Closed call

19 January - 22 February 2022

UNESCO Chairs

On behalf of the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO, the Swedish Research Council is issuing a call for the establishment of four UNESCO Chairs. The purpose is to give researchers, higher education institutions (HEIs) and research institutes in Sweden the opportunity to be part of the international network of UNESCO Chairs during a four-year period.

The establishment of a UNESCO Chair will broaden the HEI’s academic network and develop the local, national and global collaboration with expertise and decision-makers within the UN system. The focus of the UNESCO Chair shall be relevant to UNESCO’s work, and be within the framework for Sweden’s strategy for the collaboration with UNESCO.

The establishment of a UNESCO Chair does not entail any financial grant; instead, funding of the UNESCO Chair during the four-year period must be established by the HEI.

Subject area: Humanities and Social Sciences, Clinical Therapy Research, Artistic Research, Medicine and Health, Natural and Engineering Sciences, Educational Sciences, Development Research

Focus: Researchers nominated for the 2022 establishment of UNESCO Chairs shall be active in areas that are in line with and fulfil UNESCO’s global strategy, the Swedish Government’s strategy for Swedish collaboration with UNESCO, and the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO’s strategy for the work in Sweden. The activities covered by the UNESCO Chairs shall include at least one of the Swedish strategy’s three universal perspectives: human rights, gender equality, and climate.

Applicant: An HEI or research institute, which in the application shall propose a research leader for the establishment of the Chair. The proposed research leader shall have scientific responsibility for the application, and responsibility for ensuring the application is complete; that is, that the information requested is provided according to the instructions.

Duration of the UNESCO Chair: 4 years, with the opportunity to request a 4-year extension following an application direct to the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO

Start date of the UNESCO Chair: No earlier than June 2022.

Format for the application: The application shall consist of 4 PDF documents, to be emailed to jane.parker@vr.se no later than Tuesday 22 February 2022 (14.00/2 p. m.). The application shall be signed by the professor applying, and also by an authorised representative of the Swedish HEI or research institute.

Decision: The Swedish Research Council will submit an assessment of the applications’ scientific merits to the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO in April 2022. A decision on the applications to prioritise will then be made by the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO. The Swedish National Commission for UNESCO will inform the applicants of its decision. Thereafter (no later than 30 April 2022), the prioritised applications will be sent to the Director General of UNESCO in Paris for approval. UNESCO will inform about its decision

Pdf / Printout

Specific instructions for the call