The programme aims to provide networking opportunities and career development to enhance the future careers of successful postdoc fellows.
Purpose
Digital Futures postdoc fellowships aim to support talented early-career international researchers in pursuing their research ideas within a new research group and institution. As this is a mobility programme, the emphasis is on early-career researchers moving to a new institution to continue their research.
We highly welcome international applicants from institutions worldwide who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctorate.
Background
Digital Futures is a cross-disciplinary research centre that explores and develops digital technologies to address major societal challenges in Sweden and globally. We generate knowledge, innovations, and future leaders of high industrial relevance and strategic importance. Digital Futures is jointly established by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. We award funding to strategic research projects and individuals to support actions that advance the vision of Digital Futures. Find out more about Digital Futures here.
Digital Futures includes researchers from all schools at KTH, Stockholm University, RISE, and external partners. The centre’s physical location is in the award-winning Architecture School building at KTH Campus and is led by Professor Karl H. Johansson.
Our core research themes are Trust, Learn and Cooperate, spanning four prioritized societal contexts: Smart Society, Digitalized Industry, Rich and Healthy Life and Educational Transformation.
Digital Futures Strategic Research Programme
What the call offers
- Funding to pursue research ideas and conduct research in a new research group at a leading university or institute within the Digital Futures environment, fostering knowledge and expertise for a sustainable future.
- 2.4 million SEK toward salary costs for two years for each employed postdoc fellow. Funds will be transferred to the supervisor responsible for employing the postdoc fellow.
- Access to Digital Futures’ resources, its network of academic and industrial partners, infrastructure and testbeds, events, and happenings.
- Mentorship and support in career development and research leadership education.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the HotCRP system.
Required application documents
- Abstract (≤ 300 words): A brief, public-friendly overview describing the proposed research activities, objectives, methods, and potential outcomes.
- Proposal of research activities (max 1 page, excluding references): Should include research questions, objectives, methodology, and significance for the field and Digital Futures. Use clear language for reviewers from various disciplines. More information about the Digital Futures research matrix can be found here.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (max 2 pages excluding publication list): Detailing publications, relevant professional experience and expertise.
- Research statement (max 1 page, excluding references): Describing past and current research.
- Copy of diplomas and transcripts from doctoral studies. If the doctoral degree has not yet been obtained, include Master’s degree diplomas and transcripts. Documents not in English or Swedish must be translated.
Submission site link: https://crp.dsv.su.se/df-postdoc-call/
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must have:
- A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree. If you have had periods of leave (e.g., illness, parental leave), please indicate this in your CV. The doctoral degree must be awarded before starting the postdoc fellowship, which is expected to commence between January 2026 and June 2026.
- International experience, such as studying or working at a university outside Sweden.
Evaluation process
Applications will be evaluated based on:
- Applicant’s qualifications and international research experience
- Scientific quality and feasibility of the proposed research
- Alignment with the Digital Futures research programme
Evaluation stages
Stage 1 – Nomination
- After submission, researchers from KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE will be invited to review and nominate applications.
- A researcher who nominates an application agrees to supervise the postdoc fellow if the application is successful.
- For this call, only KTH faculty members can be main supervisors. Faculty at KTH, Stockholm University, or RISE Digital Systems division in Stockholm can be co-supervisors.
- Faculty members can nominate one postdoc applicant as a main supervisor and one as a co-supervisor, or two postdocs as co-supervisors.
Important: Main supervisors of postdocs who were successful in the last round (Autumn 2024) CANNOT nominate applications as main supervisors in this round.
Any researcher nominating postdoc fellows should either already be a Digital Futures faculty member or meet the eligibility criteria to become one. Researchers at KTH, SU, and the RISE Digital Systems Division who are interested in supervising a postdoctoral fellow but are not yet Digital Futures faculty members should contact postdoc-call@digitalfutures.kth.se to ensure they have the opportunity to nominate applicants.
To move to the next stage, a postdoc application must receive nominations from two researchers affiliated with KTH, Stockholm University, or RISE.
Postdoc applicants can contact and discuss their applications with potential supervisors, that can be contacted through the Digital Futures Faculty members page that can be found here: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/about/all/
Stage 2 – Review and Ranking
- Candidates with at least two nominations advance to Stage 2, where their proposals will be evaluated by a committee of faculty members from KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE. The evaluation will follow national and international standards.
Evaluation guiding questions can be found here: Guiding evaluation criteria 2025
Stage 3 – Employment
Funding decisions will be announced in June 2025. Employment procedures will begin thereafter.
Information and data handling
- All submitted proposals and personal data will be handled per national and international regulations.
- Documents will only be accessible to authorized staff at KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE involved in the evaluation process.
- Stockholm University will store proposals for up to 6 months after the submission deadline.
- Candidates may withdraw their application at any time upon request.
Contact & Questions
For further questions, contact:
Claudia Enciso (Operations Team, Digital Futures)
Sandra Pauletto (Associate Director, Mobility, Digital Futures)
by mail sent to postdoc-call@digitalfutures.kth.se
Information for KTH, RISE, and SU researchers wishing to nominate candidates
If you are interested in supervising a postdoc fellow but are not yet a Digital Futures faculty member, please contact postdoc-call@digitalfutures.kth.se to ensure you are informed when applications reach Stage 1 of the review process.