Grant for research infrastructure of national interest

Application procedure

In order for a person to access the call and start the application process, they have to be authorised to create organisation applications on the organisation’s Prisma account. If this is not the same person who will be the project leader and responsible for completing the application, the project leader must be invited to the application once the process has been started (see under the heading “Applicant” below, and under the tab “Participants” in the application form).

Requirements for applicants

The following requirements must be fulfilled in order for the organisation to be eligible to apply for the grant. We carry out checks and reject applications that do not fulfil the requirements.

Framework for the application

• The purpose of the application shall fulfil the Swedish Research Council’s definition and criteria for research infrastructure of national interest.
• The call has three subsidiary focuses: National infrastructure, new membership in international infrastructure, and infrastructure project.
• You may only apply for a grant for the infrastructures/areas listed in the call text, with the possible delimitations described in the text for each area.
• Only one organisation shall be the administrating organisation for the grant, but several organisations may be part of the application. In the event several organisations participate in the application, all must have been approved as administrating organisations by the Swedish Research Council. They shall enter into a collaboration agreement, and all organisations must confirm their undertakings in the form of letters of support.
• The application shall include a total budget for the entire operation and shall cover the entire grant period.
• For national infrastructure, the participating organisations shall contribute co-funding of at least the same level applied for from the Swedish Research Council.
• The fee for membership in international infrastructures where the membership fee is managed by the Swedish Research Council does not have to be co-funded.
• Infrastructure projects do not need to be co-funded, but the participating organisations are expected to make considerable undertakings that contribute to Swedish added value of the membership.
• In addition to the Swedish Research Council’s general terms and conditions for grants for funds awarded to research and research-supporting activities, special terms and conditions apply for funding awarded to research infrastructure of national interest.

The Swedish Research Council’s general terms and conditions (in Swedish) Pdf, 154 kB. (Pdf, 154 kB)

The Swedish Research Council’s special terms and conditions for funding awarded to research infrastructure of national interest (in Swedish). Pdf, 237.5 kB. (Pdf, 237.5 kB)

Research infrastructure of national interest

The Swedish Research Council has the following definition of research infrastructure of national interest:

Research infrastructure of national interest is intended to provide resources that enable research by several research teams and different projects within one or several research fields.

In addition to the definition, the Swedish Research Council applies several criteria intended to clarify and demarcate the type of infrastructure funded:

Research infrastructure of national interest funded by the Swedish Research Council shall

• enable research of the highest scientific quality
• be openly accessible primarily to researchers, but also to the business sector, the public sector, and other relevant actors. When access is limited, prioritisation shall be based primarily on scientific excellence
• create clear national added value
• have long-term plans for the scientific operation and its development
• take long-term responsibility for management and control, funding, competence building, and development of the operation
• contribute to societal development, for example by enabling research that addresses issues relating to societal challenges.

Subsidiary focuses

The call covers three subsidiary focuses, and the application shall be for at least one of them. The purpose of the subsidiary focuses is to specify which grant terms and conditions that apply. The choice of subsidiary focus is of no consequence for the assessment of the application. The Swedish Research Council may, as necessary, move applications between the subsidiary focuses.

Infrastructure project

Infrastructure projects are demarcated activities linked to an international research infrastructure, for example upgrades, method or instrument development, or other Swedish undertakings. Co-funding is not required, but the participating organisations are expected to make considerable undertakings that contribute to Swedish added value of the membership, for example by participating with personnel in development work at the infrastructure. In the call text, infrastructure projects are included in the definition of infrastructure, unless otherwise is stated.

New membership in international infrastructure

This subsidiary focus applies to applications for membership in international research infrastructures, where Sweden is not already a member. No co-funding of the membership fee is required. Please note that grants for activities at a Swedish node shall be applied for under the subsidiary focus national infrastructure.

National infrastructure

All applications that do not fit under other subsidiary focuses are classified as national infrastructure. The participating organisations shall contribute co-funding of at least the same level as applied for from the Swedish Research Council.

Applicant

The applicant for the grant must be a Swedish higher education institution or other Swedish public agency with a research mandate that has been approved as an administrating organisation by the Swedish Research Council. The administrating organisation shall be the host organisation for the infrastructure, or alternatively for the Swedish engagement where the application relates to international infrastructure, and is responsible for ensuring the grant is used according to the Swedish Research Council’s terms and conditions. When two or more organisations contribute resources to the infrastructure, they shall form a consortium.

The organisation shall invite a project leader to the application. The project leader shall preferably be the director of the infrastructure, or for the Swedish engagement in the international infrastructure, and shall be employed by the administrating organisation at the start of and throughout the grant period, unless the Swedish Research Council approves an exception. No participating researchers may be included in this application.

In the event several organisations are participating in an application, all parties except the administrating organisation shall confirm their undertakings in the form of letters of support (see also under the heading “What must the application contain?”). To safeguard the allocation of responsibility between the parties, the Swedish Research Council requires a collaboration agreement signed by an authorised representative (vice-chancellor/public agency head, unless formally delegated) of all participating consortium members. The collaboration agreement shall be drawn up and be available at the administrating organisation before payment of the grant begins.

