Grants that can be applied for consecutively

Urgent grants

The aim of urgent grants is to give researchers an opportunity to deal with suddenly arising problems or to utilise transient material. Urgent grants are normally awarded for a maximum of one year. For longer projects, the application should be submitted to the annual main call. The urgent nature of the project should be especially verified. In other aspects, what has been stated above regarding applications for grants for research projects is applicable.

Travel grants

Formas awards travel grants to conferences and research trips. The application should be submitted to Formas no later than six weeks before the intended journey. Note that the main applicant must have a doctoral degree.

The following types of travel grants are awarded:

• Participation at international conferences or corresponding meetings on condition that the researcher is giving an oral presentation and the conference is relevant to research within Formas' areas of responsibility.
  
• Participation as a Swedish representative at an international organisation’s meeting.
  
• Travel in connection with research education or with clearly defined research undertakings in collaboration with another country. Short research visits to foreign research institutes or laboratories. A letter of invitation from the foreign institute must be enclosed with the application (Appendix I).
  
• Brief guest researcher visits (maximum two months) to a Swedish institution. The grant is intended to cover/contribute to the expenses in connection with the research visit (lodgings, travel, etc). The research assignment of the visiting researcher has to be clearly described (Appendix A). CV and the list of publication (Appendices C and D) for the main applicant as well as for the visiting researcher must be enclosed in the application.

The following information should be given in Appendix A: abstract of the project/presentation, information on the conference and confirmation that the contribution has been accepted for presentation.

For applications concerning travel grants, what has been stated above regarding applications for grants for research projects is applicable when relevant (Appendix A, B, C, D) Appendix J (Illustrations relating to the research programme in Appendix A) is optional (maximum of two pages in length). If the application concerns research visits to foreign research institutes or laboratories, a letter of recommendation should be included in appendix I. Salary costs are not funded for travel grants, but allowance for expenses may be awarded.

Conferences, symposia and workshops

Formas may finance arranging of conferences, symposia and workshops (called ‘meetings’ below) within Formas' areas of responsibility. In order to receive a grant from Formas, the meeting must reach a high level of scientific quality and societal value of importance for Swedish researchers and/or Swedish research. The grant may cover a limited number of primarily foreign participants’ travel and per diem expenses in connection with attending the symposium, organisational costs, etc.

The organiser of the meeting should submit the grant application well in advance, preferably one year prior to the meeting. A doctoral degree is not required for applications for grants to organise meetings. The application should contain information about the meeting’s scientific objective, title, preliminary programme, a list of invited lecturers and time and place. The application should also contain a detailed budget with an explanation of how the costs have been estimated and distributed to different financing sources. If a conference report or proceedings is planned to be published, the plan for the publication format as well as an estimate of publication costs should be attached.

The standard figure for the grant is up to SEK 200,000 for a large conference (more than 200 participants), up to SEK 75,000 for a symposium, and up to SEK 30,000 for a small workshop (less than 30 participants).

When a grant has been awarded by Formas, a representative from Formas is expected to be given the opportunity to attend the meeting. Furthermore, Formas expects that the organiser of the Formas-supported meeting will provide information about the meeting in a suitable manner. Support from Formas should be acknowledged in the invitation and in the documentation.

The following documents must be included in the Formas Direct web based form:

• Application form, including budget and popular science description.
  
• Appendix A. Description of the meeting comprising a maximum of 18,000 characters, including references.
  
• Appendix B. Budget. Calculations for the costs of the event and the way these costs are distributed amongst the different funding sources must be stated. If there is a conference publication, a plan for publication and an estimate of publication cost must be presented. Maximum length: three pages.
  
• Appendix C. Brief CV for the main applicant and co-applicants (maximum of 8,000 characters per person).
  
• Appendix D. List of the main applicant’s and co-applicant/co-applicants’ publications (maximum of 8,000 characters per person).

Appendix J (figure, tables or other illustrations relating to the research programme in Appendix A) is optional (maximum length two pages).

Information projects

Information projects should communicate research-based knowledge within the areas of responsibility of Formas. Formas prioritises information projects that focus on areas that are being emphasised in Formas research strategy 2009-2012. Grants can be applied for to support popular science publications, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, film and video productions, digital productions as well as other popular science activities.

In addition to a description of the information project, the application must include a description of target groups, the objective of the communication activity, a discussion of the choice of channels/media and a market analysis. Total project budget, not only the portion applied for from Formas, should be presented. Other financing of the project should be stated.

The applicant’s experience in communicating research-based information should be clearly specified in the CV. Academic qualifications and affiliations are not required for information project applicants. Formas welcomes applications from science journalists and information officers. The application can be made in Swedish or in English, and there is no given sum that can be applied for. All participants and their respective areas of expertise should be clearly stated. The sum applied for should be well motivated and in proportion with the proposed information project.

Formas does not provide continuous support to journals, but can provide a start-up grant for a new journal or for a special edition which contents fall within Formas’ areas of responsibility. The same applies to Internet projects, which may receive a start-up grant but not funds for permanent operation. In both these cases it is important for the applicant to carefully state how future publishing of the journal or operation of the Internet project will be managed.

As a rule, Formas does not provide general support for commercial publishing firms. However, Formas can provide grants for production of a manuscript on condition that Formas is given an option on any future book publication. Formas does not provide grants for teaching materials.

The application for an information project can be in English or in Swedish and must include the following documents:

• Application form, including budget and popular science description.
• Appendix A. Information programme, (maximum 18,000 characters including references).
• Appendix B. Budget. The assignments of all project participants whose salaries are applied for must be described and motivated. All other costs applied for must also be clearly motivated. (Maximum length three pages).
• Appendix C. Brief CV for the main applicant and co-applicants (maximum 8,000 characters per person).
• Appendix D. List of main applicant’s and co-applicants' publications or other reference material (maximum 8,000 characters per person).
• Appendix J. Illustrations relating to the information programme in Appendix A is optional (maximum length two pages).

“Miscellaneous” grants

The aim of “miscellaneous” grants is to give researchers the opportunity to apply for research projects of the highest scientific quality and societal benefit that are not suitable for the main annual call. It could, for example, be that a prerequisite for the project is that several funding agencies jointly fund the project.

The applicant should clearly specify why Formas’ calls are not suitable for the project applied for. In other aspects, what has been stated above regarding applications for grants for research projects is applicable.