Formas

1. Annual open call

The open call is divided into two sub-calls:

• Research projects
• Research projects for early career researchers

2. Mobility grants for early career researchers

3. Communication calls

4. Other types of funding

• ERA-NETs supporting transnational research and innovation
• Urgent grants to tackle research issues that need to be addressed within a limited timeframe
• Grants to organise conferences and workshops based on a theme relevant to Formas’ areas of responsibility
• National research programmes on climate, sustainable spatial planning and food (Forte and Vetenskapsrådet manage other national research programmes)
• Development grants to facilitate the practical use of research results
• Strategic innovation programmes where companies, higher education institutions and other organisations collaborate to develop sustainable products and services of the future in areas that are strategically important for Sweden

Project calculator
Contact department economist for support with budgeting in SLU´s project calculator. The project calculator has a report (sheet 13) adapted to the budget form in Prisma.

Co-funding
For universities Formas allows that charges for indirect costs, caused by the Formas-grant according to university rules, are covered by the Formas-grant. A co-funding need to indirect costs, in grants from Formas, will therefore not occur for SLU.

On the other hand some Formas calls can have a demand on co-funding of direct costs (including charges). In such cases co-funding can be possible according to SLU´s guidelines for co-funding.

Financial reporting
Questions about using SLU´s financial system for financial reporting to Formas can be put to projektekonomi@slu.se

Prisma

Applications to Formas are submitted via Prisma.

In some calls Formas asks for data about SLU as a whole. In these cases the data is to be registered in the budget-part of the application form in Prisma:

• Organization number: 202100-2817
• Organization name: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Annual turnover, SEK (2023): 4 381 639 000
• Balance sheet, SEK (2023): 4 706 935 000
• Number of employees (2023): 3 223
• Address: Box 7070
• Zip code: 750 07
• City: Uppsala
• Contact person: The person who signs for SLU, head of department or deputy head of department. For an organisation application the project leader should be registered as contact person.

In these calls, the respective partner's average personnel cost per hour in the project is also often requested. Personnel costs refer to salaries including social security contributions and other mandatory fees linked to salary.

Evaluation

Most applications follow a similar format and are assessed against the same four grounds of assessment:

Scientific quality

• Research question
• Method and performance
• Scientific competence

Societal relevance and communication

• Societal value of the research question and communication of the results

Applications should be written in English since the evaluators are international - if you choose to write in Swedish, it will be translated into English before the evaluation. The exception to this is the short project description, which should be written in both Swedish and English, and the popular science description, which should be written in Swedish.

Formas provides useful information about the application process and evaluation criteria on their web.

Exceptions to the standard application procedure include, for example, when Formas is participating in an ERA-Net or other jointly-funded programmes. In these cases, the call page will detail the appropriate application process.

If you have questions about applying to Formas, please contact externalfunding@slu.se.

Annual open call seminar and discussion groups

The Grants Office usually runs a seminar and facilitates discussion groups to coincide with the beginning of the annual open call. The seminar includes a presentation on the call (from a Formas representative when this is possible) and speakers offering the perspectives of an evaluator and a successful applicant from SLU. After the seminar, there is the possibility to join a discussion group related to the open call, where you have the opportunity to receive feedback on a draft of your application and offer feedback to others.

You can find links to a recording of the last seminar and copies of the presentations at the bottom of the page.

Communication criterion

Formas have provided some additional guidance on how to address the communication criterion for the open call. However, this is also useful for other Formas proposals where communication is included in the evaluation criteria. Many departments at SLU have their own Communication Officers. They may be able to offer you advice or answer your questions about using communication effectively to deliver project results to the people who can benefit from them.

Data management plan

Formas requires that every project they fund has a data management plan (DMP). The plan must not be submitted to Formas unless specifically requested in the call text. However, the plan must be presented upon request. Formas recommends that you follow the guidelines for data management plans developed by Science Europe. You can read more about Formas´ recommendations here.

To assist both researchers and other staff at SLU in managing data, SLU maintains a data management plan template that meets the requirements of Formas, the Swedish Research Council, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Read more on this at SLU’s Data Management Support.

If you have questions concerning data management plans or need help to create one, please contact SLU’s Data Management Support at dms@slu.se.

Succesful applications

Reading successful applications is a great way to learn about proposal writing, and Formas makes all successful applications publically available. You can search their project database by keyword, organisation, person, grant type etc. to find proposals relevant to your area of research. You can then submit a request to registrator@formas.se for a copy of the proposal(s) you would like to read – remember to include the relevant project number(s) in your request.

All project reporting is handled in Prisma. Formas have provided information on their website about what information you are required to submit to them as part of the reporting.