Background

In connection with the research evaluation RQ20, the Faculty of Social Sciences identified seven areas of development in its endeavour to be nationally leading and internationally prominent in behavioural and social science research. One of these involves strengthening the faculty's ability to identify strong and potentially strong cross-departmental research environments.

The Research Council, in consultation with a specially appointed working group, has been responsible for developing a proposal on how the ambition to identify five to seven such research environments should be realised and which criteria should be met. One of the conclusions is that there should be opportunities to apply for seed funding to form strong and potentially strong cross-departmental research environments.

Aim

The funds are to be used to consolidate, develop and give visibility to strong, interdisciplinary research areas at the Faculty of Social Sciences, with the aim that the departments themselves will be prepared in the long term to pool resources in this area, for example through joint applications for external funding.

Conditions

In order to be defined as a strong interdisciplinary research environment, the departments concerned must be prepared to pool resources in this area with the support of the faculty, and the following criteria must be met:

• A focused research theme. 
• Elements of innovative thinking created through synergies.
• Involves researchers from several departments.
• Critical mass of both senior and junior researchers. 
• Demonstrated impact (publications in international journals, etc.).

Professors or associate professors employed until further notice at the Faculty of Social Sciences can apply. An application must include one main applicant and at least two co-applicants from other departments.

A maximum of three applications will be granted funding. Each application may be awarded a maximum of 100 000 SEK (including OH). Granted funds are paid out retrospectively, in connection with the submission of a brief report that describes how the funding was used and the results of the completed activities. Granted funds must be used and withdrawn no later than one year after the decision date.

Funding can be used for example for organising joint seminars, inviting external researchers, and/or study visits.

Application

The application is to include the following:

• project description (minimum two, maximum three pages)
• CVs of all the applicants’ research qualifications (maximum two pages per person) 
• brief budget
• approval from all the concerned heads of department (blankett)

Application form for approval of the head of department (PDF 150 kB, new window)

The application closed on 20 March 2023.

Assessment

A working group consisting of at least three well-established researchers will assess and prioritise the applications based on the potential of the proposed research environment in relation to the criteria to be met.  The working group is appointed by the dean after taking any potential conflicts of interest into account.

The decision on granting support is made by the dean.