Closed call 2024-09-04: Research Pairs Consolidator Projects

Call announced: 2024-05-20
Project proposal registration: 2024-08-28
Proposal submission deadline: 2024-09-04
Phase 2 evaluation hearing: Early November 2024
Expected funding decision: December 2024
Expected start of projects: January 2025

Background

Digital Futures is a cross-disciplinary research centre that explores and advances digital technologies to tackle societal challenges in Sweden and globally. Established jointly by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, we fund strategic research projects aligning with our vision. Find out more about Digital Futures’ background here.

Purpose

The Research Pairs Consolidator Projects call is a funding instrument that gives an opportunity for Digital Futures Research Pairs projects from the second and third Research Pairs projects call to extend their projects. We will support projects that can show high scientific quality, originality, and an interdisciplinary approach. This initiative supports early- career researchers who show promise as future digital leaders. These individuals are expected to actively engage and contribute to various initiatives within Digital Futures.

Eligibility

1. Researchers should have an ongoing or finished Digital Futures Research Pairs Project from the second or third call [1] (i.e., the calls in 2021 or 2022). Researchers who have applied for the Research Pairs Consolidator funding in the past calls are not eligible.
2. The researchers in the pair should belong to either i) two different KTH schools or ii) KTH and SU. Applicants can only be PI or co-PI for one proposal. Only researchers from KTH and SU are eligible to apply to the Research Pairs Consolidator Project call 2024.
3. Only early-career researchers are eligible to apply. Each applicant needs to have obtained a doctoral degree not more than 14 years ago at the time of the opening of this call [2] and have 80% employment or more at KTH or SU with one of the following positions: Assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, or permanent full-time Researcher (”tillsvidareanställning”). Researchers do not need to be Digital Futures faculty when applying but will become Digital Futures faculty.
4. The proposals shall address subject areas at an intersection of the Digital Futures Research matrix. More information about the research matrix can be found here.

[1] In case one of the Co-Pis has left KTH, SU, or RISE, the remaining Co-Pi can apply with a new Co-Pi who fulfills the others eligibility criteria of this call.

[2] The eligibility period set out above can be extended beyond 14 years for certain circumstances such as parental leave, clinical training, long-term illness, or national service. Please indicate those in your CV.

Project duration and maximum funding

Up to three projects will be selected for a two-year duration, with a maximum funding of 2 MSEK per project (1 MSEK per project year). The budget must be split equally between the two PIs (500 KSEK per calendar year per PI). The amount applied must not exceed the maximum funding for a project in this call.

Applicable Funding Policy for Digital Futures Faculty

Researchers can be involved in several projects under different instruments, but within Digital Futures, the funding per PI is limited to 1 MSEK/year. Hence, funding that you may have received under the current Digital Futures instruments Collaborative Impact projects, Flagship projects, Research Pairs, Research Pairs Consolidator, Demonstrator projects, and Collaborative projects targeting Diversity and Inclusion, and Seed Projects will be taken into consideration. Funding from Digital Futures to Societal Innovation Projects, Partner Innovation Projects, Industrial Innovation Projects, and ISPP Demo Projects is included, but not the part from partners. Digital Futures Postdoctoral Fellows projects or C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute projects are not considered.

How to apply

1. Fill in the application according to the project description template: Template Research Pairs Consolidator project 2024
2. Create an account on the application submission system and register the application stating the title, PIs and a short abstract by the registration date (see at top) at this link: https://crp.dsv.su.se/research-pairs-call-24/
3. Complete the application, including uploading the project description to the submission system before the call deadline (see at top) using the same link as in step 2.

Evaluation

The project proposals will be evaluated by an external international expert panel. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

1. Scientific quality and originality of the proposed research
2. Merits of the applicants
3. Degree of interdisciplinarity and composition of the research pair
4. Research activity and output of the ongoing research pairs project.
5. Feasibility of the project

The evaluation will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the evaluators independently grade the project proposals according to the criteria. Based on the outcome, the top proposals will be invited to the phase 2 hearing, where the applicants present their projects and answer questions from the evaluation panel. After the hearing, the panel finalises their ranking and recommends a set of projects for funding.

Based on the evaluation and available funding, the Digital Futures Executive Committee compiles a funding proposal on how many of the top project proposals to fund. The funding proposal is then sent to the Digital Futures Governing Board and the KTH President for decisions in that order.

Information meeting

Digital Futures offers an optional information meeting to get first-hand information on all call conditions.

This meeting will be held on May 29 at 11 am digitally on Zoom: https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/63698028858
No registration is required before the meeting.

Contact

Contact call@digitalfutures.kth.se for further questions. Please include “Research Pairs Consolidator 2024” in the subject of your email.