Funding allocated to research totaled SEK 2.2 billion in 2018. Most of the funding by the foundations is in the form of grants awarded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, which focuses on basic research in the fields of medicine, science and technology. But the Wallenberg Foundations also award substantial grants in other fields, including social sciences, humanities, education and archaeology.
The Wallenberg Foundations is the umbrella name for 16 foundations formed by the Wallenberg family or established in memory of family members.
Out of the total of SEK 2.2 billion, the three largest foundations – the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, and the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation – awarded research funding of SEK 2.1 billion.
To provide an overall picture of the funding awarded by the foundations to Swedish research and education, the Wallenberg Foundations publish a list outlining the grants awarded by the three largest foundations during the year.
“The largest Wallenberg Foundations have a mission to work for the benefit of Sweden, i.e. to promote the development of Swedish research and education. We take great pride and pleasure in having been able to support basic research at Swedish institutions since 1917, playing our part in helping to strengthen Sweden as a research nation for over 100 years,” says Peter Wallenberg Jr, Chairman of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Grants awarded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Marianne och Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, and Marcus och Amalia Wallenberg Foundation:
Time and time again, the Foundation awards grants specifically for basic research, thereby supporting the development of new technology capable of furthering Sweden’s long-term development as a center of research and industrial nation.
The following long-term strategic initiatives are ongoing:
Wallenberg Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems and Software Program, WASP
WASP represents a huge commitment to basic research, postgraduate education and recruitment in the AI, autonomous systems and software development sectors. The research program is intended to contribute to knowledge development in a large number of areas, in which intelligent vehicles, robots and complex software-intensive systems achieve autonomy in interaction with humans. This knowledge is essential if Swedish research is to keep up with developments towards the internet of things, in which more and more systems will also become autonomous. A key part of the program is the establishment of a platform for academic research and education that can interact with Swedish industry. The WASP program will recruit at least 60 research teams to Sweden, and run a graduate school with up to 400 PhD students.
In 2017 the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation decided to increase its funding of WASP by way of a jubilee donation of SEK 1 billion over ten years to build know-how and expertise in various aspects of AI.
Wallenberg Center for Quantum Technology, WACQT
The aim of the Center is to establish broad skills and expertise in the fields of quantum sensors, quantum simulators, quantum communication, and quantum computers. A further goal is to build a Swedish 100-qbit quantum computer.
Like WASP, WACQT emphasizes long-term development of expertise by establishing large graduate schools, and recruiting young researchers to Sweden from the rest of the world. The Center also collaborates with Swedish industry.
The jubilee donation in 2017 included funding of SEK 600 million for the establishment of WACQT.
Life Sciences
Large grants have been awarded in this field for many years. As a result, the Foundations have helped Sweden to become a prominent life-science nation. A decision was made in 2014 to make a further major concerted commitment to life sciences.
Protein Research
Wallenberg Center for Protein Research (WCPR) is a center of excellence in research on proteins and biodrugs. Biodrugs are made from the body’s own proteins, and have revolutionized medicine, making it possible to treat advanced diseases in a new way.
In the future it is expected that many more diseases will be treatable with the help of biomolecules, mainly based on antibodies.
Wallenberg Wood Science Center
Research at Wallenberg Wood Science Center focuses on making new products possible from Swedish forest raw materials by utilizing more of the wood. Sustainable packaging, electronics and surgical implants are some potential products.
MAX IV Laboratory
The MAX IV Laboratory at Lund University received funding in 2018 of SEK 280 million for beamline tubes and expanded data storage capacity, Since the first Max Laboratory was built, the Foundation has contributed over SEK 1 billion to the MAX facilities.
Education for Better Integration
The “Education for Better Integration” program is a ten-year commitment to educational initiatives designed to improve integration in Swedish society. The program is supported to the tune of SEK 300 million by the three largest Wallenberg Foundations in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Swedish Academy.
Read more about the strategic grants
Wallenberg Academy Fellows
The program is a five-year initiative supporting young researchers with long-term funding, so they can concentrate on their research. The program also helps to make the Swedish research environment more international. After the first five years an evaluation is carried out, with a potential extension of funding for a further five years. As of 2017 calls for research proposals are made every other year.
A total of 174 young researchers have received grants, and the foundation plans to fund a further 150 young researchers over the next few years
Wallenberg Scholars
This is a five-year program with the possibility of a five-year extension. The program is aimed at established, internationally competitive researchers.
Wallenberg Clinical Scholars
The aim of the program is to strengthen Swedish clinical research by identifying the best clinical researchers, giving them ample scope to conduct their research, so their findings will have an impact, both in the scientific world, and in medical care. A total of 25 researchers have received grants under the program. Four researchers were chosen as Wallenberg Clinical Scholars in 2018.
