Strategic Research Areas
The Swedish Research Council recommends that four projects at Uppsala University be awarded funding in the government’s strategic research areas initiative 2026:
Health, life sciences and artificial intelligence: Combating the antibiotic resistance pandemic with personalised medicine. Project leader: Dan I. Andersson, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology.
Climate-related research: Solutions Frontier for society’s climate Transformation (ShiFT). Project leader: Gabriele Messori, Department of Earth Sciences.
Research on advanced materials: HIER-UPP: Hierarchically Optimised Materials: A Unified Approach for Scientific Excellence, Circularity, and Sweden’s Fossil-Free Industrial Transformation. Project leader: Per Eklund, Department of Chemistry – Ångström.
Crisis preparedness and total defence: Effective Crisis Management and Total Defence (EFFECT). Project leader: Daniel Nohrstedt, Department of Government. Participating HEIs: Swedish Defence University and Lund University.
Uppsala University also participates in the project Quantum Technology Alliance: From Fundamental Science to Future Applications (QUANTA). Coordinated by Stockholm University. Linköping University also participates.
Strategic Research Areas from 2009
In 2009, the Swedish government decided to fund a number of strategic research areas. The decision was part of an initiative to create research of the highest international quality that stemmed from a recommendation by the Swedish Research Council, Fas, Formas, VINNOVA and the Swedish Energy Agency. Uppsala University participates in half of the 20 designated strategic research areas, seven of them in a coordinating role:
Cancer – U-CAN
Cancer – The research programme U-CAN collects standardised data, tumour and blood samples and biomolecules from cancer patients before, during and after therapy. The material is used to develop methods and drugs for diagnosis and treatment of tumours.
STandUP – Stand Upp for Energy
Energy – Stand Up for Energy (STandUP) focuses on long-term sustainable energy supply, one of the greatest global challenges in the next decades. The groups within STandUP envision a future society that is provided with renewable, highly reliable and cost-efficient energy for all its residential, commercial, transportation and industrial needs.
E-science – eSSENCE
E-science – eSSENCE is a collaborative research programme in e-science. eSSENCE strives to create a research environment that enables strong interplay between e-science research, e-infrastructures, e-education, industry and society.
The research programme eSSENCE – e-science research, e-infrastructures, e-education
SciLifeLab – Science for Life Laboratory
Molecular bioscience – Uppsala University houses the SciLifeLab, an internationally leading centre that develops, uses and provides access to advanced technologies for molecular biosciences with focus on health and environment.
The research centre SciLifeLab - National centre for molecular life science research
Health sciences – U-CARE
Health care research – U‑CARE’s research aims to offer patients and their families high-quality care through support and psychological treatment for somatic illness. We also work to improve clinical research by developing and applying smart and effective working methods.
U-CARE – support and psychological treatment for somatic illness
IRES – Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Politically important geographical regions – the Institute for Russia and Eurasian Studies (IRES) conducts research with an in-depth focus on recent developments in Russia, and in the post-Soviet space. IRES is designed to meet the highest international standards of scientific excellence and spans across the humanities and the social sciences, as well as law and theology.
CNDS – Centre for Natural Disaster Science
Disaster and crisis management – the Centre for Natural Disaster Science (CNDS) contributes to improving the ability to prevent and deal with risks in society, both nationally and internationally, by raising awareness of the dynamics and consequences of natural hazards, considering the issue of vulnerability in Sweden, as well as discussing crisis management.
Uppsala University also participates in three additional strategic research areas coordinated by Lund University
- Diabetes: EXODIAB – joint strategic research initiative in the diabetes area (at Lund University's website)
- Epidemiology: EpiHealth – A research programme aiming to further develop and implement new scientific tools to achieve an improved control of chronic diseases of major concern
- Stem cells and regenerative medicine: StemTherapy – The StemTherapy environment includes 36 stem cell centre research groups at Lund University, as well as four research groups at Uppsala University.