Yes. You may apply even if you already have an ongoing grant from Forte. However, the same costs or research activities may not be funded through more than one grant.

The project grant is for four years. It is therefore not possible to apply for, for example, a two- or three-year project. The guideline amount for a four-year project is SEK 6.5 million, including indirect costs. However, there is no fixed maximum amount, and the requested budget must be justified.

Yes. Costs for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers may be included in the project budget if their work forms part of the research project covered by the application. However, this call is for project grants, not for funding a standalone PhD or postdoctoral position. These costs must therefore be justified in relation to the implementation of the project, in the same way as other personnel costs.

No. The call welcomes research from a range of scientific disciplines and using different methodological approaches, provided that the research has a clear and direct link to social services and the focus of the call.

Yes, the project must be clearly linked to at least one of the four thematic areas. However, there is no advantage as such to addressing several areas. Start with the research you intend to conduct and clearly describe how the project relates to the thematic area or areas that are relevant. Cross-cutting perspectives may be the main focus of the project or complement one or more thematic areas, but there is no requirement to include them.

The collaboration does not need to be established when the application is submitted. However, the application must explain how relevant stakeholders will be involved in the project. The form and extent of the collaboration may vary depending on the purpose and nature of the research and should be justified in the application.

Not necessarily. Relevant stakeholders may, for example, include service users, municipalities, service providers, civil society organisations, businesses or decision-makers. Which stakeholders are relevant will depend on the purpose and nature of the project. However, the research must have a clear and direct link to social services.

They can participate as other project participants. They do not need to have a doctoral degree or their own Prisma accounts. This applies, for example, to collaboration partners and PhD students. The application should describe the involvement of all participants, and any salary costs for these participants should be included in the budget section.

This may be possible, provided that the organisation is approved by Forte as an administrating organisation and has an organisation account in Prisma.

More about adminstrating organisation

Yes. The call covers all areas and target groups within social services, including services under LSS (the Swedish Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments). It may also include issues at the interface between social services and other areas of welfare and other sectors. The research must have a clear and direct link to social services.

Yes. The call is open to different methodological approaches. The strategic research agenda emphasises evaluative and problem-solving research, but also states that descriptive research may be funded when relevant knowledge is lacking and needed.

Forte recommends English. Applications are assessed by both Swedish and international reviewers and should therefore be written entirely in English, except in fields where Swedish is explicitly requested. If the application is written in Swedish, the quality of the assessment may be affected.

No. Forte first checks that applications meet the conditions of the call. Applications that proceed are then assessed by Forte’s review panels. The assessment is based on the application as a whole, not only on the project summary.

The total budget for the call is approximately SEK 120 million, and the guideline amount is SEK 6.5 million for a four-year project. However, there is no fixed maximum amount per project. It is therefore not possible to determine in advance how many projects will receive funding.

In principle, an application may build on previous research. However, funding from Forte may not be used for costs or activities that are already funded through another grant. If the same research receives funding from multiple sources at the same time, Forte must be informed.

Rules for grants from several funders for the same research

No. A separate letter of intent is not required, although one may be used to provide evidence of an already established collaboration. The important point is that the collaboration is clearly described and justified in the application.