: 2, 4 & 24 September 2025, 20 January & 17 February 2026
- Cluster 6: 4, 16, 17, 24 September 2025
You will find all calls, and work programme documents, in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Contact Research Services and let us know if you are preparing a proposal for any of these calls, either as a coordinator or a partner. | Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions: ‘Choose Europe for Science’ pilotA novelty in the updated MSCA work programme is the Choose Europe pilot. The scheme aims to increase the attractiveness of European research careers by addressing precarity and offering excellent working conditions. Choose Europe will support projects in which organisations recruit postdoctoral researchers with a vision to employment beyond the project period. EU funding covers a first phase (24-36 months), with EU funding equivalent to the minimum gross salary for the recruited researcher and a second phase (24 months) in which the applicant is expected to continue to employ the researcher and set salaries attractive at a national level. The call will open on 1 October and close on 3 December 2025. Contact Research Services for more information.
Further information
| Prepare for EIC Pathfinder Challenges and TransitionThese are the Pathfinder Challenges in the European Innovation Council call 2025: - Biotech for climate resilient crops and plant-based biomanufacturing
- Generative-AI based agents to revolutionise medical diagnosis and treatment of cancer
- Towards autonomous robot collectives delivering collaborative tasks in dynamic unstructured construction environments
- Waste-to-value devices: Circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials
The application deadline is 29 October 2025. Further information about the specific topics EIC Transition fund further development of results developed in EU funded projects. Deadline: 17 September 2025. Further information about the call and eligible topics Contact Research Services for EIC guidance and support | | | ERC Synergy Grant info sessionResearch Services will organise an information meeting for the ERC Synergy Grant 2026 call. ERC Synergy Grants fund small groups of 2-4 Principal Investigators to work together to tackle ambitious research problems. The meeting will go through the application and evaluation process, provide tips and tricks for successful applications, and hear from Malin Parmar, who received a Synergy Grant in the 2024 call.
Date: 4 June 2025, 15:00 – 16:30
Location: Zoom (link provided after registration) Register for the information session (by 30 May 2025) ERC Starting and Consolidator Grant webinar from VRVetenskapsådet will organise an information webinar for the ERC Starting and Consolidator Grant calls, open to all researchers applying with a Swedish Host Institution. The meeting is organised together with Research Services, and acts as a complement to our internal support. Date: 5 June 2025, 13:00 – 16:00 Location: Zoom Register for the webinar
ERC Consolidator Grant workshop
Save the date. ERC Consolidator Grants are open to researchers 7 – 12 years after their PhD, and provide up to €2 million for up to 5 years. The CoG 2026 call has a preliminary deadline in January 2026. Research Services provides support to all researchers at Lund interested in this scheme. Our support will start with a workshop on 23 September 2025, from 09:00 – 13:00, going over the scheme and how to write a successful proposal. Registration will open during the summer. Preliminary ERC 2026 deadlines- Starting Grant 2026: 14 October 2025
- Consolidator Grant 2026: 13 January 2026
- Advanced Grant 2026: 27 August 2026
- Synergy Grant 2026: 5 November 2026
| COST Actions Open Call 2025COST Actions are interdisciplinary research networks that bring researchers and innovators together to investigate a topic for four years. They are open to all science and technology fields, including new and emerging ones, COST Actions are also bottom-up meaning you can propose a network based on your own interests or ideas. The deadline for applications is 21 October. Further information on the COST website | Planning grants for EU applications from SSFThe Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) have opened a new call, "EU Horizon Europe application support 2025". Researchers in natural sciences, engineering or medicine who apply for the role of project coordinator for HEU Pillar 2 projects in 2025 can apply for a maximum SSF grant of SEK 500,000 (incl. overheads). The grants must be used exclusively to cover costs for salaries, travel and consultants directly related to the preparation of a HEU application. The deadline for applications is 15 October 2025. Further information on the SSF website | | | Swedish funding requiring central management | VR Grant for recruiting international visiting researchersInstructions for organisation call applicationApril 1st the Swedish Research Council (VR) opened their call Grant for recruiting international visiting researchers to Sweden, a fairly unique call for VR following the rolling submission of applications. Note that this is an Organisation call, meaning that Research Services are responsible for the application in Prisma. The call is linked to a recruitment effort, hence approval is needed from both head of department and dean of faculty. It is the responsibility of the head of department to ask Research Services to open an application in Prisma. A project manager (PM) responsible for the application in Prisma is invited, and once finalised, the PM contacts Research Services, that collects approval from department/faculty before submitting the application. For further details on this process please contact us at: ansokan@fs.lu.se | KAW 2025: Program for MathematicsAre you a LU mathematician? Great! Have a look at the Program for Mathematics provided by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Its purpose is to make sure that Sweden regains an international, cutting edge position in Mathematics. The program includes several parts, with deadline 5 October:
Nomination of guest professors; Postdoctoral Scholarship Program in Mathematics for researchers from outside Sweden; Postdoctoral Scholarship Program in Mathematics for researchers with a Swedish doctors degree Read the call, and if you are interested, please get in touch with your head of department. For questions regarding the Vice-Chancellor certification, contact Johanna Mellgren at Research Services (johanna.mellgren@fs.lu.se).