Areas/infrastructures

The areas and research infrastructures that will be considered for funding under this call are listed below. There is also an associated description of each area/infrastructure, where any further instructions and delimitations will be clarified.

The descriptions of each area/infrastructure can be found here Pdf, 194.1 kB. (Pdf, 194.1 kB)

Please note that we only expect one application per area/infrastructure.

• ACTRIS Sweden
• ArchLab
• ARTEMI
• Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden
• Digitisation of Swedish print
• The ELT instrument METIS – Swedish participation
• EPOS-ERIC - Swedish participation
• EUROfusion – Swedish participation
• European Solar Telescope
• InfraVis
• Instrumentation for the icebreaker Oden
• ISOLDE
• National Archive Database
• NordSIMS-Vegacenter
• Onsala Space Observatory
• Protein Production Sweden
• SuperADAM
• Swedish population databases for research
• Swedish Solar Telescope
• SwedNMR
• SWERVE

Participating researchers

No participating researchers may be included in this application. Any participating organisations and their roles are described under the heading “Consortium – participating organisations” (see instructions further on in the call text).

Costs and grant amounts

Please note that all parties included in the application should be aware that the amount awarded for a grant versus the amount applied for can differ. An indicative amount is set with the decision to grant the application and may be changed further during the subsequent dialogue phase that precedes a decision on the final grant amount.

The grant may be used, within the delimitations that are stated in each area text, for investment in and operation of research infrastructure of national interest, and may include costs for coordination, development, construction, or upgrading of the infrastructure.

Investment refers, for example, to scientific equipment or databases, and includes costs for purchase, installation, and adaptation of premises for scientific equipment or, in the case of database infrastructure, for data collection. Please note that any funding awarded for scientific equipment does not constitute a general grant for investment in the infrastructure; instead, funding is provided up to the amount awarded for the equipment specified in the application. Procurement of the equipment shall in general be completed within 15 months following the start of the payment period.

The grants must not be used for research, including salaries for doctoral students (including the part of the doctoral student’s salary that covers departmental duties), graduate schools, researcher exchanges, travel grants for researchers using the infrastructure, or similar. The grant must not be used for conference related costs, except for arranging and participating in conferences that are specifically aimed at research infrastructures, for user meetings, or for the purpose of promoting increased use of the infrastructure. Nor may the grant be used to fund participation in EU projects, unless this has been specifically agreed by the Swedish Research Council. For the subsidiary focus of national infrastructure, the grant must not be used to fund ‘career development positions’ (such as salary to a postdoc or assistant professor (“biträdande lektor”)) unless this has been specifically agreed.

• If the grant relates to Swedish participation in an international infrastructure, costs relating to the Swedish node shall be included as part of the application.
• For international infrastructure with an ongoing Swedish membership that is already handled by the Swedish Research Council, all costs related to the membership, excluding the membership fee, shall be included in the amount applied for. The membership fee in these cases is paid by the Swedish Research Council directly to the international infrastructure in question according to separate international agreements.
• If the application relates to new Swedish membership in an international infrastructure, that is, an infrastructure in which Sweden does not have an ongoing membership, the membership fee shall be included in the amount applied for and be clearly specified.
• If the application covers ongoing collaborations in an international infrastructure, project or organisation that is not handled by the Swedish Research Council, the related fees are expected to be co-funded.

If clarifications relating to membership and co-funding requirements are needed, please contact the Swedish Research Council at ansokinfra@vr.se.

Co-funding

Co-funding are direct contributions from the administrating organisation and other participating organisations that are paid to the infrastructure on top of the grant from the Swedish Research Council. Grants from other public and private funding bodies, other public agencies and direct government appropriations, as well as user fees, may also be regarded as co-funding. The co-funding shall be used for the same types of costs as the grant from the Swedish Research Council can be applied for, and shall be reported according to the terms and conditions in the same way as the grant from the Swedish Research Council. Therefore, funding for salaries for doctoral students (including the part of the doctoral student’s salary that covers departmental duties), graduate schools, researcher exchanges, travel grants for researchers using the infrastructure, or similar are not approved as co-funding. Neither is funding for conference related costs, except for arranging and participating in conferences that are specifically aimed at research infrastructures, for user meetings, or for the purpose of promoting increased use of the infrastructure. Funding for participation in EU projects is not approved as co-funding, unless this has been specifically agreed by the Swedish Research Council. For the subsidiary focus of national infrastructure, funding of ‘career development positions’ (such as salary to a postdoc or assistant professor (“biträdande lektor”)) is not approved as co-funding either, unless this has been specifically agreed.

Existing resources (including depreciation of equipment already acquired) that the administrating organisation and any other participating organisations make available to the research infrastructure, as well as existing grants from the Swedish Research Council, must not be included in the co-funding.

