Organisation of UUniFI

The establishment of UUniFI comes at the Vice-Chancellor’s initiative. The fundamental vision is to create a University-wide, internationally leading research environment that facilitates the pooling of excellence around challenge-driven, boundary-crossing research. The ambition is to establish conditions for original and excellent research through new inter- and multidisciplinary collaborations.

UUniFI will serve as a host organisation for research institutes with diverse research orientations. The Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus (UUniCORN), which was established in 2024, is one of them. One institute will focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and learning.

Instructions for UUniFI

On 23 June 2025, the Vice-Chancellor decided on instructions for UUniFI. UUniFI will be jointly supervised by the Vice-Chancellor and the disciplinary domains and will be directed by a governing board.

The Vice-Chancellor will appoint the board, after consulting the disciplinary domains. The governing board in turn will appoint a head of institute.

UUniFI will provide operational support for the constituent research institutes. Each research institute will be led by a director supported by an institutional board.

The search for a Head of UUniFI has started and applications are being accepted until 15 August 2025 (see link in the fact box below).

Focuses of research

The Vice-Chancellor decided on 23 June 2025 that UUniFI will consist of five research institutes and one institute focusing on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and learning.

One institute, the Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus (UUniCORN), was established in September 2024. The other research institutes will have the following focuses:

• migration
• green energy transition
• precision health
• AI.

A sixth institute will focus on inter- and multidisciplinarity and will build on the activities already now conducted at the Centre for Integrated Research on Culture and Society (CIRCUS).

Dual affiliation

All researchers associated with UUniFI will have dual affiliation, meaning that they will also be affiliated with an academic department. Researchers affiliated with UUniFI will normally retain their position and physical workplace at their particular academic department.

Researchers may be attached to UUniFI for a greater or lesser proportion of their working time and for a shorter or longer period.

Researchers not previously employed at Uppsala University will be affiliated with the relevant academic department.

Premises in the Segerstedt Building

UUniFI will be a unified forum for the entire University for various types of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research collaborations. It is envisaged as a physical arena for creative and cross-cutting activities. Premises are also needed for UUniFI’s management, support functions and a shared meeting place with flexible workspaces and temporary workstations for researchers associated with UUniFI, among others. The Vice-Chancellor has therefore also decided that UUniFI will have access to premises in the Segerstedt Building. This means the Segerstedt Building will be home to both core academic activities and the University Administration.

Project manager for autumn 2025

Anders Malmberg has been the project manager coordinating preparations for establishing UUniFI. The Vice-Chancellor has now decided that his remit will continue in the autumn of 2025, with a focus on recruiting a head of UUniFI and directors for the various research institutes within UUniFI.

Anders Berndt