Strategic research areas

Forty-three research environments are financed from 2010 through 2014. The funding of 20 areas within Sweden´s higher education institutions, represent an increased funding level for a 5-year period and reached 1.35 billion Swedish kronor (SEK) in 2012. During the period, SEK 748 million will be earmarked for infrastructures within the framework of strategic investments, i.e. SEK 184 million annually from 2012.

The Swedish Research Council is the agency responsible for 10 of the 20 research areas (below). Read more about the 22 projects that have been awarded research grants in the following areas:

Cancer
Diabetes
Epidemiology
e-Science
Molecular biosciences
Nanoscience and nanotechnology
Neurosciences, including diseases of the brain and nervous system
Politically important geographic regions
Stem cells and regenerative medicine
Healthcare research

Criteria

In 2009 the Swedish Research Council, FAS (Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research), Formas (Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning), VINNOVA (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems), and the Swedish Energy Agency submitted recommendations on financing the 20 strategic research areas that the Swedish Government designated in the Government Bill on Research Policy.

The funds will be allocated directly to the higher education institutions (HEI). The Government followed the agencies´ recommendations and decided to allocate research funding in the autumn budget, presented in September.

The Government used three criteria in prioritising the strategic areas:

• research that, in the long term, has the prerequisites to be of the highest international quality
• research that can contribute towards fulfilling major needs and solving important problems in society
• research in areas that have a connection with the Swedish business sector.