Sweden-Korea Education, Research, and Innovation Collaboration (SKERIC)
Sweden-Korea Education, Research, and Innovation Collaboration (SKERIC) is a three-year collaborative project that spans from 2024 to 2026. It involves eight* leading universities from Sweden and South Korea and focuses on research and innovation.
The project aims to equip some of the most promising young researchers, future academic leaders, and innovators with the tools and skills needed to excel in their fields. These individuals are expected to actively contribute to addressing current societal challenges and promoting democracy and academic freedom.
Primarily, it's a research and innovation-promoting collaboration that also aims to prepare for South Korea's entry into Horizon Europe.
The project targets the following groups:
- for emerging researchers
- for future academic leaders
- for representatives of research-based companies
*Swedish Universities: Uppsala University, University of Gothenburg, Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University (coordinator), and Umeå University. Korean Universities: Korea University, Pohang University of Science and Technology, and Seoul National University.
Opportunities for participants
Sweden-Korea Education, Research and Innovation Collaboration (SKERIC) have one activity that will run throughout the duration of the project and target emerging researchers.
Call to participate in Future Laureates Societal Challenges Programme
SKERIC invites doctoral students and researchers who have obtained their PhD in 2020 or later, to apply. The programme gives you the opportunity to be part of a dynamic interdisciplinary group of early career researchers, that work together and meet regularly for two and a half years (between early fall 2024 and late fall 2026) to discuss and address complex societal challenges.
Apply to participate in one of the following five interdisciplinary thematic groups:
- Climate change and green transformation
- Precision health
- Innovative energy solutions
- Dynamic, secure, and sustainable society
- Artificial intelligence
Join the programme to:
- Deepen your understanding of global challenges and the complex issues facing our world today. Delve into various interdisciplinary approaches to address these.
- Apply for mobility funding, to spend between 5-10 months at one of the partner universities in Sweden or Korea.
- Apply for seed-funding to develop new research projects or innovations together with your fellow researchers.
The programme is designed to widen your perspectives, thereby enhancing your CV, facilitate the expansion of your research networks, give added value to your research competence, and guide you in improving your skills in an international collaborative environment.
Deadline: 23 April, 2024
Link to full call text on the project website
Applications form for staff at Uppsala university
Each SKERIC partner can nominate in total 12 candidates for the SKERIC Future Laureates Societal Challenges Programme. The review and final selection of participants will be decided by the SKERIC Steering Committee. SKERIC aims to create dynamic and diverse interdisciplinary groups with mixed academic backgrounds and will strive for a balanced participation in terms of gender, country, and university affiliation. Notification of the selection results will be sent to all applicants by early June 2024.
Opportunities for funding
Below is a presentation of funding opportunities from different actors that may be suitable for collaborative projects and mobility between Sweden and Korea.
Project grant for research collaboration between Sweden and Korea
The purpose of the grant is to fund Swedish researchers collaborating with Korean researchers within the field of advanced biotechnology, with a focus on the use of large sets of data covering bioinformatics & structural biology, synthetic biology & bioinformatics and bioinformatics & digital health data analysis.
The grants are financed by the Swedish Research Council, and the National Research Foundation of Korea, on the principle of reciprocity and parity.
Application period: 8 May – 19 June 2024.
Korea-Sweden Cooperation Program (STINT)
Support S&T research exchanges between Korean and Swedish research groups (professor-level researchers, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students) to stimulate cooperation in S&T and secure a foundation for future collaboration Universities, university colleges and research institutes can be granted funding with up to 100 percent of their eligible costs.
Funding of KRW 30 million (SEK 237K*) annually for 3 years
International Cooperation: National Research Foundation of Korea
Brain Pool Fellowship Program
Funded by MSIT (Ministry of Science and ICT) and NRF, host researchers in South Korea who wish to invite outstanding scientists to join the Brain Pool(BP) Program.
The program is designed to invite overseas outstanding scientists to domestic research institutions in Korea, required by domestic industry, academia, and research sites, for the enhancement of research competence through joint research in R&D fields in Korea, in which he or she produces high level of R&D performance and to contribute to the internationalization of the domestic research environment,
Application period: 11 March 2024 – 31 May 2024
Open bilateral Research and Innovation Action (RIA) call between EU and Korea within the Chips Joint Undertaking
Topic is “Joint call with Korea on Heterogeneous integration and neuromorphic computing technologies for future semiconductor components and systems”. Application deadline is 14 May 2024.
Funding opportunities by EUREKA (Point of contact in Sweden is Vinnova)
Call for proposals on applied quantum technologies, application deadline 9 May 2024.
More information
Read more about the platform on the SKERIC webpage.