Planning for transformation (Stage 2)

WHAT CAN YOU APPLY FOR?

Research projects that contribute new knowledge and solutions for developing Swedish spatial planning so that it creates the conditions to transform towards a sustainable society.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Universities, research institutes, government agencies with research assignments and public-sector organisations such as municipalities.

This main applicant must be a researcher who holds a PhD and is affiliated with a Swedish university, research institute, or government agency with a research assignment.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU APPLY FOR?

You can apply for funding for up to 4-year projects with a total maximum budget of SEK 8 million per project.

Given decision: 2021-06-17 14:00

In the scope of the National Research Programme for Sustainable Spatial Planning funding is being offered for research projects that contribute to knowledge and solutions for developing Swedish spatial planning so that it creates the conditions to transform towards a sustainable society. Projects should focus on how spatial planning could be done differently today in order to contribute to the transformation of cities and communities.

Fund­ed pro­jects

Preliminary decisions. Please note that only decisions published in Prisma is a guarantee of granted funding.

Sweden faces major challenges in its transformation to becoming a sustainable society. The challenges include environmental issues such as our overconsumption of resources, the risk of climate change and how to adapt to the climate change we are actually facing. Cities and communities are becoming more and more segregated because of these challenges, with widening gaps between social groups and different locations. Spatial planning plays a vital role in managing these challenges and achieving a sustainable built environment. Planning can promote resource-efficient, climate-friendly, inclusive and safe cities and communities where people can and want to live.

Formas is announcing grants to fund research that contributes knowledge and solutions for developing Swedish spatial planning that supports the transformation to a sustainable society.

The call is aimed at researchers in any discipline at Swedish universities, research institutes and government agencies with research assignments, as well as public-sector stakeholders such as municipalities, county administrative boards, regional/county councils and other government authorities. The main applicant must be a researcher who holds a PhD and is affiliated with a Swedish university, research institute, or government agency with a research assignment.

Under this call, projects can receive funding in two stages. Stage 1 was a planning grant for preparing an application for Stage 2. Even those who did not apply for or were not awarded a grant in Stage 1 can apply in Stage 2 of the call. In this stage, Stage 2, you can apply for funding for projects that run for up to four years and have a maximum budget of SEK 2 million per year on average, which gives a total maximum budget of SEK 8 million per project.

The ways we plan, build and develop communities bring a number of challenges that must be addressed if we want to succeed in transforming to more sustainable societies. We face major challenges, such as transforming to a fossil-free society, adapting to climate change, and creating the conditions for socially, environmentally and economically sustainable cities and communities. The sustainable development goals External link. and Agenda 2030, as well as the UN’s New Urban Agenda External link., are major global policy instruments in this process. Central to the transformation of cities and communities are the Agenda 2030 targets of goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) External link., as well as several other sustainability goals from Agenda 2030. These goals and how they are linked to different spatial planning challenges are presented in the research agenda Research for integrated and sustainable spatial planning.

Spatial planning is an important transformative tool, since planning lays the foundation for what our cities and communities will look like for a long time to come. The built environment created through planning in turn creates the conditions for how we can live our lives and our possibilities to shift to a sustainable lifestyle. The concept of spatial planning is defined in the agenda as a collective term for several related concepts, such as physical planning and urban planning, or simply planning. The purpose of spatial planning is to meet society’s basic needs, and it relates to both urban and rural planning interacting together. It includes both long-term strategic planning and more detailed planning. Cities and communities are in a constant state of flux. A key prerequisite for achieving sustainable cities and communities is for the planning process to be legitimate and transparent regarding who initiates and manages the work, who makes their voice heard and which interests are considered and not considered.

At the same time, today’s spatial planning faces numerous challenges. Planning currently takes place at several different levels in society – national, regional and local. Its organisation is complex and consists of a wide range of stakeholders, many of whom have a global footprint. Many issues within the context of spatial planning are closely related, with direct or indirect consequences in related areas. Despite this, planning and management often take place in multiple separate processes. There is therefore a great need to coordinate processes and legislation within spatial planning to create the foundation for a systematic, holistic perspective. The ability of spatial planning to further support the transformation requires a new approach to working methods, organisation and economic conditions as well as to Swedish planning practices in general.

