Develop your proposal
Plan your project
Aspects such as impact, external collaborations and co-funding should be considered when planning your project.
Fund your project
To fund your project, there is a range of funding agencies available, both nationally and internationally.
Develop your proposal
Developing the proposal involves many things beyond the actual research idea, such as getting your messages through in writing, budget, impact and data management.
Post-award activities
When your project has been funded, it must be managed and reported, and obtained results should be shared with others.
When you have found your funder you are ready to start developing your proposal. This can be a challenging process, and involves the description of many other things beyond the actual research idea, such as budget, collaborations, impact, and data management. Make sure you start in time! Here we have gathered information relevant to achieving a comprehensive proposal.
How to succeed with your grant application
How do you capture the reviewer's interest? What is important to include on the first page of the proposal? How do you make sure that the text is understandable and that the messages are strong? Find answers to these and more questions.
Support in the writing process
For some types of applications, you can get administrative help (for example support letters) and feedback on your proposal from Research Support. Mainly, this regard applications to the Wallenberg Foundations, EU-funders, federal American funders and other funders that require endorsement from the faculty, dean or vice-rector.
If you need help with this, make sure to contact us well in advance of the application deadline.
The University also has procured consultants that can help you with organizing and writing your application for several large Swedish and European funders. You can find them in the Framwork agreement database, go to “Personal”, then look for “Consultants for application support”.
Governance and management of your collaborations
A clear management plan for your project is essential, especially when you have a consortium of collaborators. It is important to ensure that roles, responsibilities, and decision-making are well defined and that aspects like ownership of – and the use of – the project’s results are clear to everyone.
The management plan describes how the collaboration will be structured and managed to ensure that all partners are engaged and committed to the project’s goals.
UU Innovation Partnership Office can help you set up a management plan for your collaboration project.
Even for projects where you and your group is the sole applicant, a good project management plan will strengthen your application. Contact the Research Support for advice.
Impact-planning
A well-presented account of the potential impact of your research results on society is often crucial to a successful application.
How to describe impact in the proposal
Research Support, UU Innovation Partnership Office, and UU Innovation can assist you in identifying results from your project that could have an ‘impact’, as well as in describing this in your proposal, showing how the project’s research outcomes will generate value and societal benefit.
Intellectual property
Managing intellectual property is a crucial part of many grant applications. UU Innovation Partnership Office can support you in developing a legal framework around your project and provide you with a range of practical tools that can be used to manage your intellectual properties and support your collaborations.
For projects where it would be beneficial to have a legal entity responsible for the IP (instead of you as an individual researcher), there is Research Intellectual Property AB (RIPAB) – a subsidiary of the University’s holding company. Contact UU Innovation and Partnership Office for more information about RIPAB.
UU Innovation can help you to identify your intellectual assets and give guidance on how and what to protect, and what not to disclose in your grant proposal.
Events
Research Support organizes events where you can get tips and advice on how to succeed with your grant application.
Junior Faculty
The organisation Junior Faculty at Uppsala University supports you as a junior researcher. They regularly organize seminars that can help you in, for example, your application writing, budget construction, and science communication.
Proposal budget
In addition to the obvious costs linked to performing the project, you also need to consider expenses related to salaries (lönebikostnader, LBK), salary increase, indirect costs and premises (overhead) when constructing your budget.
Specific budget rules need to be followed in federal American funded projects
Budget in an externally funded research project
Submit the application
Depending on the type of application you are submitting, different people at the university must approve it before submission. Some funders also require that the application is submitted by the University as an organization rather than by you as a researcher. Read more about how to submit the application and about the application portal Prisma, which is used by the Swedish Research Council, Formas and Forte.
Also important to consider
Research data management
Already when designing your project, it is a good idea to think about the need for data management and start planning for this. The University provides support for producing data management plans, as well as resources and support for storing, analysing and archiving research data.
Research ethics
When developing your proposal, it is important to consider good research practice and ethics. For example, this means that the research should be designed, carried out, analysed and documented in a careful and well-considered manner and that all partners in research collaborations take responsibility for the integrity of the research. Further, in studies including humans or animals, an ethics account often has to be included in the proposal. Also, make sure to consider whether your human- or animal studies require ethical approval by relevant authorities.
Here you can also find information about handling genetic resources and traditional knowledge (the Nagoya protocol), personal data (GDPR), as well as permits for clinical trials and for research that includes animal experiments, radiation protection, and biobanks.
Sex- and gender perspectives in research
Including sex- and gender dimensions in research often improve the quality of research, and several large funding agencies now require inclusion of these dimensions when relevant. We have here compiled important information that will help you decide whether it is relevant and beneficial to include these dimensions in your research.
Established international research networks and collaborations
Your project may benefit from the university-wide international collaboration networks and regional centres in which Uppsala University participates. These provide exchanges for researchers and teachers, symposia and conferences, evaluation and benchmarking, course syllabus development and common projects.
Research involving humans
For all research that involves humans, the Swedish Act Concerning the Ethical Review of Research Involving Humans, and the Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply.
Researchers who perform clinical studies or trials can get support via Uppsala Clinical Research center, UCR.
Export control in research
Uppsala University is obliged to have the requested permits in place, if the University exports, transfers or mediates controlled items with dual-use. Dual-use items include “items, including software and technology, produced for civil use that may also be used in the production of weapons of mass destruction or military equipment.” To export (physically or electronically) a dual-use item out of the EU you will need export authorization.
Planning to apply to the Wallenberg Foundations, the EU or American funding agencies?
These funders have particular regulations that you and the university must follow when you apply for and/or receive grants from them. Read more below about what applies to each funder, and make sure to contact Research Support. Research Support also offers extra help in the application process for these funders.
The Wallenberg Foundations
Most often, the University must nominate projects or researchers for these calls. The selection is made through an internal prioritization process.
EU-funding
The European Commission offers many funding programs, where Horizon Europe is EU's ongoing framework program for research and innovation, for the period 2021-2027.
U.S. funding
It is mandatory for you as a researcher to contact Research Support well in advance when you plan to apply for U.S. funding.
Contact
Uppsala University's Research Support can provide tips and advice on issues related to research and grant applications.