Please note that by signing the application, the administrating organisation guarantees that co-funding for the entire infrastructure is at the level stated in the budget.

Other funding for the research infrastructure

In addition to the funding categorised a co-funding, the infrastructure may have further funding for its operation. This might, for example, relate to targeted funding to buy certain equipment or specific activities within the infrastructure. This funding and associated activities shall be shown in the infrastructure’s overall budget and shall be reported in summary in conjunction with the reporting of the grant from the Swedish Research Council, in order to provide an overall picture of all the activities and overall finances of the infrastructure.

Grant period

The grant may cover a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 years, starting no earlier than January 2026. As calls for grants to research infrastructure of national interest are issued every two years, the grant period should end with an even year. If the funding level changes in a possible subsequent grant period, the infrastructure will then have one year in which to adapt to the new level.

If funding is applied for from 2027, for technical reasons the year 2026 must also be included in “Number of years”, and 1 January 2026 should be set as the start date for the project. The amount applied for year 2026 is then set to 0 SEK.

What must the application contain?

Please refer to the application form in Prisma in parallel with reading the instructions below, which describe the call-specific contents of the application. More information on practical aspects is available in our Guide for applicants.

Foreign experts are involved in the scientific evaluation of the applications. To ensure fair and equitable assessment and efficient processing, please therefore complete your application in English, except the popular science description, which must be in Swedish.

The information we require under each tab in the application form is described below.

Descriptive information

Participating organisations

List the organisations that participate in the application. Participating organisations must be approved as administrating organisations by the Swedish Research Council.

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

Abstract

The abstract shall provide a summary of the infrastructure’s purpose, activities and the research supported. Please write this section in a way that ensures that someone 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 infrastructure in such a way that a person who is not familiar with the subject can understand it. Please use the following points as the basis of the description:

• Describe what needs of Swedish research that can be fulfilled by the proposed infrastructure.
• Highlight the (new) possibilities that the infrastructure offers Sweden in terms of research, innovation and societal benefit.
• Explain in what way the (new) knowledge may be important.

The popular science description may be used when we inform about the activities funded by the Swedish Research Council.

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

Subsidiary focus

Mark which of the subsidiary focuses the application relates to national infrastructure, infrastructure project, or new membership in an international infrastructure.

Area/infrastructure

Choose the area or infrastructure that the application relates to.

Grant period applied for

State the number of years the application covers. If funding is applied for from 2027, for technical reasons 2026 must also be included. Therefore, please also state the actual starting year, that is, either 2026 or 2027. The grant period applied for should end in an even year, that is, 2028 or 2030.

The goals of the infrastructure

This part of the application has two primary purposes:

• The infrastructure, its management, and users shall have a clear picture of the focus of the research infrastructure’s work and its priorities.
• To enable the Swedish Research Council to follow up on the activities of the infrastructure, for example through annual reports, renewed applications, and possible evaluations.

The following definitions and instructions shall be used for the descriptions:

Goal: describes what is to be achieved with the infrastructure’s operations. The goals should

• be set for all the infrastructure’s activities
• be concrete
• be measurable
• be possible to follow up
• cover the grant period the application covers
• be numbered.

All goals should have at least one deliverable or milestone linked to it.

Deliverables: are concrete and can, for example, consist of completing the installation of a specific piece of equipment, the collection of data and samples, increased accessibility to the infrastructure.

Milestones: lead to a new phase, and can, for example, relate to a new level of competence, development, or number of users having been achieved.

Deliverables and milestones shall be included in the Gantt chart appended to the application in the section “Implementation, management, and organisation”.

Goals related to scientific output

Describe the goals linked to the infrastructure’s output, that is, goals relating to

• how the infrastructure can support current and possibly new research fields
• the scientific production enabled by the infrastructure
• societal benefit and innovation.

For each goal, describe the deliverables and milestones that contribute to achieving the goal. These should be described per module and shall be numbered.

The description may cover a maximum of 3 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately three quarters of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Goals related to the development of the infrastructure

Describe the goals linked to the infrastructure’s operations, that is, goals relating to, for example

• access and use
• financial sustainability
• data handling and storage
• competence building
• the role of the infrastructure nationally and internationally
• collaborations and partnerships.

For each goal, describe the deliverables and milestones that contribute to achieving the goal. These should be described per module and shall be numbered.

The description may cover a maximum of 3 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately three quarters of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Scientific justification of the infrastructure

To make the text easier to read, only use references where necessary.

Scientific questions

Describe the scientific questions the planned activities of the infrastructure can contribute to answering, focusing on those that are central for the infrastructure and those with potential for being the most ground-breaking or having the greatest impact. In the description, include how established the research field/fields is/are.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 2 A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing, including any figures.

Enabling research

Describe in what way the infrastructure and its planned activities can contribute to answering the scientific questions identified above, and what type of research that is enabled. Also explain if the planned activities address specific scientific challenges. Describe the long-term impact of the planned operation on the development of the scientific area.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 2 A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing, including any figures.

