Swedish Research Council awards SEK 246 million to KI in four calls

The Swedish Research Council is Sweden’s largest governmental research funding council. Its primary mission is to promote Swedish research of the highest scientific quality. Its grants are intended both to support basic research and to build long-term research capacity. The Swedish Research Council has awarded grants to 39 KI researchers in four calls for proposals. 

KI grants for clinical therapy research 

In the autumn of 2025 call for grants in clinical therapy research, the Swedish Research Council awarded just over SEK 84,1 million to 11 researchers at KI. The decisions include grants for clinical studies in treatment research and project grants for planning or pilot studies in preparation for future clinical trials in treatment research.

The success rate was 15 per cent for grants for clinical studies in treatment research and 28 per cent for project grants for planning or pilot studies prior to future clinical trials in treatment research.

Amanda Cleeve, professor, Department of Global Public Health
Project: Optimising access to healthcare through non-test telemedicine abortion: a multicentre randomised study in Sweden (OPTIMISE)
Grant: SEK 19,8 million

Joakim Dillner, researcher, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
Project: Can HPV infection and cervical cancer be eliminated faster through combined HPV vaccination and HPV screening?
Grant: SEK 19,9 million

Henrik Grönberg, professor, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Project: Reduced hormone therapy for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer
Grant: SEK 19,1 million

Lisa Liu, researcher, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
Project: Development of intraperitoneal treatment for patients with peritoneal metastatic gastric cancer
Grant: SEK 6,8 million

David Mataix-Cols, professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: Improving access to evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in young people with autism: a randomised controlled trial
Grant: SEK 11,4 million

Åsa Bonnard, researcher, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
Project: Objective biomarkers for optimising cochlear implant treatment
Grant: SEK 1,2 million (project grant)

Karin Emtell Iwarsson, researcher, Department of Women's and Children's Health
Project: Combination treatment with naproxen and levonorgestrel as emergency contraception: a feasibility study
Grant: SEK 994,631 (project grant)

Per-Johan Jakobsson, professor,Department of Medicine, Solna
Project: Towards a new and safer treatment for axial spondyloarthritis: planning a clinical trial of mPGES-1 inhibitors
Grant: SEK 1,2 million (project grant)

Martin Kraepelien, researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: Digital self-care tools for mental health in primary care: healthcare providers’ perspectives and a pilot study
Grant: SEK 1,2 million (project grant)

Gabriel Oniscu, professor, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
Project: OxyPERF-Sweden – an innovative oxygenated perfusion strategy to improve outcomes in DCD kidney transplantation
Grant: SEK 1,2 million (project grant)

Jonas Svensson, researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: RAPID: Rapamycin for Alzheimer’s prevention in individuals at risk of cognitive decline
Grant: SEK 1,2 million (project grant)

KI grants for international post docs within medicine and health 

In the autumn 2025 call for international post docs within medicine and health, the Swedish Research Council awarded 8 out of 44 applications, two of which were awarded to KI. Of the total SEK 31,6 million, SEK 8,1 million was awarded to KI.

Zerina Kurtovic, researcher, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Project: Sensory–neuroimmune interaction in reproductive function and endometriosis
Grant: SEK 4 million

Fen Yang, researcher, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Project: Patient data and molecular methods for drug repurposing in neurodegenerative diseases
Grant: SEK 4 million 

KI grants for research into viruses and pandemics  

In the autumn 2025 call for research on viruses and pandemics, the Swedish Research Council awarded SEK 96 million to 20 researchers at KI.

Niklas Björkström, professor, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: Host diagnostics in severe viral infections, from discovery to clinical implementation
Grant: SEK 10 million (consolidation grant)

Kristina Broliden, professor, Department of Medicine, Solna
Project: Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying susceptibility to sexually transmitted viral infections
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Marcus Buggert, researcher, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: Defining conserved compartmentalised influenza-specific CD8 T-cell immunity across age
Grant: SEK 5,1 million (project grant)

Robert Dyrdak, researcher, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
Project: Molecular epidemiology of human corona viruses
Grant: SEK 10 million (research time grant)

Fang Fang, professor, Institute of Environmental Medicine
Project: Prevalence of post-COVID conditions and their health and economic consequences in five European countries
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Karin Loré, professor, Department of Medicine, Solna
Project: Age-dependent immunity to RSV infection and vaccination – mechanisms of cross-reactivity with MPV
Grant: SEK 3 million (project grant)

Andreas Luttens, researcher, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
Project: Applying deep learning models to design novel antiviral drugs
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Gerald McInerney, professor, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
Project: Next-generation vaccines to prevent pandemics
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Ali Mirazimi, professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine
Project: Mapping T-cell responses and vaccine protection against Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Thomas Müller, researcher, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: Blood as a window into tissue immunity: decoding circulating ex-TRM signatures to monitor local antiviral T-cell responses
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Pontus Naucler, professor, Department of Medicine, Solna
Project: FASTER 2.0 – Evaluation of pharmacological interventions and viral transmission early in a pandemic
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Annika Niehrs, researcher, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: Identification of key biomarkers for the control of chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Helena Nordenstedt, researcher, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital
Project: Why have autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden? Insights from population registers and autoantibody analyses
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Malin Nygren Bonnier, researcher, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Project: Long-term recovery, health, and healthcare utilisation after COVID-19 and post-COVID conditions
Grant: SEK 3 million (project grant)

Antonio Gigliotti Rothfuchs, researcher, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
Project: The Swedish BSL3 Network (SB3N) – a national academic network for BSL3 laboratories
Grant: SEK 300,000 (network grant)

Daniel Sheward, researcher, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
Project: Development of novel mRNA-based vaccine candidates
 Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Benedict Strunz, researcher, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: Host responses as molecular regulators during viral infection
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Matti Sällberg, professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine
Project: Domestic production of lipid nanoparticle-formulated DNA and mRNA for direct gene transfer in vaccines and immunotherapies in vivo for pandemic preparedness
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Hugo Zeberg, researcher, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Project: Genetic risk factors for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant)

Simin Zhang, researcher, Department of Oncology-Pathology
Project: Modulating nucleotide metabolism for tailored antiviral medicine
Grant: SEK 4 million (project grant) 

KI career grants within primary care 

In total, the Swedish Research Council has awarded just over SEK 120 million in career grants within primary care for the period 2025–2028, of which just over SEK 58 million has been awarded to KI.

Erland Axelsson, researcher, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Project: What makes exposure therapy effective for individuals with clinically significant symptom preoccupation? A randomised controlled dismantling trial of exposure and response prevention
Grant: SEK 11,1 million (research time grant)

Linnea Hedin, researcher, Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Project: A digital lifestyle programme in primary care to prevent cardiovascular disease: evaluation of effects on cardiovascular health, health economics, and implementation in healthcare
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Elin Lindsäter, researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: Long-term consequences of severe and persistent fatigue in primary care: a register-based research programme
Grant: SEK 11,1 million (research time grant)

Elinor Nemlander, researcher, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Project: A blood-test-based risk model for early cancer detection in primary care
Grant: SEK 11,1 million (research time grant)

Sigrid Salomonsson, researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: The effectiveness of blended CBT for post-traumatic stress disorder: a non-inferiority study combining internet-based treatment and therapy sessions in primary care
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant)

Katharina Schmidt-Mende, researcher
Project: Navigating benefits and risks: challenges in implementing treatment guidelines for older and frail heart failure patients in primary care
Grant: SEK 6 million (establishment grant) and SEK 6,7 million (research time grant)