General
Who can apply for the Academy’s scholarships?
The Academy’s scholarships are generally intended for researchers at the doctoral or postdoctoral level. The exception is Hierta Retzius stipendium för sociala ändamål, which has specific rules in the call for applications.
How do I apply for scholarships?
You must submit your application through our online application system using the link below. There, you create an account and submit your application. It is not possible to apply by email or mail.
What is the process like?
After the application period has ended, the system is closed, and the applications are reviewed by the Academy’s scholarship committees. This process may take up to three months, and the decisions are communicated to all applicants via email.
Those who are awarded funding must then log in to the application system to download a contract. It should be signed, scanned, and emailed as a PDF to scholarship@kva.se.
Eligibility
Do I need to have a doctoral degree to apply for a postdoctoral scholarship/project?
If you defend your doctoral thesis before a decision is made, which can happen between 2-3 months after the final application deadline, you can apply for a postdoctoral project.
Do you award scholarships aimed at completing a doctoral education?
Yes, you can apply to complete your doctoral education.
Is it possible to apply for scholarships from you for master’s studies?
No, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, unfortunately, does not have any scholarships for master’s studies.
I don’t live or conduct research in Sweden. Can I apply for a scholarship?
You must be affiliated with a Swedish university to be eligible to apply.
I am not a Swedish citizen, but I live in Sweden. Can I apply?
Yes, you can apply for our scholarships as long as you have an affiliation with a Swedish university.
Application
Can I apply for funding from the Olof Ahlöf Foundation?
You cannot apply for funding directly from this foundation. It is included as part of our general announcements in various scientific fields, which have different application periods.
What can I apply for?
The researcher themselves specify what they wish to seek funding for. It is common to apply for things such as travel expenses, laboratory work, conference participation, and other research-related activities. Any limitations will be stated in the specific call for applications.
What type of attachments should I include?
Attachments can include recommendation letters, invitations from other institutions, or other specific documents required for your application. There are no formal requirements for the format of attachments.
I am applying for a grant. Where can I find instructions on how the application should be structured? For example, how long should the project plan be, and how should the budget be designed?
It is up to you how you want to structure your application. There are no standard headings or formats, including for the budget.
Should I write the application in Swedish or English?
Both languages usually work fine. The call for applications will specify if there are any specific language requirements.
What does “the applicant belongs to the department” mean – affiliated or employed?
We are asking for some form of affiliation, whether as an employee or connected to the institution.
I am not affiliated with any institution. Who should then sign the form?
The reason we require a signature is to ensure that the person applying is welcome at the institution where they plan to carry out their project. The form can be signed by the institution where you plan to conduct your research.
What is meant by “Research activity” and “Study time until now”?
“Research activity” refers to your employment, indicating the percentage of a full-time position. “Study time until now” refers to the number of full-time terms you have completed as a doctoral student. If you have a part-time doctoral position, you can convert it into full terms.
Can I apply for a project as a member of a group?
You apply as an individual as the funds will be disbursed to a person, but you can have multiple people involved in the project. This can be indicated in an attachment (PDF).
How do you proceed if you’re applying as an institution?
Most organisations applying as institutions fill in the qualifications of the project leader or responsible person, i.e., the reference person who is responsible for the content and quality of the project. Otherwise, the authorised signatory who will sign the application can be used: the application should also be signed by both the applicant and the head of the institution.
Budget
Are the scholarships tax-free?
Yes, you do not need to pay taxes on the scholarships.
Should overhead costs be included in the application?
We only accept direct costs.
What are indirect and direct overhead (OH) costs?
Direct costs are expenses directly related to the specific project. Examples of direct costs include salaries including salary cost surcharge (LKP) for project participants, facilities, travel, and materials. Indirect costs are shared costs for the university or the department.
My application will cover costs for equipment. Is it sufficient to specify the purchase cost for this in the budget, or do I also need to specify my salary costs, etc., in the project even if I’m not applying for them?
Regarding the budget, it depends on how you envision your project. For example, if you are a doctoral student and your salary is paid by the institution, you can simply state that in the information. However, if it is part of a larger project, you should provide a full budget for the project and specify where the other funds are coming from.
What does “Cost/Total cost” mean in the budget?
Under “Cost,” you should indicate your actual expenses. If a book costs 100 SEK, you would enter “Cost: 100 SEK.” If you don’t have any partially funded items, you don’t fill in the “Total cost” box. If the book is partially funded, let’s say 20%, you would enter 100 SEK in “Total cost” and 80 SEK in the “Cost” box. This shows that you have received funding from another source for the remaining 20 SEK.