The purpose of this call is to contribute knowledge and solutions for developing Swedish spatial planning so that it creates the conditions to transform towards sustainable communities.

Formas welcomes projects that contribute to the development of Swedish spatial planning practices by investigating good examples, problematising processes or testing new solutions. Your project should focus on how spatial planning could be done differently today in order to contribute to the transformation of cities and communities.

The projects can target any level from the local to the national level. International contexts can be studied as long as they are used for comparative purposes to draw lessons that can be used to develop Swedish spatial planning practices.

Projects must relate to one or more of the themes and one or more of the perspectives (see Figure 1) in the research agenda Research for integrated and sustainable spatial planning. These themes and perspectives are based on the various challenges that the built environment and spatial planning currently face.

Hås teman perspektiv

Figure 1. Perspectives and themes in the research agenda Research for integrated and sustainable spatial planning. For more information on the perspectives and themes, see Chapter 4 in the research agenda.

Projects can, for example, target one or several of these areas for which a knowledge gap has been identified for spatial planning:

  • Organisational, decision-making and accountability structures
  • Conflicts of objectives and interests
  • Power and policy instruments
  • Economic models and values
  • Cooperation and coordination at and between national, regional and local levels
  • Policies and regulations
  • Democracy, gender equality and accessibility perspectives

Projects can also involve analyses and solutions regarding how:

  • spatial planning and the built environment can create solutions for cities, communities and individuals to become more climate- and resource-efficient;
  • the social aspect of planning can be enhanced and have a greater impact for transformation;
  • the economic, environmental and social issues interact with each other, problematisations around how this takes place in today’s planning, and how this can be improved.

We expect the research we fund to be innovative and beneficial to society in its contribution to the transformation. Projects should be able to bring about profound changes in Swedish spatial planning.

The call is aimed at researchers in any discipline as well as public-sector stakeholders such as municipalities, county administrative boards, regional/county councils and other government authorities. The main applicant must be a researcher who holds a PhD and is affiliated with a Swedish university, research institute, or government agency with a research assignment.

Interdisciplinary partnerships and collaboration between academic researchers and practitioners are encouraged. However, it is optional for public-sector organisations to participate. The proposed partnership and collaboration developed in your project must be fit for purpose in relation to the project objectives and purpose. In addition, interdisciplinary elements and collaboration between stakeholders must be clearly described and carefully considered.

Formas strives for an equitable, gender-balanced and inclusive development of society. Applicants should design the project so that its results can benefit a diverse group of people and should consider the gender distribution and different backgrounds of project members.

In this call, Formas also wants to strengthen the ties between research and higher education and the different ways that the projects can relate to teaching and student groups. The connection to education can be through knowledge transfer of research results to different forms of course content and thesis papers, but can also consist of participatory activities that more closely involve students with the research process. This does not mean that the research does not require project participants to have a postgraduate degree, but rather it should present a stimulating opportunity to improve the ties between research and education.

Before you apply

Everything you need to know when applying. For example what the application shall contain, how the application is registered in the application system Prisma, information about administrating organizations, evaluation criteria and the assessment process.

Download the call text as pdf. , 354.8 kB.

  • To apply for a grant, the main applicant must have obtained a PhD degree before the call closes.
  • Participating researchers must also have obtained their PhD degree by the time the call closes.
  • Participants from public-sector organisations, such as municipalities, county administrative boards, regional/county councils and other government authorities, or other staff participating in the project do not need to have a PhD degree.
  • The proposed grant recipient must be stated as a project manager on the application.
  • Grants for research projects may only be administered by a Swedish higher education institution or other Swedish public organisation that meets Formas’ criteria for administrating organisations. External link.
  • There is no upper age limit for the main applicant and participating researchers. However, researchers who are full-time pensioners are not eligible to receive funding towards salaries.
  • The main applicant may submit a maximum of one application in this call. However, there are no restrictions on how many applications an individual can be a co-applicant for.
  • An applicant is not allowed to submit the same application with different main applicants. Applications that have the same content will be rejected.

