Upcoming call: The war in Ukraine and its consequences

Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has had a dramatic impact on the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe, with far-reaching consequences in the security, humanitarian, economic and legal fields. Regardless of the outcome of the war, the geopolitical situation and the international order have changed radically, which will characterise the region for the foreseeable future. Research plays a crucial role in understanding these developments.

The Foundation is therefore launching a special call for proposals on the theme ‘The war in Ukraine and its consequences’ to further strengthen Swedish research in this area. 

We welcome applications on this theme in all disciplines and particularly welcome international research collaborations.  A clear plan for collaboration with relevant actors within and outside academia and outreach activities will strengthen the application.

Detailed instructions for application will be published on the Foundation’s website in June 2025, with the call opening on 5 August 2025 and closing on 16 September 2025. The Foundation will hold an online information meeting on the call on 12 June 2025 at 13.00-14.30.

Types of grants – overview

Grand projects

• Grand projects are undertaken by a group comprising at least four researchers with a joint, coherent research task.
• A grand project must be characterised by excellence in the various parts of the application, and as a whole. The research task must be well thought-out, from the overarching problem/question to practical execution. A grand project addresses a challenging task, and the group must be carefully composed for the purpose.
• Grand projects are characterised by a strong international element in the research group.
• Grand projects serve to create collaborations across subject and institutional boundaries and national borders, and to enable researchers to form a group that is active in the long term.
• Eligible to apply: A group of at least four researchers. All the researchers must have obtained doctorates by the date of application. Funding can also be applied for the employment of postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students.
• Project period: Four or five years. One and a half years of extra grant availability time is added to this project period.
• Amount of grant: A maximum of SEK 5 million a year on average, totalling a maximum of SEK 25 million.
• Grant administrator:  Södertörn University
  All projects must be based at Södertörn University, which acts as the grant administrator. Neither the project manager nor the participants need to be employed by the grant administrator at the time of application. During the project period, the project manager must be employed at Södertörn University, while the other participants must normally spend some time there.

Projects

• Project grants provide support for researchers, either individuals or small groups, who formulate their own research problem, methodology and implementation and carry out a well-defined research task within a limited timeframe.
• Eligible to apply: An individual researcher or a small group of researchers. All the researchers must have obtained doctorates by the date of application.
• Project period: Three years. One and a half years of extra grant availability time is added to this project period.
• Amount of grant: A maximum of SEK 2 million a year on average, totalling a maximum of SEK 6 million.
• Grant administrator: Södertörn University
  All projects must be based at Södertörn University, which acts as the grant administrator. Neither the project manager nor the participants need to be employed by the grant administrator at the time of application. During the project period, the project manager must be employed at Södertörn University, while the other participants must normally spend some time there.

Research networks

• The research networks concern funding for either creating new networks of researchers or maintaining already established ones. The networks must themselves initiate research and serve the purpose of contributing to future research through academic meetings and contacts where researchers can define, delimit and formulate research ideas that may eventually culminate in applications for research funds.
• Eligible to apply: A group of researchers. The project manager must be a researcher from a higher education institution in Sweden. The network must include researchers at Södertörn University. Doctoral students may be included.
• Project period: Maximum of one year. One year of extra grant availability time is added to this period.
• Amount of grant: SEK 200,000 for one year. Funding is only applied for the costs of meetings and travel.
• Grant Administrator: A Swedish higher education institution, provided collaboration with researchers at Södertörn University.

Important dates

• The call will open on 5 August 2025 at 09:00 and close on 16 September 2025 at 15:00 (submit a complete and signed application).
• Decisions will be taken by the Board of Foundation in December 2025.
• Project start date: 1 January 2026. Additional grant availability period will apply, see information in ‘Types of grants – overview’.

Assessment of applications

Applications are submitted in a single-stage procedure for all grant types, including project grants. This means that a complete application must be submitted at the time of application.

All applications are reviewed by a panel composed of international experts.

Assessment criteria

Grand projects and projects

• scientific/scholarly quality
• relevance to the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe
• relevance to society (including collaboration and outreach)
• innovativeness and originality
• research group’s composition and skills
• feasibility (including preparedness for changing conditions)
• relevance to the call

Research networks

• scientific/scholarly potential
• relevance to the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe
• relevance to society (including collaboration and outreach)
• the network group’s composition and skills
• the quality of the plan for the research network’s activities
• how the research network will benefit research and/or doctoral studies at Södertörn University
• relevance to the call