Communication with the research community

Describe plans and methods for interaction and communication with the research community, both current and possible future users, for the purpose of analysing needs and enabling a relevant research infrastructure in the long term.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

The Swedish research community's contribution to the field

Describe whether there are researchers in Sweden who are active at the frontier of the research field. If so, describe whether and how they can contribute to the development of the infrastructure or area.

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.

National interest

Fulfilling the needs of the research community

Describe how the proposed infrastructure fulfils the needs raised in the area text for the specific area or the specific infrastructure that the application covers. Describe also any other needs that are fulfilled.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Expected user groups

Describe the expected user groups, based on type of domain (HEI, public sector, business sector), research fields, career ages, and other relevant parameters. Describe and justify the expected development of the user base over the grant period covered by the application, and in the longer term. Please note that the Swedish Research Council follows the reported use of the research infrastructure over time for the infrastructures awarded grants.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Available infrastructures and methods

Describe the possibilities that currently exist for researchers active in Sweden to answer the research questions that the proposed infrastructure is expected to be able to support. This can, for example, relate to other research infrastructures – local, national and international – or alternative methods. Describe what function the proposed infrastructure will fill in the landscape described, with particular focus on the needs of researchers active in Sweden and the expected effect on individual research areas.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Accessibility for users

Describe how the infrastructure is made accessible for researchers nationally and, as applicable, also internationally. Describe if and, if so, how the infrastructure is made accessible also to the business sector, the public sector, and other relevant actors. Describe how the prioritisation processes are designed, and whether user fees are charged for each group. According to the Swedish Research Council’s special terms and conditions for infrastructure grants, in the event the infrastructure offers a limited resource, accessibility shall be based on scientific quality.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Added value of national infrastructure

Describe the added value of organising the planned operation as an infrastructure of national interest. If the operation or parts of the operation has other funding over and above the co-funding required, describe also what the Swedish Research Council’s funding would add in addition to a financial contribution.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Implementation, leadership and organisation

Description of modules

Describe the parts included in the infrastructure and its organisation according to the instructions below.

The operation shall be described with the help of modules, where each module describes a demarcated part, such as a database, a piece of equipment, a measurement station, or a specific part of these. Please note that, if funding is awarded, each module shall be reported separately from other modules in the annual financial report in accordance with the instructions from the Swedish Research Council; the instructions specify for example that an excerpt from the accounting system for each module is supplied. A module should therefore not involve activities at several organisations (HEIs/authorities). Operationally, however, several modules can contribute to and be part of a larger unit (for example, several modules can together form a database, a laboratory, or an operational function).

If both national and international operations are included, these shall be divided up into different modules.

Describe the following items for each module:

• The module’s function and its connection to the infrastructure’s goals.
• Existing equipment and planned equipment construction/purchases. Include a technical description of the equipment and an estimate of its lifespan. All planned investment shall be specified in the application and referenced to one or more items in the budget. For existing equipment that the administrating organisation or other participating organisations make available, describe what the equipment consists of and what it contributes to the research infrastructure.
• The module’s need for other resources, such as personnel, premises, and so on. This shall correspond to one or more items in the budget.
• Whether the module is new or existing (for infrastructures with ongoing grants)

Describe subsequently how the modules are linked, whether they are dependent on each other, and what the dependency consists of. Include a graphic overview. Describe how the activities in the modules together contribute to achieving the goals set for the infrastructure. Describe how and why the modules included have been selected, and how their continued relevance to the infrastructure is evaluated. Describe the process for following up this evaluation, and as necessary change the infrastructure’s module composition.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 4 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Description of infrastructure’s leadership

Describe the infrastructure’s leadership according to the following points, and include an organisational chart if this facilitates the description:

• The infrastructure’s strategic, scientific, and operational leadership, how it is organised and adapted to the activities at the infrastructure, and how it contributes to cost effectiveness.
• What resources are set aside specifically for the infrastructure’s operational management, strategic management, results monitoring, and finance administration, at the administrating organisation and at other parties.

For the subsidiary focus “infrastructure project”, describe the project’s strategic and operational leadership, and how the project relates to the infrastructure’s leadership.

For the subsidiary focus “new membership in an international infrastructure”, describe the international infrastructure’s organisation and leadership.

If the application relates to both a national and an international part, clarify how the various parts relate to each other in terms of operation, budget, organisation and leadership.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 2 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing, including any organisation chart.

Qualifications of participants in infrastructure projects

This section is only applicable for those applying under the subsidiary focus “infrastructure project”. In the event Swedish researchers are contributing scientifically to the build-up, upgrade and/or operation of the infrastructure, for example in kind or similar, the researchers’ scientific and technical merits shall be listed. If so, please attach these as a joint pdf-file with a very brief cv for each person and a relevant selection of scientific publications (however no more than 20 in total for all the contributing researchers).

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 3 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

User support

Describe how the infrastructure works with user support and, if applicable, training for existing and possible new users. Describe whether user support is accessible throughout all or part of a researcher’s project at the infrastructure, and whether the support is adaptable to different levels of competence. If different modules have different users, please specify the information per module. Describe whether and, if so, how the need for user support is expected to change over time.

