Grants & Funding Opportunities

This page collects grants and funding opportunities that are relevant to people working in our field and based in Sweden (or planning to move here), grouped into Swedish, European, and international funders, followed by travel grants. The prefix on each entry shows the career stage of the person being funded; for many PhD and postdoc schemes, it is the supervisor or host group who applies. Deadlines and amounts change from year to year, so always check the funder’s page for the current call before applying.

Swedish funding opportunities

  • (MSc, PhD) Anders Walls stipendium (Unga Forskare) — A SEK 200,000 award to support continued research and personal development, which also comes with membership in the Wallumni network. Open to applicants aged 25 or younger who stand out for their passion for science, creativity, potential for personal development, and communication and social skills; no budget or specific project is required. Applications are written in Swedish and sent by email, usually between September 1 and November 1.
  • (PhD, Postdoc) WASP calls (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program) — WASP runs both academic and industrial calls, at both PhD and postdoc level, at least once a year, for research in AI, autonomous systems, and software at WASP partner universities (including Chalmers). In the academic calls, supervisors apply for PhD or postdoc positions in their own group; in the industrial calls, a company in Sweden and an academic supervisor apply jointly, and the PhD student or postdoc is employed by the company and splits their time between the company and the university. The industrial calls have usually opened in June and closed on October 1.
  • (PhD, Postdoc) DDLS calls (SciLifeLab & Wallenberg Data-Driven Life Science program) — The DDLS Research School runs both academic and industrial calls, at both PhD and postdoc level, at least once a year, for projects with a strong data science component in the life sciences (cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, precision medicine and diagnostics, and epidemiology and biology of infection). For PhD projects, supervisors in Sweden apply; for postdoc fellowships, candidates apply themselves with a project developed together with their prospective supervisors, normally within three years of their PhD. In the industrial track, the PhD student or postdoc is employed by a life science company in Sweden, with joint academic and industrial supervision.
  • (Postdoc) Postdoctoral scholarships for training in Sweden (foreign postdocs) (Wenner-Gren Foundations) — A tax-free scholarship of SEK 30,000 per month for 6–24 months, plus travel to Sweden, for a foreign postdoc to join a research group at a Swedish institution. The host researcher in Sweden applies on behalf of a named postdoc, who must have received their PhD no more than five years before the deadline and not have been in Sweden for more than nine months before it; applications from young hosts are given special consideration. The deadline is usually October 1.
  • (Postdoc) SciLifeLab PULSE (SciLifeLab, co-funded by MSCA COFUND) — Three-year postdocs hosted by SciLifeLab group leaders across Sweden, in an academic track and an entrepreneurial drug discovery track that includes ML/AI. Candidates apply themselves, usually within three years of their PhD and subject to mobility rules. The two calls so far (2025 and 2026) closed in March and filled the program’s 48 positions, so check whether a new round is planned.
  • (Faculty) Starting grant within natural and engineering sciences (Swedish Research Council, VR) — SEK 1.2 million per year for four years to help junior researchers establish themselves as independent researchers in Sweden. Applicants apply as individuals through a Swedish host organisation, must have received their PhD 2–7 years before the deadline, and must commit at least 50% of their time to the project. The call usually runs from early March to mid-April.
  • (Faculty) Future Research Leaders (Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, SSF) — SEK 15 million over five years (including overhead) for young researchers with the potential to lead academic or industrial research in Sweden, together with a mandatory leadership training programme. Applicants must be 4–7 years past their PhD and may only apply once in their career. The call is not annual: the 9th round was in 2024, and rounds have come every few years since 2000.
  • (Faculty) Wallenberg Academy Fellows (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation) — SEK 5–15 million over five years, depending on the field, for promising young researchers, with the option of a second five-year period. Candidates cannot apply directly: Swedish universities nominate them, after internal calls that usually close the autumn before the foundation’s deadline. Fellows are appointed every second year, with the next round in 2028.
  • (Postdoc, Faculty) Research project grant within natural and engineering sciences (Swedish Research Council, VR) — VR’s main open-call project grant, for researchers with a PhD who lead their own project, for 1–4 years. There is no career-stage window, so it suits anyone from senior postdocs to professors. The call usually runs from February to April.
  • (Postdoc, Faculty) Research grants (Olle Engkvist Stiftelse) — Project grants for scientific research in any field, with priority areas including energy and environmental technology, the human brain, and botany and zoology; high-risk basic research is explicitly valued. There are no fixed minimum or maximum amounts, grants normally run for up to four years, and they can cover salaries or stipends for postdocs and PhD students, project costs, and up to 10% overhead. The main applicant normally needs at least two years of research experience after the PhD, the project should be linked to a Nordic university, and applications are accepted all year round. See also the conditions for granted funds.