When you apply for project funding, you can apply for a grant to cover both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include costs for salaries, equipment and travel. Indirect costs are costs that are shared with others in your organisation, such as for administration, IT and renting of premises. Indirect costs are sometimes called overhead.

  • Grants can be used to cover the salaries of researchers, PhD students, technical staff and participating actors from public-sector organisations.
  • Grants for can include, in addition to salary funding, funding to cover operating costs (consumables, equipment, travel, conferences, publication in magazines and open-access databases), depreciation costs for equipment, and premises costs. The maximum amount allowed for equipment and depreciation costs is a total of 500,000 kronor for both costs.
  • If funds are to be transferred from the administrating organisation to another organisation involved in the project, the overhead of each organisation can be applied. Explain and report the different overhead costs in the budget specification. The total overhead for the project should be entered in the budget table.
  • International collaboration. Grants from Formas can be used to fund research that is partly conducted outside Sweden, although the research must be initiated and managed from Sweden. The administrating organisation must be located in Sweden and approved by Formas, and is responsible for hiring any foreign staff or paying for activities or services outside Sweden in accordance with the administrating organisation’s guidelines.
  • In this call, Formas does not grant funding to private companies or other organisations engaged in economic activity. The only way to involve resources for organisations engaged in economic activity is through a procurement procedure. In such a case, the procurement must be done in accordance with the administrating organisation’s guidelines and applicable legislation.
  • Organisations involved in any type of operation can contribute to the project in-kind, through so-called co-funding. However, co-funding is optional.

Read more about the costs that qualify for funding.

  • Project grants can cover a maximum of 2 million kronor per year, on average, over the years the application is valid for. So, applicants can apply for more than 2 million during one year as long as the amount applied for during another year of the project period is less than 2 million. Applicants may not apply for 8 million kronor in total for a period shorter than 48 months.
  • If the total amount applied for exceeds the average annual amount of 2 million kronor, the application will be rejected.
  • Note that the total salary amount for a single researcher, PhD student or other staff must not exceed 100 percent of full-time employment. This means that additional salary funding cannot be granted to researchers, PhD students or other staff who already receive grants or contributions with full salary funding.
  • Formas does not grant funding for annual salary increases. However, it is possible to calculate salaries for PhD students according to the doctoral student salary agreement (doktorandstegen); this can be done by adding the sum per year or calculate an average. This should be further explained in the budget specification.
  • Funding can be requested for a maximum of four years (48 months) and a minimum of 2 years (24 months). It is only possible to apply for full years, meaning 24, 36 or 48 months.
  • The project start for awarded projects is 1 September 2021.
  • The funds can be used for up to 12 months after the project ends.

You should write your application in English, since the review panel that will assess your application is international. If you do write your application in Swedish, a professional translator will translate into English only the section describing the research programme. You will not be able to change the translation before the application proceeds to assessment. However, the popular science description must be written in Swedish, while the abstract should be in both Swedish and English. Your budget specification and CV will not be translated. So, please write these in English, even if you write the other sections in Swedish and submit your application in the Swedish version of our application system.

Read more about the language for applications to Formas.

According to Swedish law, your application and its appendices are considered as general public documents once they have been submitted to us. This means that anyone can request and read your application. Before we disclose any applications we always conduct a confidentiality assessment, but we can only hide information as legislated for in the Public Access and Secrecy Act (2009:400).

How to apply

You apply for a grant in our application system, Prisma. In Prisma, you must create a personal account where you will add the information you need for your application. We recommend that you create an account and an application as early as possible and contact Formas with any questions in good time. The application can be saved as a draft and updated until the time the call closes.