The description may cover a maximum of 4 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Relation to other infrastructures

Describe the related national resources that exist within the field (for example national research infrastructures or other resources that are available).

• What sort of collaboration exists between these and the operation described in this application?
• What sort of demarcation exists between the operation described in the application and similar and/or potentially overlapping infrastructures?

Describe the related international infrastructures that are accessible for Swedish researchers in the area (if any).

• What sort of collaboration exists between these and the operation described in this application?
• What opportunities exist for Swedish researchers to use the international infrastructures described?

Describe also whether nodes/modules included in the operation applied for are also included in other research infrastructures, and mention particularly if these have funding from the Swedish Research Council.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Time plan

Append a time plan for the activities of the infrastructure during the grant period, including preparation, construction, installation, development, operation and as applicable phasing out/decommissioning. Attach the time plan in the form of a Gantt chart. The chart shall include the milestones and deliverables for the various modules described in the section “The infrastructure’s goals”.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 3 pages.

Long-term plan

Describe in summary the long-term plan for the infrastructure, and relate this to the expected lifespan of the infrastructure.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Risk analysis

List in a table the risks or obstacles that may impact on the infrastructure’s operation and/or scientific output.

Use this table as a template. Word, 18.8 kB. (Word, 18.8 kB)

Describe thereafter, in the same document as the table, for each risk that may lead to cost increases, a plan for how the operation can be adjusted to stay within the budget stated in this application. For example, can parts be removed from the operation, or scaled-down to stay within the given budgetary framework? What related consequences are expected?

The table together with the description of risk management shall be appended as a pdf and cover a maximum of 3 page-numbered A4 pages.

Ensuring research-supporting activities

Describe how it will be ensured that the funding applied for from the Swedish Research Council will only be used for research-supporting activities and not used for research, education, and so on. For example, in the cases where the budget in the application covers salaries, describe how it will be ensured that the percentage of working hours stated are spent on the infrastructure’s operation.

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

Budget

Please use the budget template provided for the 2025 call (in Swedish) Excel, 681 kB. (Excel, 681 kB).

Please note that, for all subsidiary focuses, we are requesting a total budget for the research infrastructure. This means that all income shall be shown in the application, such as grants applied for from the Swedish Research Council, co-funding from the administrating organisation and any consortium members including user fees and, as applicable, other funding for the research infrastructure. The total cost for investment in and operation of the research infrastructure shall also be shown in the budget, including indirect costs. For infrastructure projects, only the budget for the Swedish operation shall be reported. Only costs that give rise to a financial transaction in the accounts of the research infrastructure shall be included.

All costs in the application budget must be clearly linked to the modules described in the section “Implementation, management, and organisation”.

See also explanations and instructions in the budget template. The administrating organisation is responsible for ensuring that the information in the budget submitted is correct.

Budget for the infrastructure

Attach the budget for the infrastructure in Excel format. Please state costs in the unit SEK, rounded off to the nearest 1000, meaning that one million SEK is written as 1 000 000. See also the instruction tab in the budget template and the section “Requirements for applicants: costs and grant amounts” above.

Amount applied for from the Swedish Research Council

State the amount applied for from the Swedish Research Council for each year (the amounts shall correspond to what is stated in the budget template to be attached to the application). Please state costs in the unit SEK, rounded off to the nearest 1000, so one million krona is written as 1 000 000. Please note that 2026 is preselected as the start year in the form in Prisma. If the application is for a grant with a start date for payment in 2027, then the amount applied for year 2026 shall be given as 0 SEK.

Adjustment to budget changes

Describe if and how the infrastructure’s operation can be adjusted to changes in the amount of future income compared to the budget in the application. Mention also if there are specific financial risks, such as cost increases or delays associated with the operation. These should also be included in the risk analysis in the section “Implementation, management and organisation”. Reference the module and specific cost in the budget template.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Added value of grant from the Swedish Research Council

Describe the added value that funding from the Swedish Research Council creates for the infrastructure’s planned operation and relate the grant from the Swedish Research Council to other funding of the infrastructure’s operation. If relevant, reference the module and specific cost in the budget template.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

User fees

State whether the infrastructure charges user fees. If so, describe how these are calculated, and which users that are charged fees. If not, describe why. Commercial users or assignment research using the infrastructure shall cover the actual cost of use.

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.

Justification of the budget applied for

Justify and comment on the other parts of the budget as you wish. Explain specific conditions that affect the design of the budget, or individual budget items or cost types. For example, a description of the specific staff functions included in the budget of the infrastructure, and why they are included, can be given here. Other examples of what can be addressed here include what type of premises the operation requires, what is included in other direct costs, or how the specified scientific equipment can be linked to the description under “Implementation, management and organisation”.

