Funding from the Wallenberg foundations - Karolinska Institutet
Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 08:10
The Wallenberg Foundations have allocated around SEK 47 billion to Swedish research since 1917, of which SEK 12 billion in the last five years.
Source: https://ki.se/en/research/research-in-numbers/the-wallenberg-foundations
Funding Details
- Funder
- Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) / Wallenberg Foundations
- Funding Goal
- To support excellent basic research and education at Swedish universities through project grants, individual researcher funding, strategic initiatives, and proof-of-concept grants.
- Funding Amount
- SEK 5-34 million per grant depending on program (Wallenberg Academy Fellows: SEK 5-9 million/5 years; Wallenberg Clinical Scholars: SEK 15 million/5 years; Project Grants: SEK 24-34 million/5 years). Total annual grants: SEK 2.5 billion (2025). (5.000.000 € – 34.000.000 €)
- How to Apply
- Applications must be submitted through the applicant's Swedish university. The vice-chancellor (or equivalent) must prioritize and endorse all applications before submission to the Foundation. Direct applications from individuals or organizations without institutional affiliation are not accepted. Calls for proposals are announced periodically across different programs and disciplines.
- Target Region
- Sweden
- Contact
- Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, P.O. Box 16066, SE-103 22 Stockholm, Sweden. Email: kaw@kaw.se
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-11 23:58
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
The Wallenberg Foundations, led by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW), are Sweden's largest private research funder. Since 1917, they have awarded over SEK 42 billion in grants, with SEK 2.5 billion allocated in 2025 alone. The foundations fund basic research across all disciplines at Swedish universities, with programs ranging from large multi-year project grants (SEK 24-34 million over 5 years) to individual researcher awards like Wallenberg Scholars and Wallenberg Academy Fellows. Funding is exclusively directed at researchers affiliated with Swedish universities or equivalent institutions. All applications must be prioritized and submitted through the applicant's vice-chancellor or institutional leadership — direct individual applications are not accepted. The foundation supports five main categories: research projects, individual grants, strategic grants, scholarship programs, and proof-of-concept grants. Key restrictions include that only non-profit organizations receive funding, no support for travel/conferences, building construction, or individual education. The foundation emphasizes multidisciplinary research and requires open access publication of results. The page at Karolinska Institutet highlights recent awards in oncology, neuroscience, immunology, and metabolic disease research, illustrating the biomedical focus of grants at that institution, though KAW funds all scientific disciplines.
Historical Context
The Wallenberg Foundations have been funding Swedish research since 1917, with over SEK 42 billion awarded in total. In the last five years alone, SEK 12 billion was distributed. The Foundation is an ongoing annual program with multiple funding rounds across different programs (Wallenberg Scholars, Academy Fellows, Clinical Scholars, Project Grants, etc.).
Sources
- https://ki.se/en/research/research-in-numbers/the-wallenberg-foundations
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/about-foundation
- https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en/grant-policy