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New initiatives in the Government’s research bill that relate to the Swedish Research Council

The Government’s research bill for 2021–2024 proposes major investments in research. For the Swedish Research Council, this involves increased funding for research infrastructure and undirected research, as well as initiatives within a number of specific research fields.

Six new ten-year national research programmes will be established. The Swedish Research Council will be responsible for four of these: viruses and pandemics, the consequences of digitisation, criminality, and segregation. In addition to this, the Government wishes to make additional investments in research in a number of areas.

“I think that the bill that has been proposed is both insightful and comprehensive, with a clear investment in research for societal development,” says Sven Stafström, Director General of the Swedish Research Council.

He is particularly pleased with the increased support for research infrastructure, which we have long highlighted as a priority area.

“The fact that the Government is now also emphasising undirected research as an important part of the support for research is also gratifying. We have received an increase that in practice means that by the end of the funding period, we will have supported around 200 additional projects where the researchers themselves have chosen the research question. The investment in a new national research programme relating to viruses and pandemics is also important, and in line with our wish for a continuation of last year’s Government assignment relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, but with a wider scope. Here, the pandemic has shown the importance of research, both for existing societal challenges, but also for preparedness for future challenges.

The Government is proposing a framework for new initiatives covering just over 1.1 billion SEK per year for 2021 to 2024. The way the funding is divided up is shown below. In addition to increased research funding, the Government bill also includes proposals for other assignments to the Swedish Research Council.

Initiatives to safeguard undirected research
Investments (in million SEK)2021202220232024
Graduate schools for humanities and social sciences0303030
Educational boost – reinforcement of humanities20202020
Undirected research404080215

Centres of excellence

40

40

40

140


Investment in research infrastructure

Investments (in million SEK)

2021

2022

2023

2024

Research infrastructure

400

450

450

450

ESS

340

225

120

120


MAX IV

Within the framework for the Swedish Research Council’s research appropriation, 50 million SEK shall be allocated in 2021, 55 million SEK in 2022, 70 million SEK in 2023 and 80 million SEK in 2024.

Research ship Oden

Within the framework for the Swedish Research Council’s research appropriation, 17 million SEK shall be allocated per year during 2021–2024 to the research ship Oden.

Health and welfare

Investments (in million SEK)

2021

2022

2023

2024

Research competence in primary care

35

35

60

60

Precision medicine

30

30

45

45

Health data

10

10

10

10

National research programme in viruses and pandemics

100

100

100

100

Psychiatry research initiative

30

30

30

30

The Government also proposes that the Swedish Research Council shall allocate 75 million per year for four years within its existing framework to the national research programme in antibiotics resistance

Digitalisation

Investments (in million SEK)

2021

2022

2023

2024

National research programme in the consequences of digitalisation

0

10

40

40

Cyber and information security

5

15

35

35


Competence supply and working life

Investments (in million SEK)

2021

2022

2023

2024

Graduate schools for teacher education

35

40

50

50

Graduate schools for healthcare education

0

55

65

65


Democracy and strong society

Investments (in million SEK)

2021

2022

2023

2024

National research programme in criminality

10

24

45

45

National research programme in segregation

10

10

10*

10*

Secure societies

25

30

55

55

Artistic research

10

10

15

15

* Existing funding from the Swedish Research Council’s research funding of 20 million SEK for research into equal conditions will be transferred to this programme as from 2023.

Vetenskapsrådets podd För en klokare värld

Views on the Government’s research bill in the Swedish Research Council’s podcast


Sven Stafström, Director General of the Swedish Research Council, discusses the content of the Government’s research bill with Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Vice Chancellor of Stockholm University, in the Swedish Research Council’s new podcast: For a wiser world.

Listen to the episode on Spotify (in Swedish) External link.

 

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