The description may cover a maximum of 4 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Consortium, Ethical considerations and Socio-economic impact

Consortium – participating organisations

Describe why the infrastructure’s organisational form (consortium or not a consortium) is the most appropriate one for the operation planned, and what any included organisations are to contribute to the operation, as well as how they have been selected. If other organisations with similar activities are not part of the infrastructure, comment on and motivate this.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Consortium – support letters

According to the terms and conditions that apply for the Swedish Research Council’s grants to research infrastructure, the administrating organisation is accountable to the Swedish Research Council for ensuring the operation and usage of the funds awarded. The Swedish Research Council does, however, wish to ensure that all the participating organisations are behind the application, and are aware of the scope of the operation and the undertakings this entails. Letters of support from an authorised representative (vice-chancellor/public agency head, unless formally delegated) of all participating organisations, except from the administrating organisation, shall therefore be appended to the application.

For national infrastructure, the consortium shall contribute co-funding of at least the same level applied for from the Swedish Research Council; for international infrastructures financial or other substantial undertakings shall be fulfilled. Through the letters of support, the participating organisations give their support for the application and confirm that they are aware of the requirement for co-funding (national infrastructure) and other requirements for financial or other substantial undertakings (international infrastructure).

A template for letters of support can be found here (in Swedish). Word, 29.6 kB. (Word, 29.6 kB)

The wording must not be altered. If several organisations are included, then all letters of support shall be joined up into one PDF file. Please note that letters of support from others than participating consortium members shall not be submitted. The administrating organisation shall not sign a letter of support but confirms its responsibility with the signing and registration of the application in Prisma.

Ethical considerations

Reflect on the ethical issues that may arise for the infrastructure’s activities and describe these. Please note that questions relating to sustainability, possible long-term negative effects on nature/environment or to society otherwise may also be relevant. Describe also the plans for addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise. If no ethical issues are raised, please justify this.

The description may cover a maximum of 3 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately three quarters of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Socio-economic impact

Describe the infrastructure’s contribution to society and its benefit beyond academic research, for example the UN’s goals for sustainable development, contribution to the Swedish innovation system and economic effects.

Describe as applicable:

• Long-term benefits: To what extent will the infrastructure benefit society in the long term?
• Non-academic use: Are there opportunities for societal or commercial use of the infrastructure?
• Applicable solutions: Are there technical or other solutions that are transferrable to society or industry?
• Direct return on investment: Are there opportunities for Swedish enterprise and innovation in design, construction, or the provision of services related to the infrastructure?

The description may cover a maximum of 4 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Data handling and e-infrastructure

Generation and handling of data

Describe the types of data that the infrastructure will be generating and handling, and how these data are handled and flow. Include a graphic overview if this facilitates the description. Explain how the infrastructure’s solutions for data handling and its data policy fulfil the research field’s needs and guidelines and, if relevant, also how the operation works with open access to research data and the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). State specifically whether, and if so how, the infrastructure handles personal data and other sensitive/protected data.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 2 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Technical solutions

Describe the operation’s need of technical solutions for e-infrastructure (both hardware and software) and what makes the selected e-infrastructure suitable for the data that will be handled. Describe also the supporting e-infrastructure to be used. “Supporting e-infrastructure” refers, for example, to access to network connection and computer resources for large-scale computation and storage. In cases where only normal office equipment or existing data networks are required for the operation, please state so, but do not describe it in detail.

If the plan is to develop new e-infrastructure solutions instead of using already existing resources, this must be justified specifically.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

User support and user tools for e-infrastructure

Describe the infrastructure’s solutions and resources for advanced user support and user tools in e-infrastructure and data handling, such as training, specific software, databases, and similar.

Describe future needs for and challenges relating to e-infrastructure for the research infrastructure, how the infrastructure plans to address these, and how new or changed needs are identified.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Current operation

The questions under this tab shall only be answered for applications what wholly or partly constitute a continuation of an operation with an ongoing grant to research infrastructure of national interest from the Swedish Research Council.

Adherence to the time plan for the current grant period

Describe how well the goals set have been fulfilled to date, and how well the time plan for the various activities have been followed. Base this on the time plan attached to the previously approved application (that is, for the ongoing grant). Explain any divergence from the time plan. Describe also whether, and if so how, the infrastructure has addressed the users’ needs for new or modified services and whether/how they have impacted on the development of the infrastructure.

The description may cover a maximum of 3 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately three quarters of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Fulfilment of remaining goals for the current grant period

Describe how the work towards fulfilment of the remaining goals, milestones, and deliverables for the infrastructure is progressing for the current grant period.

The description may cover a maximum of 3 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately three quarters of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Key numbers for the current grant period

Attach the key numbers reported to the Swedish Research Council for all of the annual reports from the current grant period, joined up into a pdf file. Note that only the tables containing the key numbers shall be submitted, and not any publication lists. In the event the infrastructure does not report key numbers, or the infrastructure has not yet reported on its first year of operation, this question can be skipped.

The pdf appendix may cover a maximum of 15 page-numbered A4 pages.

