Grant for Centre of Excellence

Grant for Centre of Excellence

Supports multidisciplinary Swedish research centers that build long-horizon excellence across scientific fields.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Grant for Centre of Excellence is Vetenskapsrådet's multi-disciplinary research environment award, open to pioneering and cross-disciplinary projects across all scientific fields including humanities, social sciences, artistic research, medicine, natural sciences, and engineering. Up to ten grants are awarded at SEK 8,000,000 per year for an initial five-year period beginning January 2027. Grantees may later apply for a renewal at SEK 10,000,000 per year for a further five years through a separate review process. The 2026 call ran from 7 January 2026 to 24 February 2026; decisions are expected by the end of November 2026.

Individual researchers holding a Swedish or equivalent foreign doctoral degree apply as principal investigators — unlike the Excellence Clusters programme, the application is submitted by the individual, not the institution. The applicant must hold at least a 20% full-time equivalent position at the administrating higher education institution throughout the grant period. Between two and four additional participating researchers are required, all employed at approved Swedish higher education institutions. An applicant may not simultaneously participate in more than one application under this call.

The programme is designed for researchers ready to build or significantly develop a sustained, collaborative research environment rather than a single project. Proposals must articulate how the centre will promote joint thematic work and contribute to higher education. Applicants planning to target this programme in the next cycle should track VR's calls page from November 2026 onward, when the 2027 round is likely to be announced, and build their research team and institutional support structures well in advance of the approximately seven-week submission window.