Applications that are submitted to the Swedish Research Council become official documents. According to the principle of public access to information, anyone has the right to access these applications, except for those parts that must be kept confidential under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400). Under certain conditions, the Swedish Research Council is also obliged, upon request, to disclose applications to higher education institutions and other public authorities. Applications that are rejected or withdrawn by the applicant may also be disclosed upon request. Before an application is disclosed, a confidentiality assessment is conducted.
As a general principle, information included in submitted applications that concerns business or operational conditions, inventions, or research results of a natural or legal person is not confidential at the Swedish Research Council. This means that such information may be disclosed upon request from natural persons, legal entities, or public authorities.
Before submitting your application, you need to consider whether the disclosure of information in the application could affect your or any other natural or legal person’s ability to utilise inventions or research results, including any impact on the conditions for granting patents or other commercialisation. If you determine that certain information must not be disclosed or that publication is not appropriate, such information should not be included in your application to the Swedish Research Council.
If the research or research-supporting activities for which you are applying for funding involve information that is subject to confidentiality for the protection of public interests, such information should not be included in your application. This may, for example, concern information relating to Sweden's national security, relations with other states or international organisations, the interest of preventing or prosecuting crime, or information regarding security or surveillance measures.
If you are uncertain whether confidentiality applies to information you are considering including in your application, you should contact your administrative organisation for further guidance.
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