Development of user base

Based on the key figures, describe how the user base has developed during the grant period in relation to numbers and location of host institution (i.e. host organisation, within the consortium, other national organisation, international organisation). In the event the infrastructure does not report key figures, describe the development in qualitative terms. Relate the development of the usage to the possible user base in the field, and as applicable, the projected development described in the previous application.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Research enabled during the current grant period

Provide up to ten examples in bullet points, showing how the infrastructure has contributed to supporting research of the highest possible quality during the current grant period. These can, for example, be publications by researchers who have used the infrastructure, or other types of results or activities.

The description may cover a maximum of 4 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Administrating organisation

Under this tab, please state the infrastructure’s project site.

Participants

Here the person invited to be the project leader for the application may invite participating administrators. Please note that participating researchers may not be invited in this application.

How your application is assessed

The Swedish Research Council supports research infrastructure of national interest. The infrastructure must be scientifically justified, openly accessible to research of the highest scientific quality, and have long-term funding and an organisation that is established with Swedish higher education institutions. These different aspects are assessed in the review of applications for grants to infrastructure in 2025.

Evaluation process

The Council for Research Infrastructures (RFI) allocates funds to build up and operate research infrastructure.

All applications are reviewed both by an international review panel and by RFI’s advisory groups (RÅG). The international review panel consists of experts who have a broad perspective on research infrastructure and can put the Swedish applications into a larger, global perspective. RFI’s advisory groups (RÅGs A, B, and C) review applications within each group’s field. In connection with a formal budget review, the Swedish Research Council may ask the applicant for clarifications about specific budget items.

The Swedish Research Council’s scientific councils and committees also provide input to the applications within their respective areas.

The advisory groups then make a summarising assessment and prioritise the applications, based on the input from the scientific councils and committees, the international panel, and their own scientific and organisational considerations, as well as various national strategic aspects.

Advisory groups RFI.

Based on the documentation from the review process outlined above, RFI then makes a decision to start dialogues with the infrastructures it (RFI) intends to support. The names of these infrastructures are published in October at the latest. Thereafter, the Swedish Research Council conducts a dialogue with the administrating organisation of each of the infrastructures to be supported, concerning factors such as the content of the modules and follow-up of the infrastructure’s operation. Based on this dialogue, the Swedish Research Council then makes a final decision, including a set amount of funding and terms and conditions. All grant applicants will get access to their final statement from RÅG as well as the final statement from the international review panel.

The framework for the call must be fulfilled in order for the organisation to be qualified to apply for the grant. We carry out checks to ensure unqualified applications are rejected from further processing. If an application is not completed according to the instructions, this will be weighed into the assessment of the application.

Assesment criteria and guiding questions

The assessment of applications for “grant to infrastructure of national interest” is done using ten criteria. The purpose of using several components is to achieve a multi-faceted evaluation. The two criteria marked with an asterisk are not used by the international panel. The criteria are assessed on a seven-grade scale, with the exception of the criteria for budget, consortium, ethical considerations and socio-economic impact which are assessed only with text.

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

National interest (1-7)*

Assess the national interest of the described research infrastructure. The following aspects should specifically be addressed in order to motivate the grade:

• Does the proposed research infrastructure answer to the need stated in the call?
• Is there a sufficiently broad, excellent, and sustainable scientific user base or potential user base among researchers active in Sweden?
• To what extent does the infrastructure offer unique and vital resources to researchers active in Sweden?
• How dependent is the research field, and research groups in Sweden, on this particular infrastructure?
• Is the infrastructure accessible for researchers, the business sector, the public sector, and other relevant actors to an appropriate level for this type of infrastructure? Is the method for prioritisation of access transparent and primarily based on scientific excellence?
• How evident is the national added value to be generated by the described infrastructure?
• Is the infrastructure, or parts of the infrastructure, described in the application relevant to be prioritised by the Swedish Research Council, or should it be handled by another organisation or in a different way?

Scientific impact (1-7)

Assess the scientific impact of the described research infrastructure. The following aspects should specifically be addressed in order to motivate the grade:

• Are the scientific questions that can be addressed by the infrastructure sufficiently high-impact, and are they clearly described?
• In what way and to what extent does the research infrastructure provide state-of-the-art capabilities and/or enable excellent research?
• Does the described research infrastructure have appropriate methodology or methodologies for assessing the current and future needs of researchers in the relevant field(s)?
• Where applicable, to what extent can the Swedish research community contribute with any specific competence that is needed to develop the infrastructure or the research area?

