Published: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:49:06 GMT
Updated: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:54:05 GMT
Support to Swedish researchers is an important component in Swedish international development cooperation. The aim is to develop and sustain the Swedish knowledge base and research capacity in areas that are of relevance to poverty reduction, to encourage exchange of ideas and information, and to create a two-way scientific research system where cooperation generates new knowledge and encourages innovative thinking. Support to, for example, cutting-edge research, funds covering travel costs and PhD grants assists Sida in working towards this mission.
Swedish Research Links (Links)
The Swedish Research Links Programme seeks to stimulate
research ties between researchers in Sweden, on the one hand, and
in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) and South
Africa on the other. One key objective is to increase the exchange
of knowledge of common interest among researchers in the countries
involved. Funds from the programme are intended to cover the extra
costs arising from this collaboration. These may, for example,
relate to travel, workshops and publication of jointly written
articles. Salaries, on the other hand, are not funded.
Within the programme there are two
different forms of grant. One is the three-year International
Collaborative Research Grant. The other is the one-year
International Planning Grant. Applications must be made jointly by
researchers in Sweden and in the collaborating countries. All the
applicants must be affiliated to research institutions. Project
grants from the Links programme may relate to any discipline or
field.
Development Research Programme (U-Forsk)
The support provided to Swedish researchers via the
U-Forsk programme is aimed at developing and maintaining
the Swedish knowledge base and research capacity in fields that are
relevant to developing countries. Further aims are to promote
scientific research cooperation between researchers in Sweden and
developing countries and the participation of Swedish researchers
in research programmes and research cooperation relevant to
development. In support of its work the programme has reference
groups which cover the following fields; i) Natural Sciences and
Technology, ii) Environment and Natural Resources, iii) Economics,
iv) Social Science, and v) Humanities, Education and Communication.
Project funding for health research
is financed by Sida and
administered by the Research
Council.
Most of the support is provided for
research projects. However, post doctorate support and research
network support are also eligible. Individual researchers or groups
of researchers that are active at universities, university colleges
and other research intuitions in Sweden may apply. Only applicants
holding PhD can be considered. Researchers working as supervisors
(professors, senior lecturers or the equivalent) can include
doctoral students in the research project.
Since network support was initiated in 2004, 11 networks have
been supported:
Special calls
Swedish Research Council for Environment,
Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas)
The overall objective within this program is to strengthen the
research capacity of developing countries and to promote
development-oriented research. Sida also aims to promote scientific
cooperation between researchers in Sweden and in developing
countries by promoting participation of scientists from Sweden in
sustainability research in developing countries. Formas funds
research in the areas of environment, agriculture, construction and
urban and rural development. The successful applications are
relevant for Formas areas of responsibility - Formas research
strategy 2009 - 2012 and for Sida's areas of responsibility - Sida
Strategy for research Cooperation 2010- 2014. While the
Sida-funding is restricted to research at the institutes or field
stations within the CGIAR-system, Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research www.cgiar.org, the Formas-funding
is open for research at other institutes or universities as well.
The current agreement covers the period 2010/01 - 2011/12 and a
total amount of 7 002 850 SEK.
Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB):
Contagious Diseases
Sida's Unit for Research Cooperation and MSB announced calls
on the research theme of communicable diseases by developing the
capacity in the handling and prevention of these. Together Sida and
MSB fund a three-year program with the aim to increase cooperation
between scientists from Sweden and scientists in developing
countries within the research area of communicable diseases. The
overall intention is to increase knowledge production, in terms of
research results, and strengthen the ability to combat the global
spread of contagious diseases, which currently threaten both
developed and developing countries.
The program, with focus on capacity building to limit the spread
and impact of contagious diseases, started in 2011 and runs until
2014. The call covered major threats and challenges to health and
society of mutual interest to both Sida and MSB, addressing the
sources, pathways and mitigation measures concerning the spread of
communicable diseases.
Partner Driven Cooperation (PDC)
The objective of PDC is to stimulate and strengthen the
emergence of self-supporting relationships of mutual interest
between Swedish partners and partners in low and medium income
countries. The idea is to utilise research results from both Sweden
and partner countries in innovation, in areas of policy making and
other developmental issues in order to contribute to poverty
reduction and equitable and sustainable global development.
Encouraging Swedish actors to engage in activities that will
contribute to this objective is the main purpose of the Partner
Driven Cooperation team at Sida. PDC support is designed as a
catalytic tool and can include a broad range of activities that
maximize opportunities for Swedish actors to collaborate with
actors from Sweden's selective countries (China, India, Indonesia,
Vietnam, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia) on activities of
mutual benefit. In 2012 the call focused on India and Indonesia
only. The aim of Partner Driven Cooperation is to assist
in the process of building up a sustainable collaboration between
researchers, policy specialists, and innovators at Swedish
institutions/organisations together with similar actors in the
collaboration countries. In PDC the partners are expected to
initiate and pursue the cooperation by themselves. Shared ownership
along with mutual interest and division of responsibility are of
central importance in enabling the relationship to become
self-supporting in the long term.
PDC: granted projects 2012
Special call:
How does research and innovation get an impact in developing
countries?
This call, which was announced in 2010, aims at providing
Sida, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNESCO and Sida's
partners within research cooperation with a greater basis of
knowledge regarding higher education, research and innovation in
developing countries. The idea is that there is a general lack of
documented research-based knowledge about how research is planned,
produced and utilised in developing countries. Sida's objective
with this call is to support research which contributes to enhanced
knowledge about the preconditions for higher education, research
and innovation being employed towards development and poverty
alleviation. A total of 5 of the submitted 10 applications were
granted funding. One application received a planning grant and the
remaining four grantees will receive funding during the entire
three year period. Sida will support these research projects
with a total of about five million SEK per year during
2010-2012.
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