Network grant - Swedish research links

Please refer to the application form in Prisma in parallel with reading the instructions below, which describe the call-specific content of the application. More information on what to do in practical terms is available in our Guide for applicants Opens in new window..

Language

International experts are involved in the scientific assessment of the applications. To ensure fair and equitable assessment and efficient processing, please therefore complete your application in English (apart from the popular science description, which you must write in Swedish).

Sections of the application

The application form includes the following tabs:

• Descriptive information
• Research description
• Budget and research resources
• Publications
• Administrating organisation
• Review panels
• Participants
• CV

The information we request under each tab is described below.

Descriptive information

Abstract

The abstract shall include a brief description of the following:

• which research questions you intend to focus on in the collaboration
• what is to be done within the research collaboration
• how the collaboration will be conducted: organisation, time plan and collaboration formats
• the impact of the research collaboration.

The abstract shall provide a summary picture of the purpose and implementation of the research. Please use wording to ensure persons with another subject specialisation can understand the information.

The description may cover a maximum of 1 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one third of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Popular science description

Describe the planned research in such a way that a person who is not a researcher can understand it. Do this by answering the following questions:

• What is the research collaboration about?
• Why is it important to research this?
• In what way may the new knowledge be important?

The popular science description is important when we inform about the research funded by the Swedish Research Council.

The text must be in Swedish and may cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one half of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Other applications or grants

Describe the relationship between the different projects if

1. you are applying for or intend to apply for other grants from the Swedish Research Council
2. you are receiving an ongoing grant from the Swedish Research Council with a grant period that wholly or partly overlaps with the grant you are now applying for
3. there are applications or grants relating to the same project idea/purpose from the Swedish Research Council or other funding bodies (from you or another researcher).

In all cases, you should also justify why you are submitting one or several further applications. If there are no other applications or grants, please state so.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one half of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Collaboration countries

List the 1–3 collaboration countries planned for the application.

Global goals for sustainable development

State which of the 17 global goals for sustainable development (according to Agenda 2030) your project is linked to in particular, or if none of them is relevant. Further information is available under the heading “Follow-up of funding of development research” at the beginning of the call text.

Policy markers OpenAid

State to what extent your project focuses on each policy marker area. You can find a link to a description of the policy markers under the heading “Follow-up of our funding of development research” at the beginning of the call text.

Research description

Ethical aspects

Legal and formal requirements

State whether the research covers the handling of personal data, or experiments on animals and/or studies involving humans.

If the research covers any of the above, you must also describe/state the approvals and permits your research project requires, and how you plan to obtain these. Describe any other permits that affect your application, such as whether parts of the research will be done in a country other than Sweden. If no approvals or permits are needed, please state so.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one half of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

More information is available on the page Conducting ethical research. Opens in new window.

Ethical considerations

Reflect on the ethical issues that may arise for your project, and describe these. You must also describe how you plan to address ethical dilemmas that may arise. Please justify why the research should be carried out against the background of the ethical issues you have identified. Examples of issues to reflect on:

• How do your research questions and expected results measure up in relation to the ethical issues?
• What (direct) risks (physical, mental, or integrity) will research persons or animals be exposed to?
• What long-term risks may arise from the research? Is there any risk that the research may be used in a way that is detrimental to animals, nature/the environment, or society (whole or parts of the same) in other respects?
• Is the research expected to contribute to other values over and above the knowledge gain? If so, to whom?
• How do you weigh up the risks (in particular short-term risks) against the value (which is often more long-term) of the research?

If no ethical issues are raised, please justify this also. The description may cover a maximum of 4 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Research idea

Summarise the research theme and the research questions that you intend to focus on in the network. Describe also your own and others’ previous research and any preliminary results within the research area. State key references.

Explain the importance and scientific novelty of the planned research. Describe briefly how the collaboration project relates to previous research within the area, and its importance to the research area in the short and long term.