What is the difference between “Amount applied” and “Total cost”?
In the budget section, you have two columns: “Amount applied” and “Total cost.” You can use them to indicate whether you are applying for the total amount of the budget item or only a portion of it. For example, if you are applying for a conference fee and have part of it funded from other sources, the “Amount applied” would be the already funded portion, and the “Total cost” would be the full fee. If you are applying for the entire amount, the numbers will be the same in both columns.
Funding and Contracts
Is there any way of knowing which applications were approved?
Due to GDPR regulations, we do not publish information about approved applications.
What is the difference between “disposition time” and “requisition time”?
The funds should be requisitioned within 12 months from the decision date stated in the contract (requisition time). Then, you have an additional 12 months to utilise the funding (disposition time). So, in total, you have 24 months.
It says “Funding is available for up to 1 year” on the website. I plan to apply for experiment costs and salary for 24 months (when I work 25%) plus 5 months (when I work 100%). Is this not allowed? Can I only apply for salary during the 5 months when I can work full-time?
You must requisition the funds within one year, but the disposition time is 2 years from the decision date. In other words, you can apply to use the funding for a period of 24 months, taking into account the percentage mentioned.
What is a payment reference?
If we are making a payment to an individual, a payment reference is not necessary. If we are making a payment to an institution, a payment reference may be required from the institution to ensure the funds are directed correctly.
Does the Academy make payments to foreign accounts?
Yes, we do. In that case, we require bank details such as the account number, bank name, Swift code, and/or routing number (common bank details for international payments).
When will the funds be available?
After we receive the contract, it takes approximately 30 days to process the payment.
Reporting/Repayment of Funds
What are the requirements for reporting on the use of the funds? When is the latest date to submit a report?
A brief report of the funds used must be provided as soon as the project is completed, but no later than 24 months after the funds were requisitioned. The reporting is done via the application system under the tab “Reporting”.
Receipts do not need to be attached, but it is important that you save them for seven years if our accountants request a financial follow-up.
I have not used the entire grant, what do I do with unused funds?
If you have not used the entire grant, the excess must be paid back to the Academy to BG-nr 563-7079. If less than SEK 1,000 remains of the granted funds, repayment is not necessary.
In some cases, you can apply for a change of purpose to be able to use the remaining funds for other purposes, see more under the heading Change of Purpose and Extension of the Disposition Time.
How do I repay the funds?
If the project is cancelled or if a change of purpose is not approved, you should immediately repay the funds without request. The money should be refunded to the Academy’s bank giro: 563-7079.
Remember to include the contract number as the reference number. More information can be found in the contract or contact the scholarship administrator at scholarship@kva.se.
Change of Purpose and Extension of Disposition Time
Can I change the purpose or disposition time after receiving the scholarship?
There is a possibility for those who have been granted funds to apply for a change of purpose or an extended disposition time (see under Funding and Contracts above).
How do I apply for a change of purpose or an extended disposition time?
The application for a change of purpose or an extended disposition time for the grant must be submitted during the ongoing period, i.e., within 24 months from the decision date. An application for a change of purpose or an extended disposition time will not be approved if the deadline has passed. In that case, the funds should be repaid. See information under the “Reporting/Repayment of Funds” section above.
How do I apply for a change of purpose?
Provide the contract number, the reason for the change of purpose, and attach a new budget breakdown for the new purpose. Applications for change of purpose should be sent to scholarship@kva.se.
Decisions regarding change of purpose are made by the scholarship committee and take approximately 2-3 weeks.
You must inform your university/institution yourself about the approved change of purpose.
How do I apply for an extended disposition time?
Provide the contract number and the reason for the application for an extended disposition time. An extended disposition time is usually granted only during the ongoing project period and for a maximum of 12 months. The application should be sent to scholarship@kva.se, and decisions take approximately 2-3 weeks.
You must inform your university/institution yourself about the approved extended disposition time for your scholarship.
I just received a grant from the G.S. Magnuson Foundation, and I am currently at the conference for which the grant was intended. However, it seems that there will be some remaining funds. Can I make a budget amendment to use the remaining funds for other research purposes?
If there are leftover funds within the disposition time, you can apply for a formal change of purpose.
Other
How do I acknowledge the Academy in my publication?
Write “Supported by foundations managed by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.”