Natural and engineering sciences

Research on the natural and engineering sciences provides knowledge of the physical world and the basis of human technological systems, such as those that permit industrial development. The Research Council supports research throughout the spectrum of basic research in these sciences, including such fields as biodiversity, chemistry, electronics, astronomy, biotechnology and mathematics.

The Research Council allocated around SEK 1,337 million by way of grants for research within natural and engineering sciences 2009.

Research portraits natural and engineering sciences

New Media Makes Invisible Natural Sciences Visible
– Meet Lena Tibell
Lena Tibell, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, has a Project Research Grant from the Swedish Research Council. Here you can read an interview with her.
Technology Helps Visually Impaired Perceive Facial Expressions
– Meet Li Liu
Li Liu, PhD, Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, has a Project Research Grant from the Swedish Research Council. Here you can read an interview with her.
Knowing More About Ice in Clouds Can Improve Climate Models
– Meet Stefan Buehler
Professor Stefan Buehler, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna Space and Environment Campus, has a Project Research Grant from the Swedish Research Council.  Here you can read an interview with him.
Postdoc 2009: Nathalie van der Putten
Nathalie van der Putten, Belgium, got her postdoc application granted in November 2009. Her research project, Palaeoclimatology and palaeoecology of the Sub-Antarctic: a weak link in the knowledge of the Earth´s palaeoclimate system, was granted within natural and engineering sciences. The Swedish Research Council has asked her a few questions.
Using mathematical tools to understand complex processes
Processes in everything from engineering to biology can be studied using mathematical models. Building up models that describe complex systems help both to understand these processes and to manage them. Claire Tomlin, this year´s Tage Erlander Professor, is one of the leading researchers in this field and also develops, in addition to basic mathematical models, applications for air traffic control and cell research.