Participating researchers whose CV should be included in the application also need a personal account. The project manager must invite the participants to submit an application in Prisma. Participating actors from public-sector organisations, such as municipalities, county administrative boards, region/county councils or other government authorities who are not researchers, should not be invited to use Prisma. For other project participants from the public sector who are not researchers, the project manager can upload CVs as appendices in Prisma.

In order to submit an application, the organisation where the project manager works must be an approved administrating organisation. If the organisation is not already an approved administrating organisation, the organisation must apply to become one in good time before the call closes, as it can take a few weeks to become approved as an administrating organisation. If your organisation already has an organisation account in Prisma, then that account can be used.

Apply in Prisma External link.

We recommend that you write your application in English because the review panel members come from different parts of the world. However, the popular science description must be written in Swedish, and the abstract should be in both Swedish and English.

All limits for the maximum number of characters refer to characters including spaces. We recommend that you choose the Arial font in font size 12 for the information you enter in all text boxes.

Your application must include a clear description of the project under the following sections:

Basic information

  • Number of years for which the application applies
  • Start month: The start date is 2021-09-01 (1 September 2021).
  • Calculated project time: The project duration is calculated automatically in Prisma, based on the start date.
  • Project title in Swedish and English (max. 200 characters including spaces).
  • Popular scientific description in Swedish (max. 4,500 characters including spaces). The popular science description will be published in open access databases if the project is awarded a grant. The contents of this field should therefore not contain sensitive information.
  • Abstract in Swedish and English (max. 1,500 characters each including spaces). The project abstracts will be published in open access databases if the project is awarded a grant. Therefore, the contents of these fields should not contain sensitive information.

Research programme

  • Specific aims and objectives of the proposed project, and a background description containing an overview of the research area (max 7,000 characters including spaces)
  • Description of the project including a summary of the structure, theory, methods, performance and a plan for scientific deliverables (15,000 characters including spaces). Include the following points if you consider them relevant to the project: (i) a short description of existing and future needs for basic equipment, (ii) a brief description of national and international collaboration, (iii) confirmation of compliance with international agreements and rules, (iv) supervisor if funding is sought for a PhD student, (v) brief description of expertise of the participating staff and/or public-sector organisation actors who are not researchers, as well as a motivation of how they will contribute to the project’s implementation.
  • Description of the potential societal value of the research question and planned communication with stakeholders and end users (8,000 characters including spaces). Describe the possible societal benefit (real-world impact) of your research and justify how it can enable spatial planning practices to be done differently than today in order to help transform cities and communities. Describe who the relevant stakeholders/users of the research are and how you plan to communicate the research and its results with these stakeholders. A description of the research project’s connection to education can be included as part of the project’s overall communication efforts.
  • References. List the in-line references pertaining to the above sections in a separate field (5,000 characters including spaces).

Budget

You report the project budget in Prisma Note that you should always write the budget and budget specification in English; any Swedish budget specification will not be translated but will instead be reviewed as it is by an international review panel. In Prisma, amounts should be written in full. For example, 1 million SEK should be written as: 1 000 000 SEK.

The budget should include the following:

  • Salaries, including social fees for each project participant. Formas does not grant funding for annual salary increases. For any current employment positions, the salary in effect at the time of the application (including social fees) must be used for all subsequent years. For new employment positions, the starting salary at the administrating organisation must be used for all subsequent years. Note that the total salary amount for a single researcher, PhD student or other staff must not exceed 100 percent of full-time employment. This means that additional salary funding cannot be granted to researchers, PhD students or other staff who already receive grants or contributions with full salary funding. Researchers who are full-time pensioners cannot receive funding for their own salary.
  • Percentage of salary refers to the percentage of the applicant’s full-time salary that is equivalent to the salary in the project.
  • Activity level in the project refers to the percentage of full-time service a project participant contributes. It indicates whether the applicant contributes in-kind services or other funding for completing the project.
  • Running costs can include the cost of consumables, travel, conferences and publication fees for open-access journals and databases. Specify operating costs in accordance with practices at the administrating organisation.
  • Equipment costs and depreciation costs. Specify equipment and depreciation costs if relevant to the application. The total maximum amount you can be granted for equipment and equipment depreciation costs is 500,000 kronor in total.
  • Premises, costs are specified (if not part of overhead/indirect costs) in accordance with practices at the administrating organisation.
  • Total applied/Subtotal regard data already completed in previous budget tables and will be automatically transferred to this table.
  • Indirect costs relate to overhead costs. Formas does not allow overhead for equipment depreciation costs or costs of premises. Specify the indirect costs in the project budget in accordance with the practices at the administrating organisation.
  • Other costs refer to funds that are not sought for but that are relevant for completing the project. An example is co-funding from collaborative partners. Also specify whether the project receives funding from other sources.
  • Total cost refers to a budget summary.
  • Budget specification explains the budget in words. State how the grant amount you are applying for will be distributed each year, as well as the total amount per organisation if several organisations are applying. Provide a brief justification for all salaries and other expenses. A description of the total project budget, including funding from other sources, should also be included. All other costs must be clearly justified, such as costs for participating in conferences, publication fees for open access to publications and data, etc. If you write in Swedish, please note that a budget specification provided in Swedish will not be translated and it will be a part of the international review panel’s assessment.

Ethical considerations

You should specify whether there are specific ethical concerns in your project. If so, you must describe the relevant ethical considerations and how they will be managed. Examples include research that uses personal data, or experiments on humans or animals.

Report any ethical considerations.

Classifications

Formas uses project classifications in analyses and supporting documentation on an overall level. The classifications are made when the applicant states the subject area, SCB codes and at least one sustainable development goal the project can contribute to.

  • Subject area. Select the project’s subject area and add a sub-heading.
  • SCB code. Select at least one research subject with two sub-levels that together form the entire code.
  • Keywords. Select at least one and a maximum of three keywords describing the project. Choose what best represents your project, even if it does not entirely match the field you work in.
  • Sustainable development goals. Select a minimum of one and a maximum of three SDGs that fit your project. When selecting more than one goal, set the goals in order of priority. The goal that is most relevant to the project should be stated in the first box. As the meaning of the goals is sometimes narrower than what the title indicates, we encourage you to follow the link and read in more detail about the goals you intend to specify to ensure that the intended research contributes towards achieving that particular goal.

Read more information about the meaning of the goals External link..

Administrating organisation – the organisation receiving the grant

An administrating organisation is the organisation that receives the grant money from Formas when a grant is awarded. Applicants under this call must be administrating organisations that are approved by Formas.

  • Select your administrating organisation in Prisma and add your project’s department or institution.
  • Prisma contains a default list of approved administrating organisations.
  • A registered application is automatically sent to the administrating organisation after the call is closed. The administrating organisation then has seven business days to digitally sign the application.

The administrating organisation is responsible for transferring part of the grant to any project participants. These funds must, when necessary, be transferred.

Read more about administrating organisations.

Participants

  • The main applicant invites participating researchers in Prisma.
  • A participating researcher is a researcher who holds a PhD and is considered a co-applicant for the project.
  • You can also have participating administrators who are not involved in the project but who help you fill in the application form.
  • Each participating researcher must have created their own user account in Prisma.
  • Main applicants invite people to participate in the application process by searching for their given name, surname and email address in Prisma (note that exact spelling of names and email addresses is required).
  • Note that invited participating researchers must transfer their CVs and publications in the application so that the main applicant can register the application when it is completed. See the next section, “CVs”.
  • Participating actors from public-sector organisations, such as municipalities, county administrative boards, region/county councils or other government authorities who are not researchers, should not be invited via Prisma. See the section “CVs” below on how to include their qualifications in the application.

CVs

  • The project manager retrieves the information from his or her personal account in Prisma.
  • Participating researchers themselves add CV information from their profile to the application in Prisma.
  • Applicants should review in good time that their CV in Prisma is complete and up-to-date.
  • If participating researchers have not filled in the required fields correctly, the main applicant will not be able to complete registration of the application.
  • For other project participants from public-sector organisations who are not researchers, the project manager can upload CVs as appendices in Prisma. A brief description of the qualifications of non-doctoral participants can also be entered in the application’s research programme under the heading Description of the project.

