Revealing invisible Baltic Sea pollution
Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 08:10
The project entails taking samples from numerous sites along the entire Baltic Sea coast, from Stockholm, Luleå and Helsinki to Riga and Gdansk. The researchers ...
Source: https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/research/revealing-invisible-baltic-sea-pollution
Funding Details
- Funder
- Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
- Funding Goal
- Support advanced basic research in Sweden, particularly multidisciplinary projects at Swedish universities. This specific project funds research into invisible groundwater pollution entering the Baltic Sea.
- Funding Amount
- Annual grants exceed SEK 2.5 billion total across all programs. The featured Baltic Sea project received SEK 30.2 million over five years.
- How to Apply
- Applications must be submitted by principal investigators at Swedish universities. The vice-chancellor of the applicant's institution must prioritize and approve the application before submission. The foundation issues specific calls for proposals across its grant categories (research projects, individual grants, strategic grants, scholarships, proof of concept). Current calls are listed on the foundation website with various deadlines throughout the year.
- Target Region
- Sweden (applicants); Baltic Sea region (research scope)
- Contact
- kaw@kaw.se
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-12 03:50
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is Sweden's largest private research funder, established in 1917, awarding over SEK 42 billion in total grants with annual grants exceeding SEK 2.5 billion. The foundation supports basic research and education at Swedish universities across disciplines including natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. The featured project, led by Professor Isaac Santos at the University of Gothenburg, received SEK 30.2 million over five years to study groundwater pollution entering the Baltic Sea. The research involves sampling approximately 50 chemicals (including pharmaceutical residues and pesticides) at sites across the entire Baltic coastline from Stockholm to Gdansk, involving roughly 50 researchers from the Baltic region and the United States. The foundation's grant policy restricts applications to principal investigators or research teams connected to Swedish universities. All applications must be prioritized and approved by the vice-chancellor of the applicant's institution. The foundation does not accept applications from unaffiliated researchers or non-university organizations. Grants support research projects, individual researcher awards (Wallenberg Scholars, Wallenberg Academy Fellows), strategic initiatives, scholarship programs, and proof-of-concept grants.
Historical Context
The foundation has been awarding grants since its establishment in 1917, with cumulative grants exceeding SEK 42 billion. Annual grants currently exceed SEK 2.5 billion. The foundation had 25 open calls listed at the time of review with deadlines in 2026.
Sources
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/research/revealing-invisible-baltic-sea-pollution
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/calls-for-proposals
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/funding-guide
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/funding-guide/grant-policy