The description may cover a maximum of 8 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately two A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Collaboration plan

The collaboration plan shall be forward-looking and shall consist of a brief but complete description of the collaboration planned for the parties in the network. It shall cover a maximum of 4 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins, including references and any images.

The collaboration plan must include the following headings and information, listed in the following order:

• Purpose and aims: Describe summarily the purpose and specific aims of the network, and describe how these correspond to the purpose and focus of the call.
• Network description and mode of cooperation: Provide a summary of the planned work including the following sections:
  • Organisation: Clarify the contributions of yourself and the participating researchers to the implementation of the collaboration. Describe and justify the competences and roles of the participating researchers, and also any other researchers or corresponding who are important for the implementation. In what way is the collaboration based on equal participation, and how does this lead to mutual exchange of knowledge?
  • Time plan and implementation: The time plan should provide an overview of the collaboration and a plan for submitting joint research applications, travel, joint seminars, workshops, preparations/planning of joint research applications, and information dissemination. A brief description of collaboration activities, such as workshops and seminars, should be included.
• Security situation in collaboration country: If you are planning to carry out activities in countries or regions that the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs are advising against travelling to (including work travel), please describe how you are planning your research visit to and work in the country in view of the security situation. Ministry for Foreign Affairs travel information (in Swedish) External link, opens in new window.

Provide the following information also. If it is not relevant to your application, please state this under the heading.

• Need for research infrastructure: Specify the collaboration’s need for international and national research infrastructure. In the first instance, you should use the research infrastructures supported by the Swedish Research Council Opens in new window., which are open to all. If you choose to use other infrastructure instead, please justify this need (also applies for local research infrastructure).

Relevance

Research projects in development research shall be of particular relevance to the fight against poverty and for sustainable development in least developed countries and lower middle income countries (for further information, please see under the heading “Focus” above). Therefore, describe clearly how the research project and its questions are based on phenomena and challenges relating to poverty/the fight against poverty and for sustainable development, and how poverty and other sustainability challenges depend on each other. Describe how and why the research is particularly relevant to the fight against poverty and for sustainable development in least developed countries and lower middle income countries and for people living in poverty. Describe how the project can contribute new knowledge with the potential to contribute to improving conditions for people living in poverty and under oppression and to promote sustainable development specifically in least developed countries and regions. Present possible ways and means for your research to have impact and/or be put to use, in the short or long term, and formulate these as possible “pathways to impact” for your research. Describe also whether the questions are relevant for least developed countries and lower middle income countries other than the specific country/countries included in the study.

The description may cover a maximum of 4 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11.

Budget and research resources

The budget shall cover the costs of all parties. Please state the amounts in Swedish krona, rounded to the nearest 1 000 SEK. Describe the overall costs for the network by specifying the items below:

• Costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence
• Costs of organising seminars and workshops
• Salary costs for coordinating and administrating the network (up to 100 000 SEK per year)
• Costs of consumables, minor field studies, any publication costs and equipment (maximum 100 000 SEK per year in total)
• Other costs

Total cost of the network

Prisma will automatically add up your budget items in a table. The total amount you are applying for shall also include indirect costs. You will have to add these to the table yourself. Here you can also add any additional costs that the project entails (for which you are not seeking funding under this call).

Indirect costs follow the model that your administrating organisation uses. Please contact your administrating organisation if you have any questions abut what constitutes indirect and direct costs.

Justification of the budget applied for

Justify briefly each cost applied for in the budget. The description may cover a maximum of 4 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Other funding

Please state your or any other researcher’s funding for the project over and above what is applied for in this application. Please state the amounts in Swedish krona, rounded to the nearest 1 000 SEK.

Publications

Applicant’s publication list

Please attach your publication list drawn up according to the headings and information below. The list may cover a maximum of 5 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins.

Sort the publications under each heading in reverse chronological order, so that the latest publication is at the top of the list. Please only include articles or equivalent that are published or accepted for publication at the time of applying. The author name order shall be identical to that of the published work. The application cannot be supplemented with publications after the deadline for the call.

