Research grants
Apply for external research funding
Below, you will find a selection of funders of particular interest for researchers at Lund University School of Economics and Management.
Bankforskningsinsitutet/The Swedish Bank Research Foundation
Scholarships for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers, carrying out research on financial institutions and markets.
The Crafoord Foundation
The Crafoord foundation is a broad research foundation that enables scientific research in southern Sweden. It funds mainly 1-year research projects, but also grant longer-term support, 2–4 years, as well as a larger contribution.
European Research Council (ERC)
ERC grants support individual researchers of any nationality and age who wish to pursue their frontier research. The ERC encourages in particular proposals that cross disciplinary boundaries, pioneering ideas that address new and emerging fields and applications that introduce unconventional, innovative approaches.
ERC deadlines 2024
Starting Grant 2025: October 2024 (preliminary)
Consolidator Grant 2025: December 2024 (preliminary)
Advanced Grant 2024: 29 August 2024
Synergy Grant 2025: November 2024 (preliminary)
Proof of Concept 2024: 17 September 2024
Special rules apply for applications to the ERC as these require a commitment of the host institution signed by the vice-chancellor – please contact Research Services.
Formas/The Swedish Research Council Formas
Formas, the Swedish research council for sustainable development, promotes and supports research within the areas of Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning. The research comprises basic research, needs-driven research and innovation. Formas may also fund development projects to a limited extent.
Forte/Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
Forte is a government agency financing research in the areas of health, labour and welfare. Forte distributes around 550 million Swedish kronor every year to both basic and needs-driven research. This ranges from individual project grants to larger efforts to build world-class research environments.
Försäkringskassan
Försäkringskassan announces project grants within social insurance. Funding may be 1–3 years. This year, research areas of special interest are those that illuminates the individual and societal effects of the current pandemic, from a welfare- and social insurance perspective. Note that proposals not dealing with the pandemic are highly welcome as well.
Read more (in Swedish)
Gunvor och Josef Anérs stiftelse
The foundation grants support for all types of scientific research, particularly within humanities.
Read more (in Swedish)
Handelsrådet/The Swedish Retail and Wholesale Development Council
One of Sweden’s largest financiers of research in the area of wholesale and retail, the council annually pays approximately 20 million SEK to various research projects. The main purpose is developing and strengthening the academic retail and wholesale research. The aim is also to increase the knowledge of wholesale and retail, for the benefit of companies, employees, customers and society.
Stipends for postdocs and PhD students are announced every spring.
Application deadline: 28 April every year
Hans Werthén Fonden/Hans Werthén Foundation
The foundation annually awards 15 stipends of 100,000–200,000 SEK to postdocs or PhD students for one year of scientific work abroad. Applicants are to be 25–35 years old and hold an academic degree (at least master), preferably in science, business/economics or law. Preferably, the applicant has post-degree experience from research or business.
Read more (in Swedish)
Institutet för arbetsmarknads- och utbildningspolitisk utvärdering (IFAU)/The Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy
IFAU annually awards funds to research on
- labour-market policy and studies of the functioning of the labour market, and
- consequences of various reforms and measures within the educational system.
Application deadline: 1 October every year
Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius Foundation – Programmes (Handelsbanken)
The foundation supports social science research in primarily business administration, economics and economic history with diffent types of grants: programmes, postdoctoral fellowships (Wallander scholarships), grants for research exchange and dissemination of research results, scholarships for research training abroad (Hedelius scholarships).
Read more (in Swedish)
Johan and Jakob Söderberg Foundation
Applications regarding doctoral or post-doctoral funding in the fields of economics and law are welcomed. Funding is available as individual scholarships only. Funding for one year represent 340.000 SEK for a doctoral student, 530.000 SEK for a post doc.
Read more (in Swedish)
Konkurrensverket/The Swedish Competition Authority
The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket), together with the Council for Research Issues, works to stimulate research within competition and public procurement and to contribute towards the qualitative and quantitative development of research in this area. For this reason, they provide funding for research projects, commissioned research, seminars and the like.
Application deadline: 1 February every year
Kronofogdemyndigheten/Swedish Enforcement Authority
The Swedish Enforcement Authority conducts research in order to promote research at universities and university colleges within areas that relate to the Authority's activity. Individual researchers or groups of researchers from different scientific disciplines can apply.
Read more (in Swedish)
The Lars Erik Lundberg Foundation for Research and Education
The Foundation supports research and studies in the fields of economics, business administration, and technology. Support may be granted to either senior researchers or doctoral students, and is normally granted for a project period of one to three years.
Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, MSB/Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency
MSB primarily supports applied, needs-oriented research. The aim is to generate practical applicable research findings that will lead to an increased ability to solve societal problems.
Ragnar Söderberg Foundation – Ragnar Söderberg Project in Economic Sciences or Law
The foundation supports junior researchers with a PhD that have innovative ideas, proven scientific excellence and high ambitions to develop economic sciences.
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) supports research in Humanities and Social Sciences. Support is provided in several forms: programmes, projects, infrastructure for research, and also for research initiation. Currently open calls:
RJ Research Initiation – intended to support activities that will result in new research in the humanities and social sciences. Continuous deadlines about 6 times a year.
Sten K Johnson Foundation
The foundation wants to reach out to individuals, organizations and companies (with a link to Skåne) who have vision and drive to develop projects in education, culture, technology, medicine, entrepreneurship, literature and music.
Stiftelsen för främjande av ekonomisk forskning vid Lunds universitet
The purpose of the foundation is to promote such economic research at Lund University that is of interest to industry and trade. Each semester the foundation assigns SEK 200,000 for stipends and research grants. Priority is given to grants for travel for field surveys and conference participation.
Application deadline: 10 April 2024
Stiftelsen Lantbruksforskning/EH Hügoths foundation
Grants for higher studies in agricultural economy, marketing and administration. The foundation also promotes experimental work of importance for agriculture.
Application deadline: 31 December each year
Stiftelsen Svenska Revisionsakademin
The foundation supports research mainly in accounting and auditing.
Read more (in Swedish)
STINT
The purpose of STINT’s activity is to strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish universities and colleges through the development of international relationships. The internationalisation of higher education and research is mainly based on concerted, long-term efforts. Sometimes however, it is important to be able to act quickly when the opportunity arises. STINT offers Initiation Grants for this purpose.
Torsten Söderberg Foundation
The foundation supports research in the areas of medicine, business and economics, and law. Researchers must be active in Sweden. Swedish citizenship is required for research abroad. Foreign citizens included in the application must reside in and conduct their research in Sweden.
Read more (in Swedish)
The Wallenberg Foundations
The Wallenberg Foundations is the collective name for the public and private foundations funded by individual members of the Wallenberg family. The Foundations grant funding to excellent researchers and research projects beneficial to Sweden, and have since 1917 granted over 25 billion SEK.
– Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
Grants for research projects with high research potential, usually of a basic research nature and focused on a single research issue. Projects within new research fields, above all of a boundary-crossing nature, are prioritised. The project should preferably be within science, engineering and medicine.
Read more
Requires central management of applications and accounting – please contact LU Research Services.
– Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation
The Foundation primarily grants funding for the humanities and learning. Individual scientists or research groups affiliated with a Swedish university or other academic and non-profit organizations may apply for grants. All applications to the Foundation must first pass the internal prioritization process of the relevant university or institution.
Application deadline: 1 April every year
Requires central management of applications and accounting – please contact LU Research Services.
– Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation
The Foundation primarily grants funding for projects related to law, social science and other social sciences together with fellowships in clinical medicine. The Foundation mainly funds research projects of high scientific potential and provides individual support to outstanding scientists. From time to time, the Foundation also initiates strategic projects and scholarship programs.
Application deadline: 1 April every year
Requires central management of applications and accounting – please contact LU Research Services.
– Peter Wallenberg Foundation
The Foundation supports projects related to economics and technology, preferably projects involving collaboration between Swedish and Finnish scientists.
Application deadline: 1 April and 1 October every year
Wenner-Gren Foundations
The Wenner-Gren Foundations (The Wenner-Gren Center Foundation for Scientific Research, The Axel Wenner-Gren Foundation for International Exchange of Scientists and The Foundation Wenner-Grenska Samfundet) support international scientific exchange.
Vetenskapsrådet (VR)/The Swedish Research Council
The Swedish Research Council allocates around SEK 6,4 billion in funding for basic research of the highest scientific quality in all areas of research each year. All applications for funding are subject to rigorous quality testing, known as peer review.
Both those who are early in their research careers and those who are more established may apply for grants from the Swedish Research Council. They have a specific mandate from the government to support young researchers and to encourage research to be renewed.
Vinnova
Vinnova develops a number of programmes and activities within strategic areas. Most programmes involve active cooperation between the private business sector, universities and/or research institutes as well as the public sector.
Research Services
Support and help on issues concerning external research funding
Research Funding News
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Research Service's blog
LU-blog with news and updates regarding research funding – fs.blogg.lu.se