Implementation, leadership and organisation (1-7)

Assess the implementation and organisation of the infrastructure. For international infrastructures, the proposed organisation of the Swedish national coordination and Sweden’s role within the international organisation should also be assessed. The following aspects should be addressed:

• How well will the described organisational structure support the infrastructure’s mission and objectives during the phase(s) covered by the application? Consider for example how the different parts or modules interplay or complement each other, how the responsibilities of the parts and modules are defined, and the relevance of each part or module.
• To what extent does the described infrastructure possess the necessary resources in terms of management, strategic leadership, performance monitoring and financial administration?
• Will the described infrastructure provide adequate user guidance and user support structure from start to finish of a project?
• How clearly is the demarcation between the operation described in this application and similar or potentially overlapping infrastructures described or defined? Are the means of collaboration with other infrastructures well described and adequate?
• Is the time plan covering the proposed grant period realistic and feasible? Please consider the subsidiary goals and deliverables, and if the proposal describes this in sufficient detail.
• Does the proposal describe a long-term plan over the lifetime of the infrastructure? Does this seem realistic and feasible?
• Are the potential operational risks properly assessed? Are the potential risks that could impact the science output properly assessed?
• Is it clear from the application that the funds requested from the Swedish Research Council only will cover activities that support research (i.e. not the research itself, teaching and education, etc.)?

Budget (text only)

Assess whether the total budget for the described infrastructure and the budget for each part or module is adequate, realistic, and cost effective.

• How clearly motivated are the costs in the budget? Is the budget realistic and cost-effective with regards to the activities described in the application?
• To what extent are the activities of the infrastructure scalable with changes in budget? Does the infrastructure describe a feasible plan to handle budget reductions?
• Are potential financial risks, such as increases in costs, adequately described?
• To what extent is the planned use and added value of the funding requested from the Swedish Research Council in this application evident?

(Please note that also text-only criteria will influence the overall assessment summarised in Overall grade and final comment.)

Consortium (text only)*

Assess whether organising the infrastructure as a consortium is appropriate for the fulfilment of the needs stated in the call.

• Is the suggested form (consortium or not) appropriate for fulfilling the needs?
• In case of consortium: are all organisations relevant for the infrastructure included as part of the consortium? Are there less relevant partners involved that could be excluded?

(Please note that also text-only criteria will influence the overall assessment summarised in Overall grade and final comment.)

Ethical considerations (text only)

Describe how ethical considerations have been dealt with in the application and whether this is adequate for the research field.

Socio-economic impact (text only)

Assess the infrastructure’s contribution to society in relation to what could be expected of an infrastructure within this specific field. Assess its ability to provide benefits that are utilised outside academic research, including the UN global sustainable development goals as well as the Swedish innovation ecosystem and economic impact. When assessing the socio-economic impact of the infrastructure, one or several of the following aspects should be addressed:

• Long-term benefits: To what extent will the output from the infrastructure benefit society? Note that fundamental research can be considered a prerequisite for future research and societal development.
• Non-academic usage: Are there possibilities of societal or commercial usage of the infrastructure?
• Applicable solutions: Are there technical or other solutions that are transferrable to society or industry?
• Direct return of investments: Are there opportunities for Swedish enterprise and innovation in the design, construction or provision of services towards the infrastructure?

(Please note that also text-only criteria will influence the overall assessment summarised in Overall grade and final comment.)

Data management and supporting e-infrastructure (1-7)

Assess whether the data management and policy are adequate for the objectives of the infrastructure and in line with international standards. Assess also if the hardware and software needs (current and future) are properly addressed. The following aspects should be addressed:

• Is the described data policy and solutions for data management appropriate for infrastructure’s activities, including work with open access and FAIR data? Where relevant, please consider data analysis, active data storage, handling of personal and other sensitive data etc.
• Are the described hardware and software solutions appropriate for the planned infrastructure activities? Does it consider future needs? Where relevant, please consider whether adequate computing resources are available.
• Where relevant, does the infrastructure adequately describe the need for developing new e-infrastructure functions? Are there existing e-infrastructure functions which could be used, partly or completely, instead of new functions suggested by the application?
• Is there sufficient support for users in terms of software, user-specific tool development, and database solutions at the infrastructure or collaborating partners?

Previous performance (1-7)

Only applicable to already existing infrastructures with an ongoing grant from the Swedish Research Council.

Assess whether and to what extent the infrastructure has developed sufficiently and provided adequate and competitive services facilitating excellent research during the current grant period. The following aspects should specifically be addressed in order to motivate the grade:

• Has the implementation and development of the infrastructure progressed according to plan? Where applicable, are deviations from the plan well described and motivated?
• Is it plausible that the infrastructure will reach its goals and deliverables by the end of the current granting period?
• Does the application and the reported key performance indicators describe a sufficiently developing user base regarding number and affiliation of users?
• Has the envisaged user base approached, applied to use or used the infrastructure to the expected extent?
• Is it evident from the past performance described in the application that the services provided have facilitated excellent research at a level adequate for the infrastructure’s development phase?

Overall grade and final comment (1-7)

Make an overall assessment of the application based on all the criteria above. The overall grade should be clearly motivated by describing the following:

• What are the most important strengths and weaknesses of the application?
• What parts or functions of the described infrastructure should be prioritised in case of budget reductions?
• Are there any parts or functions that are less relevant, are unlikely to be widely used or for which other solutions exist?
• Are there any other significant benefits, obstacles or risks for the infrastructure that are not already mentioned that need to be addressed?