1. Selection of publications: List the 10 publications of greatest importance to your application. Describe how you contributed to each publication, and its relevance to the research project described (maximum 4 lines per publication). Highlight your name in bold in the author list.

2. Relevant publications from 2015–2023: In this part, the publications listed under Item 1 shall also be included if they have been published during the period in question. Sort the publications, with your name highlighted in bold in the author list, under each heading (publication type) in the following order:

• Peer-reviewed original articles
• Peer-reviewed conference contributions, the results of which are not included in other publications
• Peer-reviewed edited volumes
• Research review articles
• Peer-reviewed books and book chapters
• Other publications including popular science books/presentations

Participating researchers’ publication lists

Attach all participating researchers’ publication lists joined up into one file. The list for each researcher shall include the 10 publications that are the most relevant to the research described, and shall cover a maximum of 1 A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins. The name of the researcher in question shall be highlighted in bold and also be included in the page header of each list.

Please only include articles or equivalent that are published or accepted for publication at the time of applying. The author name order shall be identical to that of the published work. The application cannot be supplemented with publications after the deadline for the call.

The publications shall be of the types: Peer-reviewed original articles, conference contributions, edited volumes, research review articles, books and book chapters, and other publications including popular science books/presentations.

Administrating organisation

Please state the administrating organisation and project site.

Review panels

Please request the review panel or panels (in priority order) that you wish to carry out the scientific assessment of your application.

The final allocation of applications is determined by the Swedish Research Council.

Review panels Opens in new window.

Participants

Here you shall invite the participating researchers and any participating administrators to your application.

CV

Under this tab, please upload your relevant CV information from your personal account in Prisma. Participating researchers must upload their own CV information to the application.

The following information (where available) must always be included in each CV:

• Education: First, second and third cycle higher education and specialist degrees.
• Work: Current employment (including employment form) and longer relevant employment held, postdoctoral visits (also included as employment if relevant), research exchanges relevant to the research described and any longer interruptions in the research that have impacted on your opportunity to gain merit as a researcher.
• Merits and awards: Docentship/associate professorship, supervisees (postdoctoral and doctoral students; state the number of persons in each category and list the names of the up to 10 most relevant to you), up to 10 of your most relevant grants awarded in competition, up to 10 of your most relevant prizes and awards, and up to 20 other merits relevant to the application.
• Intellectual property rights: For example, patents and open access computer programs developed by you; state up to 10 of your most relevant.

Scientific quality is the fundamental criterion when the Swedish Research Council allocates grants to research. Your application is evaluated in competition with the other applications on the basis of the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation process

Your application for network grant within development research is evaluated by a broad, specialised subject review panel where the members are Swedish and international researchers.

At least three members review and grade your application individually. If the needed, the reviews of the panel members will be complemented with an assessment from an external reviewer with specialised expertise in the subject of the application. The entire review panel then meets at a review panel meeting to discuss and prioritise the applications, and finally to make a proposal for a decision to the Committee for Development Research.

Review panels Opens in new window.

In order to enable more in-depth discussions of applications of higher quality that have a reasonable chance of being funded, the applications that received the lowest grades from the panel members are not discussed in detail at the review panel meeting. Following the grant decision, all applications receive a final statement that includes the review panel’s grading of the application. The applications that have been discussed in more detail at the panel meeting receive an individual final statement which, in addition to the grades, also contains a summary of the review panel’s discussion and joint assessment of the scientific quality of the application.

Here you will find a more comprehensive description of the Swedish Research Council's assessment of applications Opens in new window..

Evaluation criteria and guiding questions

The evaluation of the scientific quality of your application is made based on four basic criteria (Scientific quality of the proposed research, Novelty and originality, Merits of the applicant, Feasibility). The Swedish Research Links network grants are also evaluated based on the criteria Complementarity of the research network. The purpose of using several components is to achieve a multi-faceted evaluation. The criteria are assessed on a seven-grade scale, except for feasibility, which is assessed on a three-grade scale.

