Published
2020-02-18For the researcher who wants to apply for a grant from the Foundation, this section summarizes practical issues, how to prepare the application, the Foundation's policy on indirect costs and something about follow-up and reporting of awarded grants.
Language
The application and attachments must be submitted in Swedish. Only for applications in the subject area medicine, the project description in English is accepted, but the project summary must always be submitted in Swedish.
Subject areas
The Torsten Söderberg Foundation supports scientific research in the main fields of medicine, economics and law. To some extent, it also supports research in other areas, which are grouped under the category 'other', such as culture and history.
Medicine. Grants in the field of medical research will focus in the fall of 2024 on promising new projects close to clinical use. For 2024, the recommended amount is 2 million SEK per project. In general, however, the Foundation has no limit on the amount. For very large grants, applicants are asked to contact the Foundation's office.
Economics: The field of economics provides funding for research in all economic disciplines as well as for transnational research based on economics.
Legal sciences. This area provides funding for all individual legal science disciplines as well as transnational research based on legal science.
Other. The category "other" provides funding for research projects that do not fall within the three main areas, such as the humanities. Other subjects can also be considered.
Examples of previously funded research
Grants awarded from 2010 onwards are presented under research initiatives and grants. For grants awarded in the years 2001-2009, please refer to the Foundation's annual journals.
Who can apply?
The Foundation awards grants to researchers, mainly PhDs and doctoral students, working in Sweden. For research abroad, Swedish citizenship is required. Foreign citizens included in the application must be resident in and conduct their research in Sweden.
Doctoral students can be the sole main applicant or a visitor in a project group. Applications can be made for a shorter or longer period, but no more than 4 years full-time. In addition, teaching at a higher education institution is permitted up to 20 percent of full time. The Foundation then assumes that the corresponding part of the grant is saved for the completion of the doctoral thesis. A certificate with a statement from the supervisor must be attached to the application together with a certificate that the university accepts scholarship funding for the period applied for.
Doctoral researchers may be the sole principal applicant or co-applicants in a project group. In the fields of economics, law and other disciplines, PhD researchers can, as a main principle, apply for a grant for a maximum of two years and 75% of full-time. In the field of medicine, researchers with a PhD can apply for a maximum of four years and 100%.
Are there limits on the amount of money?
In general, the Foundation has no limit on the amount of funding. For very large investments, applicants are asked to contact the Foundation's secretariat.
Which components can be included in the application?
An application can include grants to individual researchers as well as costs directly necessary for the implementation of the project (research-related costs). Only in the subject area of medicine can the application include salary components as part of the framework grant.
Scholarships
The grant amounts are based on the Foundation's fixed levels for doctoral researchers and doctoral students, and other researchers. Calculation is based on the scope of work in the project.
Scholarship levels (2024). For doctoral students, the scholarship amount is SEK 300,000 per year and full-time, and for doctoral researchers SEK 480,000 per year and full-time. For previously awarded grants, other levels apply.
Insurance
For scholarship holders whose working time in the project exceeds 6 months and is at least 40% of full-time, a contribution to an insurance policy to be used for personal insurance equivalent to that of an employee, such as health insurance and pension insurance, is calculated and included.
The insurance must be taken out by the grantee personally and reported in the interim and final reports, and the grantee is responsible for taking out an insurance policy. If the grantee is already covered by an insurance policy as an employee from another source, the Foundation must be notified and the insurance part must not be requested.
Insurance levels (2024). For PhD students the insurance amount is 75.000 SEK per year and full time and for PhD researchers 102.000 SEK per year and full time. For previously awarded grants, other levels apply.
Scholarship-funded doctoral students enrolled at a Swedish state university or college can also contact Kammarkollegiet for information on their special doctoral insurance.
Research-related costs
Grants for costs directly necessary for the implementation of the project, such as purchase of literature, data collection, implementation of a research trip (transportation and accommodation) or publication costs. Please note that the educational institution (university/college) may not charge indirect administration costs (OH) or other fees to the foundation's grant for research-related costs.
Printing. Grants for the printing of publications only are in principle given exclusively to researchers whose projects have previously been granted. However, in the subject area other, exceptions to this principle can be made.
Conferences and travel. As a rule, grants are not awarded for conferences or travel alone, but only within the framework of a project.
Indirect administrative costs and direct premises costs (OH)
Grants for indirect administration costs and direct premises costs may be added afterwards by the Foundation according to the Foundation's policy and should not be included in the application. Where applicable, grants are only awarded to researchers who will use office space and administration at a higher education institution (university/college) and must relate to costs for the researcher at the institution. For research institutes, museums and other organizations there is no surcharge.
When can you apply?
The Foundation has one application period per year, which is scheduled for the fall. The opening date of the application system is announced in the spring.
How to apply?
Applications are submitted via an application and monitoring system on the Foundation's website. Read more about preparing the application or log in.
Decision
All main applicants are notified in writing of the award or rejection decision, usually in early December. At the same time, the Foundation publishes a list of awarded grants on its website. The decision letter is sent to the main applicant (project manager) and, if applicable, also to the head of department. The main applicant is obliged to inform other project participants of the conditions of the grant.
Grants awarded may only be used for the stated purpose and in accordance with the conditions laid down. If the conditions for implementing the research project change, the Foundation must always be contacted.
The foundation must be mentioned. The principal applicant is responsible for ensuring that the foundation is mentioned in all reporting and presentation of the research. This may be, for example, on websites, in written and oral lecture material, in publications, etc.
Ethical review, etc.
The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the research meets the conditions of Swedish legislation and is conducted in accordance with good research practice. An ethical review decision does not therefore need to be submitted. However, the applicant must always state in the application if there are ethical aspects in the research project. See also Codex and the Swedish Ethical Review Authority.
Processing of personal data
The Foundation processes personal data for the preparation of submitted applications and for the payment and follow-up of awarded grants. Personal data may also be processed when compiling and evaluating grants and when formulating grant policy and producing application statistics. See also the Foundation's processing of personal data.