Wallenberg Clinical Fellows
The purpose of the project is to encourage clinical research by young Swedish doctors. The program enables doctors to devote much of their working time to medical research over a period of three years.
Program for mathematics
Excellent mathematics researchers are being funded during 2014–2026 so that Sweden can regain an internationally leading position in mathematics. Funding is expected to total SEK 500 million over the period.
Postdoctoral Scholarships
The scholarships are intended for young researchers who have recently received their PhD, and are awarded for a two-year spell abroad, with the possibility of two years’ funding of a research position at a Swedish higher education institution upon their return. In 2018 the program added the opportunity to apply for a research position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Five young researchers have been granted scholarships to conduct research at various departments of Stanford University, and two have been granted scholarships in life science at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, USA.
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, funding of SEK 50 million to upgrade meeting facilities at the Academy’s headquarters at Frescati, Stockholm.
Karolinska Institutet, funding of SEK 40.6 million for a project entitled “Cell turnover in human health and disease”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 37.8 million for a project entitled “Understanding the dynamic universe”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 37.2 million for a project entitled “Probing charge and mass-transfer reactions on the atomic level”.
University of Gothenburg, funding of SEK 36.7 million for a project entitled “Understanding the origin and heterogeneity of childhood neuroblastoma”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 34.2 million for a project entitled “Constraining past variations in the global biogeochemical silica cycle".
Linköping University, funding of SEK 33.4 million for a project entitled “Wide-bandgap semi-conductors for next generation quantum components”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 31.5 million for a project entitled “The birth of the mitochondrial ribosome”.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, funding of SEK 31.2 million for a project entitled “Translating mechanisms of cytotoxicity in natural killer cells and gamma-delta T cells into next generation cell-based cancer immunotherapy”.
Chalmers University of Technology, funding of SEK 30.7 million for a project entitled “Unlocking the full-dimensional fiber capacity”.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, funding of SEK 30 million for a project entitled “Novel transient states in quantum matter”.
Karolinska Institutet, funding of SEK 29.4 million for a project entitled “Integrative structural biology of mammalian fertilization: Unveiling the beginning of life from gametes to atoms”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 29.3 million for a project entitled “Organofluorines: anthropogenic small-molecules for life sciences”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 28.1 million for a project entitled “Functional quasicrystals? Harnessing the complexity of aperiodic intermetallic compounds”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 28.1 million for a project entitled “Deciphering the role of functional constraint and convergent evolution on genome regulation”.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, funding of SEK 27.5 million for a project entitled “Co-evolution of protease structure and biological function”.
Linköping University, funding of SEK 27.2 million for a project entitled “Hydrogen peroxide, fuel and energy technology for the future”.
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, funding of SEK 25.6 million for a project entitled “World-class knowledge and entrepreneurship for the future”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 22.2 million for a project entitled “Dynamic phenomena of magnetic materials”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 21.6 million for a project entitled “Capturing the regenerative potential of the brain”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 19.1 million for a project entitled “From scattering amplitudes to gravitational waves”.
Karolinska Institutet, funding of SEK 18 million for a project entitled “Tissue-crosstalk and metabolic regulation of type 2 diabetes”.
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SEK 18.5 million for Nobel Symposia 2018–2022.
Karolinska Institutet, funding of SEK 16.2 million for a project entitled “Decoding the logic of the neural circuits for motor actions”.
Stockholm School of Economics, funding of SEK 16 million for “The Wallenberg International Fellows Program – Preparing Leaders for the new Global Business Environment”.
National Museum of Science and Technology, funding of SEK 15 million for a project entitled “Wisdome” (interactive, digital learning and test environment for science communication).
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), funding of SEK 14 million for a project entitled “Junior Academy – engineering scholars of IVA”.
Swedish House of Finance, funding of SEK 12 million for a project entitled “A national financial research data center in Sweden”.
Umeå University, funding of SEK 9.5 million for a project entitled “Artificial Intelligence – Destroyer or enabler of democracy and self-determination?”
Brilliant Minds Foundation, funding of SEK 9 million for leadership symposia over a three-year period.
Jubilee Donation established in 1967 to celebrate the Foundation’s 50th anniversary. The donation provides funding to higher education institutions for travel scholarships for scientific exchange, mainly for younger researchers. SEK 7.2 million.
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, funding of SEK 7 million for “The Prince Daniel’s Fellowship entrepreneurial program”.
Stockholm School of Economics, funding of SEK 6.9 million for a project entitled “On the economic consequences of a shrinking stock market”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 6.6 million for a project entitled “Understanding production and perception of multimodal emotion expressions using machine learning method”.
