News article
Upcoming call: Collaboration in practice for mental health
In March, Forte will open a new call for project grants for practice-oriented research on mental health. The research should be conducted in collaboration with the public sector or civil society and contribute to concrete solutions and improvements – such as interventions, treatments, and new methods.
Mental ill-health is one of our greatest societal challenges, causing significant suffering for individuals and impacting society as a whole. For research in this area to be relevant, improve quality, and be practically useful, it is essential that researchers collaborate with the public sector or civil society.
Forte’s call is part of the national research program on mental health, which is included in the government’s initiative to improve knowledge and preventive work against mental ill-health and suicide. The program’s vision is good, equal, and equitable mental health across the entire population.
- Forte can award four-year project grants for research that provides clear benefits for patients, users, and organizations, and that helps address societal challenges in this area.
- Projects may focus on promotion, prevention, and early interventions, treatments, or method development – or a combination of these.
- The research must be conducted in collaboration with the public sector or civil society.
– We particularly welcome collaboration with actors who have close contact with people living with mental ill-health or their relatives. Their experiences are invaluable for research, says Lidija Kolouh, Program manager for the national research program on mental health at Forte.
Our definition of collaboration
Forte uses “collaboration” as an umbrella term that also includes co-creation and cooperation, but merely involving partners as study subjects does not meet the requirements for collaboration in research. Collaboration requires a mutual exchange where the actors actively contribute to the research process.
– Through collaboration, we hope that projects can make a real difference, precisely because the research is carried out together with, for example, healthcare, patient organizations, or family associations. Projects can address everything from mental well-being to mental disorders and psychiatric conditions, both at societal and individual levels, says Frida Alicedotter Bartonek, Deputy research officer for the call.
About the call
- Approximately SEK 150 million is allocated for the call.
- The application period runs from March 17 to April 21, 2026.
- Maximum SEK 5 million per grant for a four-year project. The total budget for the call is approximately SEK 150 million.
