How members of the board and scientific councils are appointed

Every third year, new members of the Swedish Research Council’s board and scientific councils are appointed through an election process. The higher education institutions first appoint electors to represent Sweden’s researchers. The electors then choose members of the board and scientific councils.

On this page, we have summarised how the process works when new members of the Swedish Research Council’s board and scientific councils are appointed. How the elector process will function is determined by "Förordning om elektorsförsamling vid forskningsråd och ämnesråd (2012:520) External link." (in Swedish).

1. The higher education institutions appoint electors

The higher education institutions are divided up into six regions, which appoint 165 electors in total. Together, they form an elector assembly that represents Sweden’s researchers.

Division

Region

Responsible higher education institution

Other higher education institutions in the region

Region 1

Uppsala University

Dalarna University, University of Gävle, Mälardalen University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, Örebro University

Region 2

Lund University

Blekinge Institute of Technology, Halmstad University, Kristianstad University, Linnaeus University, Malmö University

Region 3

University of Gothenburg

Chalmers University of Technology, University of Borås, University of Skövde, University West, Karlstad University

Region 4

Stockholm University

Swedish Defence University, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences GIH, Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institutet KI, Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Royal Institute of Art, Royal College of Music in Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University of Arts, Södertörn University

Region 5

Umeå University

Luleå University of Technology, Mid Sweden University

Region 6

Linköping University

Jönköping University


The 165 electors are evenly distributed (55 electors each) across the three subject areas: humanities and social sciences, medicine and health, and natural and engineering sciences. The number of electors appointed by each region depends on how many active researchers there are within each subject area at the higher education institutions in the region. The Government decides on the number of electors each region shall appoint, based on calculations by the Swedish Research Council. The calculations are based on official personnel data for the higher education institutions.

Who can appoint electors?

Only persons with scientific or artistic competence at those higher education institutions mentioned in the table above can appoint electors.

Who can be appointed as elector?

To become an elector, you have to have scientific or artistic competence and be employed at least 40 per cent within the subject area in question.

2. The electors choose members of the board and scientific council

The elector assembly meets two times during the autumn of the last year of the mandate period for the scientific council in question. At the first meeting, the electors appoint election committees that propose researchers as new members of the Swedish Research Council’s board or one of our three scientific councils. Once the proposals have been received, the elector assembly meets again to choose who will be the new members. The members are appointed for three years, and may be re-elected once for a further three-year period.

Six of the nine members of the board are appointed by the electors. The Government appoints the director general, the chair of the board and one further member. The Government also appoints two members of the Scientific Council for Medicine and Health.

Who can be appointed as member?

In order to be appointed as a member the Swedish Research Council’s board or a scientific council, a high level of scientific or artistic competence is required within one of the three subject areas: humanities and social sciences, medicine and health, or natural and engineering sciences.

How members of the Swedish Research Council’s other decision-making bodies are appointed

Information about how members are appointed to our other decision-making bodies can be found in the presentation of each council and committee.

Council for Research Infrastructures

Committee for Artistic Research

Committee for Clinical Therapy Research

Committee for Educational Sciences

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