The researcher CV information should include.

Education. Postgraduate (doctoral), undergraduate and graduate level.

Professional history. Current position and relevant previous longer-term positions, postdoctoral residencies, research exchange visits relevant to the described research project, and any significant period of interruption in the research (such as parental leave, illness, military service or political duties).

Merits and awards:

  • Associate professorships.
  • Supervision. PhD students, postdoctoral students, and exam project students; state the total number in each respective category and provide the names of the most relevant supervisions (max 10).
  • Grants awarded in competition. Specify the most relevant grants (max. 10).
  • Prices and awards. Specify the most relevant ones (max. 10).
  • Additional merits, including bibliometric summary. Here the applicant researcher’s entire bibliometric indicators should be summarised (max. 800 characters including spaces).

    This bibliometric summary should include:
    • The number of publications of various types, such as articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, books and other monographs, conference papers and popular science contributions
    • Any other publication or citation specifications relevant to the applicant’s field of research.

      Under “Additional merits,” you can list other qualifications that are relevant to the application, such as any popular science publications or proven experience of collaboration and research communication (max. 10).
  • Intellectual property: For example, patents and open source software that you have developed (max. 10).

List of publications

The main applicant and participating researchers should list up to ten of their most relevant publications. The publications should be linked from the applicants’ personal profiles in Prisma.

When needed, a list of publications (such as reports or articles) for other project participants from public-sector organisations who are not researchers, can be uploaded by the project manager as an appendix.

Appendices

The following appendices can be uploaded if relevant for the application:

  • CVs of participants, not researchers. The CVs of all project participants (max. 2 pages per CV) from a public-sector organisation can be uploaded here. A maximum of one appendix (PDF) of 10 MB can be uploaded.
  • List of publications for participants, not researchers. All project participants from public-sector organisation can add publication lists (e.g. lists of reports or articles) here. A maximum of one appendix (PDF) of 4 MB can be uploaded.
  • Illustrations. If figures, tables or images are needed to describe the project, these can be uploaded as an appendix here. A maximum of one appendix (PDF) of 4 MB can be uploaded.

After submitting your application

First, Formas verifies that your application complies with requirements. If your application passes these checks, it continues on to a review panel for assessment. If it does not, it is rejected.

Any applications containing errors in basic requirements will be rejected. The following errors in basic requirements will result in a rejection of your application:

  • The administrating organisation has not signed the application.
  • The applicant has received funding previously but has not reported on time. Until this report is submitted, the project manager cannot be granted new funding.
  • The application does not meet the requirements for applicants and organisations in the call text.
  • The total grant amount sought is too high. It must not exceed an average annual amount of 2 million kronor.
  • The application is incomplete. Required information is missing on the application form or in the appendices.
  • The research focus of the application is outside Formas’ remit (our official areas of responsibility).
  • The project falls outside the scope of the call.

Learn more about why some applications are rejected early.

Applications will be assessed by an international review panel that is qualified to cover the current theme in the call. The panel is composed of active researchers as well as users of research results who are qualified to assess the potential societal benefit. A majority of the panel consists of researchers. Each application is read and evaluated by several members of the panel. The review panel is appointed by Formas.

Applications are assessed based on their contents. It is therefore important to write the application as clearly as possible and include all important and relevant information.

Read more about Formas’ assessment process.

Criteria

Applications are assessed with respect to scientific quality and societal relevance. This includes the following five criteria. The application must address all the criteria, and we advise applicants to clearly relate their application to these criteria. Each criterion will be scored by the review panel on a scale of 1–7, where 1 is the lowest and 7 is the highest. All criteria are equally important.