European funding opportunities

  • (PhD) MSCA Doctoral Networks (European Commission) — Funds international consortia that jointly train doctoral candidates, usually around 10 per network, each funded for up to 36 months. Consortia need at least three organisations from three different countries, with academic and non-academic partners; there are also industrial and joint doctorate variants. The supervisors apply as a consortium, and the deadline is usually in late November.
  • (Postdoc) MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (European Commission) — Fellowships covering the researcher’s salary plus research and training costs for 12–24 months at a host in Europe (European Fellowships), or longer with an outgoing phase outside Europe (Global Fellowships). The researcher applies together with a host supervisor; applicants must have at most 8 years of research experience after their PhD and generally cannot have lived or worked in the host country for more than 12 of the last 36 months. The deadline is usually in September.
  • (Postdoc) EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships (European Molecular Biology Organization) — Up to two years of salary or stipend, plus relocation and family support, for life science postdocs who move to a lab in another country, in Europe or worldwide. International mobility is a key requirement, and applicants need a first-author publication (a first-author refereed preprint also counts); each host lab can support only one candidate per round. Applications are accepted all year round with cut-off dates, the next one being January 22, 2027.
  • (Faculty) ERC Starting Grant (European Research Council) — Up to €1.5 million over five years for an early-career researcher to build an independent team on a ground-breaking project at a host institution in Europe. Under the 2027 work programme, the window is up to 10 years after the PhD (previously 2–7 years), and each person can hold at most one Starting Grant. The deadline is usually in October.
  • (Faculty) ERC Consolidator Grant (European Research Council) — Up to €2 million over five years for researchers consolidating their independent team and research programme. Under the 2027 work programme, the window is 5–15 years after the PhD (previously 7–12 years). The 2027 call closes on January 12, 2027.

International funding opportunities

  • (PhD) NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship (NVIDIA) — Up to USD 60,000 for one academic year to cover the stipend, tuition, and fees of PhD students doing research of interest to NVIDIA in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or related areas, paid through the student’s university. Students apply themselves after completing at least their first year of the PhD, international students are eligible, and fellows must complete an in-person summer internship at an NVIDIA research office beforehand (locations include Sweden). Applications usually open at the end of September and close at the end of October.
  • (Postdoc) HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowships (Human Frontier Science Program) — Three-year fellowships covering a living allowance plus research and travel costs for frontier life science research in an HFSP member country. There are two tracks: Long-Term Fellowships for PhDs in biology, and Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships for PhDs from outside biology (e.g., physics, chemistry, computer science, or engineering) with little life science experience. Applicants must be within three years of their PhD, have a lead-author research paper, move to a country other than their nationality and their PhD country, and choose a supervisor they have not worked with before. Letters of intent are usually due in May, with invited full proposals in September.
  • (Postdoc) Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science (ETH Zurich) — Up to CHF 600,000 over up to five years for an independent postdoc project that departs from the mainstream of its discipline, in any field and hosted anywhere in the world; the fellowship continues if the fellow moves into a faculty position. Applicants must be within five years of their PhD, must not have held a faculty position, and must be willing to engage with society beyond their field. Up to ten fellowships are awarded each year, and the deadline is usually in mid-January.

Travel grants

Smaller grants for conference trips, research visits, and thesis work abroad.

  • (MSc, PhD, Postdoc) Sweden-America Foundation scholarships (Sweden-America Foundation) — Scholarships for 6–12-month study or research stays in the United States or Canada at MSc, PhD, or postdoc level. Only Swedish citizens are eligible, and the deadline is usually in mid-September, about a year before the stay.
  • (PhD, Postdoc) Ericsson Research Foundation (Ericssons forskningsstiftelse) — Grants for research visits abroad or for presenting an accepted paper at a conference, mainly for PhD students and recent PhDs at Swedish institutions, in areas of electrical engineering relevant to Ericsson. Amounts are decided case by case, and the deadline is usually in February.
  • (PhD, Postdoc, Faculty) Conference funding (Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, KVVS) — Up to SEK 20,000 for conference travel for researchers in the Gothenburg area, including PhD students (who need a certificate from their supervisor). The deadline is usually in March.
  • (Postdoc, Faculty) Conference travel grants (Wenner-Gren Foundations) — Covers travel and accommodation for actively taking part in an international conference, workshop, or course, for researchers in Sweden who received their PhD within the last seven years. There are two rounds a year, usually March 10 and October 1, each covering a different travel period.
  • (Postdoc, Faculty) Chemistry Europe Travel Grant (Chemistry Europe, through the Swedish Chemical Society) — EUR 2,000 towards a 1–2-month research stay in another country, covering travel, accommodation, or research costs, for early-career researchers at least two years past their PhD who are members of the Swedish Chemical Society (Svenska Kemisamfundet). One grant is awarded per member country each year; applications go through the national society and are usually due on October 15.

Visiting faculty

University-level programs at Chalmers for bringing visiting researchers and professors to Chalmers. In most cases, the Chalmers host department is the first point of contact.

  • (Faculty) Academic Excellence Visiting Professor Program (Chalmers) — A new university-wide open call (2027–2028) for established, internationally distinguished professors with an outstanding scientific record, with only a limited number of appointments. The scope and length of each visit are agreed with the host department, and candidates apply through the linked vacancy listing.
  • (Faculty) Genie Visiting Researcher Programme (Chalmers Gender Initiative for Excellence, Genie) — Funds visiting researchers at Chalmers to improve gender balance in a department or division, provide role models and international contacts for students and faculty, and support excellent research; past visitors range from assistant to full professors. Chalmers faculty apply as hosts, and applications can be submitted at any time of the year.
  • (Faculty) Chalmers Jubilee Professorship (Chalmers) — A visiting chair for internationally prominent professors from universities abroad, hosted by a Chalmers department and usually held for a stay of a few months, with the chair split between several professors each year. Holders are appointed by the President of Chalmers, based on how they add new skills to Chalmers and strengthen its international relations.

This page only lists grants and funding opportunities that tend to recur, usually every year. If you have a suggestion for something to add, or spot any errors, please let Rocío know!

Last updated: November 2, 2026.