KI receives recommendations for six strategic research fields and the Science for Life laboratory

On Monday, the research funding bodies submitted to the government their recommendations regarding strategic research funding. They recommend that six of KIs seven applications be approved.

The research bill presented strategic investments in a number of research fields. Karolinska Institutet applied as principal applicant to seven of these strategic fields and was a co-applicant to an additional four.

The Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Fas), the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas), the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) and the Swedish Energy Agency submitted their report to the government on 15 June. In it, they recommended that KI be granted six of its principal applications and two of its co-applications, making a total of 630.8 million kronor in funding for the years 2010 to 2014. The government's decision is now pending.

KI president Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson is delighted with their recommendations.

"We stand to receive funding in all medical fields, so things couldnt look better. It's also great to see that the Science for Life laboratory has been put down for 101.5 million. Now we can start to plan it."

"Many people at KI have put a lot of work into this, and we can state with confidence now that it's been worth it," she adds.

KI applications recommended (amounts stated give annual funding up to and including 2012):

Cancer - SEK 19.6 million of SEK 56 million total

Centre for Integrated Cancer Studies at Karolinska Institutet - an environment for translational cancer research

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 100%

Diabetes - SEK 28 million of SEK 56 million total

Translational Program in Diabetes Research, Education and Care

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 85%

Co-applicant: Umeå University 15%

Epidemiology - SEK 10 million of SEK 20 million total

Epidemiology: from mechanism to prevention, from surveillance to safety

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 100%

Neuroscience - SEK 28 million of SEK 56 million total

Cognitive and Motor functions in Health and Disease during the Lifespan

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 86%

Co-applicants: Umeå University 10%, Royal Institute of Technology 4%

Stem cells and regenerative medicine - SEK 30 million of SEK 59 million total

Centre for Regenerative Medicine

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 100%

Healthcare science - SEK 20 million of SEK 50 million total

Bridging Research and Practice for Better Health: The Comprehensive Care Science Centre

Principal applicant: Karolinska Institutet 80%

Co-applicant: Umeå University 20%

Molecular bioscience - SEK 101.5 million of SEK 145 million total

Science for Life Laboratory - a national resource centre for high-throughput molecular bioscience

Principal applicant: Royal Institute of Technology 33.3%

Co-applicant: Karolinska Institutet 33.3%, Stockholm University 33.3%

e-Science - SEK 30 million of SEK 56 million total

Swedish e-Science Research Centre

Principal applicant: Royal Institute of Technology 38%

Co-applicant: Linköping University 27%, Stockholm University 27%, Karolinska Institutet 8%