Research question

  • The research topic is relevant in relation to the purpose of the call.
  • The challenge that the project addresses is an important one to solve.
  • The project has the potential to result in scientifically significant results.
  • Theories or hypotheses are original or innovative.

Methods and performance

  • The scientific method is clearly described, appropriate to the topic and feasible to implement.
  • Any multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach is clearly described and fit for purpose.
  • Ethical considerations are described well, and the applicant’s plan for managing them is appropriate.
  • The project addresses gender equality and diversity perspectives in a relevant way.
  • Coordination of the project and research group is clearly described and fit for purpose.
  • The timetable and budget are reasonable in relation to the project’s objectives.
  • The work plan is well-defined and realistic.
  • Risks are analysed and reasonable alternatives described.
  • The plan for scientific publication and communication is well-defined and realistic.

Organisation and competence

  • The project team has the skills and experience required to complete the project.
  • The elements of interdisciplinary research and stakeholder collaboration are clearly explained and well thought out.
  • The cooperation and collaboration that will be developed in your project are fit for purpose in relation to the project’s objectives and purpose.
  • The main applicant has the ability to lead and implement major collaborations.
  • The composition of the project team reflects the distribution of genders, skills, experience and different perspectives on spatial planning for the transformation.
  • The project promotes the exchange of experiences and increased expertise in the field of spatial planning.

Societal value

  • The project has the potential to contribute to significant change in Swedish spatial planning.
  • The project has the potential to contribute to the transformation of cities and communities.
  • In the short or long term, the expected results have the potential to be able to guide society towards transformative changes, nationally or internationally.
  • The project relates to one or more of the themes and one or more of the perspectives in the national research agenda.
  • In the project’s design, relevant consideration is given to the needs of stakeholders or users.

Communication with stakeholders and users

  • There is a clearly defined plan for communication initiatives.
  • Stakeholders or users who will be involved are relevant to the project’s objectives.
  • Plans for the involvement of stakeholders or users are realistic.
  • The project team has the skills required to carry out the activities planned for communication or interaction with stakeholders or users.

Formas’ Scientific Council is expected to reach a decision on 17 June 2021 concerning which projects are granted funding. Decisions will be announced the following day at the latest on Formas’ website, and information that a decision has been taken is later sent via email from Prisma. Decisions are available in Prisma. Grant award decisions cannot be appealed.

Read more about grant award decisions.

Each project that is awarded funding must submit a financial and a scientific final report to Formas in accordance with the decision, three months after the end of the appropriation period. For projects longer than 18 months, however, financial statements must be submitted annually.

How to report expenses and results

Formas may impose requirements on how projects must be reported in terms of content and results to enable distribution and application. In such cases, the award decision will contain more information about this. Formas may also require you to participate in conferences and similar events in order to create synergies and platforms for learning and knowledge sharing.

In this call the awarded projects must also, in addition to submitting the final scientific and financial report, also submit a policy brief summarising the project’s conclusions and making recommendations on how to develop Swedish spatial planning in order to enable the transformation to a sustainable society.

Results of research funded by Formas must be published using open access.

Read more about open access to research results and data.

If you receive funding from us, you must have a data management plan for the data produced in the project. This plan does not need to be submitted to Formas, but should be presented on request. We recommend that you follow the proposal developed by Science Europe on what a data management plan should contain. For more information about the proposal, see the Practical Guide to the International Alignment of Research Data Management External link..

By signing our grant terms and conditions, you certify that a data management plan will be available before the research begins and that it will be maintained.

Formas shares information about awarded grants to SweCRIS, a national database of grant-funded research that was instituted by request of the government.

Apply

A digital application is submitted in the Prisma application system. Guidelines and information about what your application should contain can be found in the call text.

Read more about how to apply in Prisma.

Download the call text as pdf. , 354.8 kB.

Contacts

For questions about the content of the call:

Jon Loit

Senior Research Officer

jon.loit@formas.se

Anna Hult

Deputy Head of Department / Senior Research Officer

anna.hult@formas.se

For administrative questions and questions about Prisma:

Updated:2 July 2021