Stockholm University, funding of SEK 5.8 million for a project entitled “The Cold War in the past and present: Constructing a Swedish military heritage”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 5.1 million for a project entitled “Digital diplomacy in a turbulent global world”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 5.1 million for a project entitled “The #Metoo momentum and its aftermath: digital justice seeking and societal and legal responses”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 5 million for a project entitled “The cortical hierarchy of native phonological proficiency”.
Linköping University, funding of SEK 5 million for a project entitled “Reading training using digital media for children at training schools using ACC (Alternative and Complementary Communication)”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 5 million for a project entitled “THE LANG-TRACK-APP: Studying exposure to and use of a new language using smartphone technology”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 4.7 million for a project entitled “How will different forward-looking distributions of responsibility affect the long-term development of Artificial Intelligence?”
Umeå University, funding of SEK 4.5 million for a project entitled “Banking before banks: Networks, behavior and strategies in early financial markets”.
Karolinska Institutet, SEK 4.5 million for a project entitled “Visualization as support for learning anatomy and physiology – from novice to expert”.
Stiftelsen Alfons Åbergs Kulturhus i Göteborg, (The Alfie Atkins Cultural Centre in Gothenburg) funding of SEK 4.5 million for a project entitled “Chemistry at the Alfie Atkins Cultural Center”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 4.5 million for a project entitled “The unwanted citizens: The holocaust and the Aryanization of Jewish property in Romania and the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), 1940–1945”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 4.2 million for a project entitled “Democratic self-defense: The social model”.
Ratio Research Institute, funding of SEK 4.1 million for a project entitled “Digitization and opportunity creation – A historical analysis of the genesis of the Stockholm Stock Exchange”.
European Institute for Japanese Studies (EIJS), funding of SEK 4 million for a project entitled “Trade with distant partners: EU’s free trade agreements with East Asia, Impact on trade and investments”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 3.9 million for a project entitled “What are they fighting for? Conflict issues and the resolution of civil wars”.
Jönköping International Business School, funding of SEK 3.8 million for a project entitled “Ageing and entrepreneurship”.
Sweden-Japan Foundation, scholarship program celebrating the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Japan, SEK 3.8 million.
University of Gothenburg, funding of SEK 3.7 million for a project entitled “Optimizing human computation using a game with a purpose”.
Jönköping International Business School, funding of SEK 3.6 million for a project entitled “Reaping the benefits of digitization for stakeholder management: Making open stakeholder management work”.
Stockholm School of Economics, funding of SEK 3.5 million for a project entitled “Systematic quantification of biographical data on entrepreneurs and their businesses”.
Karolinska Institutet, funding of SEK 3.5 million for a project entitled “Healthy learning: Causal mechanisms and gene-environment interplay in positive health effects of active engagement in culture”.
Swedish Sepsis Trust, funding of SEK 3 million for education, training, and increased awareness and knowledge about sepsis.
Swedish Dementia Centre Foundation, SEK 3 million for an education project entitled “Multidimensional e-library in the field of dementia”.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 3 million for a project entitled “Only the best and brightest: ‘Intelligence’, ‘race’, and educational policy in post-WWII US”.
Forum for Elderly Care SCI, SEK 2.9 million for an education and training project entitled “Dementia Forum X”.
Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, funding of SEK 2 million for a project entitled “Security in the Europe of tomorrow – Swedish perspectives (SES)”.
Swedish Mathematical Society, Wallenberg Prize in Mathematics, SEK 1.8 million.
Uppsala University, funding of SEK 1.7 million for a project entitled “Skedemosse – the ritual landscape and early medieval horse races in Scandinavia and beyond”.
Nationalmuseum, funding of SEK 1.7 million for a project entitled “The matter of drawing. Copies and tracings in 18th century architectural practice and design”.
Nobel Foundation, education program book: “Factfulness for all third-year high school students in Sweden during fall 2018”, SEK 1.5 million.
Hippocampus Foundation, funding of SEK 1.5 million for a project entitled “Equine-assisted therapy, pedagogy and activity for children and young people”.
Gundua Foundation, SEK 1 million for a project entitled “Student & women education in entrepreneurship in Kenya”.
Lund University, funding of SEK 962,000 for a project entitled “Sheep o’hoy: the zooarchaeology of sails production”.
Kulturen, funding of SEK 544,000 for a project entitled “Church roofs in the diocese of Lund before c. 1850: material, techniques and significance”.
More about Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation's project grants
Contact person:
Oscar Stege-Unger, contact person for the Wallenberg Foundations
Tel: +46 (0)70 6242059
oscar.stege.unger@wfab.se