The University does well in the competition for funding for independent research

Uppsala University continues to succeed in attracting funding for independent research, sometimes also referred to as undirected research funding. The University’s share of the Swedish Research Council’s (VR’s) independent project and establishment grants in 2025 was 15 per cent – a level that has remained stable over time and places the University in the top tier, nationally. Only the Karolinska Institutet has a larger share.

Outcomes from the Wallenberg Foundations have also been strong. Uppsala University has the largest number of active Wallenberg Scholars in the country, and in recent years has received a large number of grants within Wallenberg Academy Fellows.

In challenge-driven research grants, where funding bodies include Vinnova, Formas and Forte, the University’s share has increased only marginally and is still lagging behind several other large higher education institutions.

“In general, one can say that Uppsala University does well in the national competition for research grants, especially when it comes to funding from the Swedish Research Council. We are also successful in the competition for various types of grants from the Wallenberg Foundations. On the other hand, we could be better at applying for grants from Formas and Forte. We also have a low share of the funding available from, for example, Mistra, a circumstance we hope to be able to change in the coming years,” comments Eva Tiensuu Janson, Vice President for Research.

More competition

Uppsala has long held a leading position in VR’s independent project and establishment grants in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in science and technology. However in 2025, both Stockholm University and the University of Gothenburg surpassed us in the humanities and social sciences. In medicine and health, Uppsala is also lagging somewhat behind several competitors.

Even so, it is difficult to compare the outcomes for individual years. Since the projects are multi-annual, there can be a natural fluctuation in the number of applications if many research projects started in the same year.

“A very large proportion of the University’s research is conducted thanks to the research grants awarded to our researchers, from both central government and private funding bodies. It’s important that we maintain our strong position regarding grants received from the Swedish Research Council, while we also need to boost our efforts when it comes to other central government funding bodies,” she says.

Stable inflow of international grants for research excellence

When it comes to our success in international research excellence funding, the trend continues to show a stable level. So far in 2025, seven European Research Council (ERC) grants have been awarded to researchers at the University with a total value of just over EUR 10 million. This is in line with previous years, where the number of grants has usually ranged between four and nine per year.

EU funding remains a challenge

But there are also signs of a weakening trend in certain forms of funding. In 2024, the funding granted from the EU Framework Programmes (excluding the ERC) fell to its lowest level since 2016. Preliminary figures for 2025 indicate a slight recovery, but the trend remains unclear as grant decisions for 2025 may come in after this was written.

“When it comes to EU funding, there is a lot we can do. For example, I would like to see Uppsala’s researchers taking on the leader jersey more often when it comes to larger EU projects. The current Swedish Government has identified EU funding granted as one of the bases for allocating direct government funding to Sweden’s universities. We need to get even better at applying for funding, and I believe that improved support can help more people take the step to submit an application,” she explains.

Enhanced support for researchers

In her new role as Vice President for Research, Eva Tiensuu Jansson will work with research support within the disciplinary domains and the Division of Research and Partnership Support to provide researchers with enhanced support when they are applying for EU funding. This includes support in the application process, support during the period that you have a grant, and support in the financial reporting required.

“I would like our researchers to feel that it isn’t so complicated to apply for EU grants. They should feel that the University is well equipped to support them throughout the entire process and no one should refrain from submitting an application because they feel unsure about the process, or because a department doesn’t think that they will be able to meet the requirements set by the EU. My hope is that within a year, we will be able to see an improvement here,” concludes Eva Tiensuu Janson.

Anders Berndt