| Get ready for KAW's "2026: Research projects with high scientific potential"Lund University’s internal management rules + time plan for the prioritization of projects to apply in this call are now avaliable on the staff pages (sw and eng). KAW supports researcher-initiated projects of the highest international standard within natural sciences, engineering and medicine. A project is to be run by a PI and up to 4 co-PI:s, and focuses on a cohesive research issue. Deadline for Letter of Intent: 19 September. Call deadline: 1 Februari 2026. Read the call here. Contacts at Research Services: Johanna Mellgren (johanna.mellgren@fs.lu.se) and Tina Trollås (tina.trollas@fs.lu.se)
| | | | New needs inventory of research infrastructure of national interestThis autumn, the Swedish Research Council (SRC = VR) will launch a needs inventory of research infrastructure (RI) of national interest. It concerns both new and certain existing RI. Representatives of university management, public agencies with research responsibilities, research funding bodies or research groups can submit proposals from October 1 to November 3. Preliminary information is available here. The SRC plans to hold an online information meeting on September 25, but those who intend to submit proposals should of course start preparations as soon as possible!
In the same way as before all previous national needs inventories, Lund university is conducting its own inventory of its research groups’ and faculties’ needs for national RI. The purpose is, inter alia, to get a comprehensive view of LU’s future needs and to prepare for discussions with other universities and the SRC. Therefore, Research Services has asked all faculties to investigate, identify and prioritize current needs/proposals and to notify Research Services of the results. Contact your faculty office if you want information on how your faculty organizes its work on this issue.
| Selected calls from other fundersFor a more exhaustive list of calls directly relevant to you, try the grant database Pivot-RP, to which Lund University subscribes. | Jeanssons Stiftelser startup grant, medicineThe startup grants are aimed at young researchers that are setting up their own research group. Eligible applicants must hold a position at a university or research institute, or a clinical position at a university-affiliated hospital. Applicants must have received their PhD in 2019 or later. Deadline: 27 June 2025
Further information | The Knut och Ragnvi Jacobsson Family FoundationThe Foundation grants research scholarships to highly motivated, entrepreneurial researchers with innovative yet feasible projects. The project must be tied to a Swedish HEI. Project focus may be logistics, innovation, quality, internationalization, ergonomics, design. Deadline: 31 July 2025
Further information (in Swedish) | Opportunities with NordForskIndigenous guidelines for NordForsk: funding for a project that will support the formulation of Nordic guidelines for research involving Indigenous people. Nordic research networks within natural science and related engineering fields: funding for up to 15 research networks to bolster the international competitiveness, innovative nature, and ground-breaking potential of Nordic research. Deadline (both calls): 14 August 2025
Further information | RJ Advanced Studies Programme 2025Researchers in the humanities and social sciences can apply for funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) to stay as fellows at four leading institutes for advanced study, 2026-2027. In addition to being able to fully focus on their research, researchers participate in the institutes' interdisciplinary environments and in academic events beyond their own fields of specialisation.
Deadline: 18 August kl. 15:00
Read more in the news release and on the call page | The Swedish Brain Foundation post docEach year, the Foundation announces grants for postdoctoral positions for recently awarded researchers in neuroscience. The doctoral degree must not be older than five years at the time of application, but exceptions are allowed for, for example, AT service or parental leave.
Grants can be awarded for research within or outside Sweden. Note that remaining in, or in close proximity to, the research environment where the PhD thesis work was carried out is not considered a merit. Deadline: 20 August 2025
Further information (in Swedish) | Afa Försäkring post doc support Sweden's labour market parties, through Afa, acts as important research funders in the fields of work environment and health. The current post doc support, worth 2.4 MSEK, is to be used for research related to health and with a focus on reducing sick leave amongst Afa interest groups, in this case workers in the private sector. Differences between the sexes should be highlighted. Applicants must have a connection to a Swedish HE or university hospital. They must not have completed their doctoral dissertation earlier than August 2022. Deadline: 29 August 2025
Further information (in Swedish) | | | SSF Strategic MobilityThe Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) annually announces 10 million SEK in a strategic mobility initiative aimed at researchers who wants to temporarily change research environment. Grants can cover salary during a four to twelve month exchange, in a sector other than the one in which the person is active. During the stay, the visiting researcher must conduct strategic research within either natural sciences, technology or medicine.