In addition to the basic criteria, your application is also evaluated using an additional criterion (Relevance for the call) on a seven-grade scale.

For each criterion, there are guiding questions to support the panel members’ evaluation of your application. These can also function as guidance for you when you write your application.

Scientific quality of the proposed research (1–7)

Guiding questions:

• Does the proposed collaboration network have the potential to build a sustainable and equal scientific partnership to address development challenges?
• To what extent can the proposed network, based on the included collaborators, define new, compelling scientific questions within its scientific area?
• To what extent is the overall description of the collaborative network sufficiently clear, convincing and compelling, for example in the definition of research questions, description of planned activities and impact of the research collaboration?
• To what extent does the proposal contain adequate plans for sustaining the collaboration/partnership beyond the proposed duration of network funding?
• Are the ethical considerations for the proposed project properly described and addressed? Does the applicant adequately consider risk/value/suffering for humans, animals and nature?

Novelty and originality (1–7)

Guiding questions:

• To what extent does the proposed network promote the establishment of a new research network and new researcher-to-researcher relationships?
• If principal investigators have collaborated before: Is the proposed collaboration based on a new research topic? What were the experiences of that previous collaboration and can additional funding lead to new collaborative research proposals with realistic ideas how to obtain funding?
• Does the network combine scientific expertise and capacity in a novel way in relation to the research area(s) and the countries involved?
• To what extent does the network propose a line of research with clear progression and novelty in relation to previous research and with potential to extend or challenge current understanding, opinion or practice in its field?
• In what novel way does the proposed network have potential for scientific and/or societal impact in least developed and lower middle-income countries?

Merits of the network (1–7)

Guiding questions:

• Does the network have sufficient research experience, expertise and scientific connections for the implementation of the proposed collaboration?
• In relation to research area and career age: Of what merits are the network participants’ scientific production (e.g. publications, supervisor experience, external funding, research collaborations)? To what extent do these merits show a distinct and independent line of research?
• Does the applicant have previous experience from research collaborations with partners in least developed or lower middle-income countries?

Feasibility (1–3)

Guiding questions:

• Is the proposed plan in general, including activities and time schedule, optimal for starting up and implementing the proposed network?
• Does the network aim to establish long-term research collaboration and contain a realistic plan for how to raise funds for such collaboration?
• Does the proposed collaboration network include the availability and accessibility of relevant personnel, skills, equipment, facilities/infrastructures and other necessary resources?
• Is the environment suitable for carrying out the proposed network activities?
• Does the applicant adequately consider relevant legal and formal requirements for the proposed research, such as ethical permits and guidelines?

Complementarity of the research network (1-7)

Guiding questions:

• To what extent do the team members’ expertise complement each other and bring mutual added value to the proposed research; compared to if the partners were not working together?
• Can the collaboration lead to transfer of knowledge between applicants?
• Is the collaboration based on principles of co-design, mutual benefit and equality?

Relevance for the call (1-7)

Relevance is a key criterion for assessment of development research. It is assessed separately from scientific quality and is included in the overall grade. Research projects within development research shall have particular relevance to the fight against poverty and for sustainable development in least developed countries and lower middle income countries.

Guiding questions:

• Is the research clearly based in questions relating to poverty/the fight against poverty and sustainable development in least developed and lower middle income countries?
• Is it described how poverty and other sustainability challenges depend on each other?
• Does the research concern conditions and challenges that are specific, or of particular importance, to least developed and lower middle income countries?
• Does the research have the potential to contribute to improving conditions for people living in poverty and under oppression in least developed and lower middle income countries specifically?
• Does the research also have the potential to contribute to sustainable development in these least developed and lower middle income countries?
• Is there a clearly described idea about, and description of, pathways-to-impact?
• Are the research questions relevant to least developed and lower middle income countries other than the specific country/countries where the study takes place?

Overall grade (1–7)

The above subsidiary criteria are weighed together into an overall grade, which reflects the review panel’s joint evaluation of the application’s scientific quality.