Deadline: 9 September 2025
Further information | Handelsbanken funding for economic sciencesThe Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation and the Tore Browaldh Foundation supports social science research, primarily in business administration, economics and economic history. Autumn 2025 calls, with deadline 15 September: Wallander Scholarships are aimed at outstanding young researchers, to provide a 3-year funding and to enable the holder’s advancement to an associate professorship. Hedelius Scholarships are intended for doctoral students who intend to pursue studies for a limited period in the at a reputable foreign university. Research Exchange and Dissemination intends to stimulate research collaborations as well as the dissemination of research results. Researchers with a PhD are eligible to apply. Extension of Browaldh Scholarships: prolonged funding of a young economic researcher of a high international standard who has been recruited in international competition. Further information (in Swedish) | VR International post docThe autumn post doc call with Vetenskapsrådet (VR; the Swedish Research Council) offers funding in natural sciences and technology, medicine and health, and humanities and social sciences.
The grant offers recently graduated researchers with a doctoral degree from a Swedish university the opportunity to expand their network and expertise. It is also intended to reward the quality and innovation of Swedish research. Deadline: 16 September 2025
Further information (available closer to call opening) | The Royal Physiographic Society of LundDo not miss the autumn (September) calls with “Fysiografen”! The Society offers a wide range of specific donations, many of which available only to researchers in Skåne/Lund. Highlighted herein: Horisont ("Horizon"): Grant to support foundational research across all scientific fields and disciplines to find novel theoretical or practical solutions to important problems in science and society in the widest sense, including challenging methodological problems. Deadline is 16 September. Grant for associate senior lecturers (BUL): A maximum of two two-year grants of SEK 750,000/year for each grant. The grant can be used freely for all costs occurring in the project (e.g. equipment, operation, personnel costs and scholarships). However, the grant may not be used for the applicant's own salary. Eligible to apply are associate senior lecturers (BULs) in NMT-fields. Deadline is 25 September. Final application dates 2025, all calls
| Erik Philip-Sörensens foundationGrants for genetic research are awarded researchers with a Swedish PhD degredd, without any restriction to university. Purely clinical/medical research is not supported. Grants for humanities research are awarded primarily to researchers within the humanities at Lund University. The Foundation particularly welcome applications from younger post-doc researchers who wish to develop new research themes. The size of a grant is normally in the range of SEK 50,000 - 400,000. Deadline: 19 September 2025
Further information (in Swedish) | | | Jerring Foundation research grantThe Foundation supports research in healthcare, social care and education, which aims to improve the health and living situation of children and young people with special needs (physical or mental disabilities, chronic illness or social vulnerability). Research can focus on health aspects, living conditions, quality of life and learning.
A main applicant must have earned their doctoral degree within 10 years of the year of application. The maximum grant sum is SEK 300,000. Only one-year grants are available, but grants for the same project can be applied for on three occasions. Deadline: 20 September 2025
Further information (in Swedish) | SSF Individual Grants 2025 Ingvar Carlsson Award – Across the AtlanticThe call is aimed at researchers currently employed in the American academy, with a previous or current connection to Sweden (active or previous Swedish citizenship or a master’s or doctoral degree from a HEI in Sweden). The grant is 15 MSEK to cover a research period of five years. The institution must confirm that a permanent position will be offered. Applicants must have conducted research for 7 to 12 years from the date of their PhD degree.
The research must be carried out within the foundation’s areas of activity: natural sciences, technology or medicine.
Deadline: 23 September 2025
Further information | Formas’ open call 2025
In the open call, researchers are invited to freely formulate a research question. Projects are only funded where the main aim and contribution is to develop new scientific knowledge within Formas’ areas of responsibility – the environment, agricultural sciences, and spatial planning, and their intersections. The call welcomes basic research as well as needs-driven research in all disciplines or combination of disciplines. Deadline: 1 October 2025
Further information | Impact Innovation callsDo not forget to explore calls under the banner Impact Innovation, Sweden's major innovation initiative to tackle the challenges of our time and the future, funded by Formas, Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency! Visit Impact Innovation | Ragnar Söderberg Project Grants in Economic SciencesThe call concern project grants for early career researchers, i.e. up to ten years after PhD, in all domains of economic sciences (including economics, business administration, and economic history). The aim is to support researchers with innovative ideas, high ambitions and potential to become academic leaders in their field. Applications are welcomed from groups of two or three researchers. The call is open between 6 May to 7 October at 3:00 pm.
Further information | Planning grant for international proposalDo you want to make better project applications and increase the opportunities for funding through international calls for proposals? With a planning grant from Vinnova, you can work in a project to develop a competitive proposal with Swedish participation to an international call for proposals.
The planning project may last for maximum 12 months.
Deadline: 12 November 2025
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