Conferences at the Royal Academy of Sweden 2026

Scope of the grant

The purpose of the call is to give outstanding early-career researchers the opportunity to organise a one-day scientific conference with internationally recognised speakers at the premises of the Academy in Stockholm. The aim is to promote research collaboration and the exchange of experience between internationally recognised researchers and researchers in Sweden, with a particular focus on researchers who are relatively early in their careers. The conference is expected to facilitate knowledge exchange, networking and the sharing of experience among participants. Organising a major conference with international speakers is also expected to be a valuable professional achievement for the organisers.

 

The conference may focus on a topic within a single discipline or be interdisciplinary. The topic should be chosen to attract a relatively broad audience of researchers in Sweden and internationally. The call therefore does not provide funding for smaller meetings aimed at a limited group of researchers or for internal meetings.

 

Application period

The application system opens on 1 April and closes on 12 June 2026 at 15:00.

 

Conditions of the call

Applicants

The grant is applied for by a group of two to four researchers, one of whom is the principal applicant. The group is jointly responsible for the scientific content and planning of the conference and, together with the Academy, for its practical implementation.

 

The principal applicant must:

1. have received funding through one of the foundation’s previous calls in economic sciences, medicine or law, or through the Swedish Foundations’ Starting Grant, during the period 2018–2026;
   • where a previous grant from the foundation was awarded to a group of researchers, all members of that group are eligible to apply for a conference grant;
2. not yet hold the title of professor;
3. be employed at a Swedish higher education institution.

 

All project members must meet criteria 2 and 3 above and hold a PhD. A researcher may participate in only one application in this call, either as principal applicant or as a project member.

 

Conditions for the conference

The conference must:

• be aimed at the research community in Sweden and internationally;
• preferably be held in English;
• include two to three internationally recognised researchers based outside Sweden as speakers, including at least one woman and one man;
• include up to five internationally recognised researchers based in Sweden as speakers, with a balanced gender distribution;
• be held in the Beijer Hall at the Academy in Stockholm, which accommodates up to 140 people;
• be a one-day conference;
• take place during 2026/2027 on a date agreed with the Academy after a funding decision has been made.

 

Scope of funding

No funds are paid directly to the applicant under this call. Instead, the Academy will cover the following costs for successful applications:

• the conference venue at the Academy for one day, from 09:00 to 17:30, including all necessary technical equipment and technical support;
• travel and accommodation for up to three invited international speakers, one of whom may be based outside Europe;
• travel and accommodation for up to five speakers based in Sweden;
• travel and accommodation for the organisers;
• refreshments and lunch during the conference for all participants;
• dinner for invited speakers and organisers, including the project group and representatives of the foundation and the Academy.

 

The Academy provides administrative support with bookings and related arrangements. The Academy and the foundation will also assist with contacts where possible.

 

Application

Applications are submitted through the foundation’s SBS application portal here. Instructions for using the application portal are available here.

 

The application must contain the following sections.

Conference description

The description may be no more than 25,000 characters, equivalent to approximately four to five A4 pages, including any references. It must contain the following information under separate headings, in the order shown below:

• Scientific description. Describe the focus and scientific content of the conference.
• Participants. The conference is intended for a broad group of researchers rather than as an internal meeting for a small group. Briefly describe the size of the research field in Sweden and internationally.
• Invited speakers. Name the proposed speakers and briefly explain why each speaker is relevant to the conference. Please also name alternative speakers in case any of the proposed speakers are unable to participate.
• Programme. The programme may include both lectures and panel discussions. Provide a preliminary programme indicating the topic or question that each speaker or panellist will address.
• Programme schedule. The Beijer Hall at the Academy is available from 09:00 to 17:30, and the programme should be scheduled within these opening hours.

 

Up to two figures may be attached to the application as a PDF.

CVs for the principal applicant and project members

CVs may be no more than two pages per person. They must contain the following information, in the order shown below:

• Previous funding from the foundation: provide the title and year of award of your previous grant from the foundation.
• PhD: provide the higher education institution, title of your thesis and year in which the degree was awarded.
• Employment: provide your title, higher education institution and dates for your current and previous academic or other relevant positions.
• Supervision: provide the names and actual or expected year of graduation of PhD students you currently supervise or have previously supervised.
• Scientific publications: list your five most relevant scientific publications in addition to your thesis, for example articles, conference abstracts, book chapters or monographs.
• Grants, awards and positions of trust: list up to five relevant grants, awards and positions of trust. Positions of trust may include, for example, membership of a decision-making body at a higher education institution or in another scientific context.
• Organisational and administrative experience: describe any experience of organising and/or administering academic activities outside your own research. Previous experience of organising seminars, conferences or similar activities is of particular interest, but other examples of organisational skills, such as responsibility for a course, may also be included.

 

Language

The application may be written in Swedish or English.

Assessment and funding decision

Applications are assessed by the Academy. The assessment considers the following questions:

• Is the conference programme of high scientific relevance?
• Is there a sufficiently large potential audience for the conference?
• Do the principal applicant and the project group together have the necessary expertise and experience to organise a successful conference?

 

Based on the Academy’s assessment, the board of the Ragnar Söderberg foundation decides which applications will receive funding. Decisions will be made in the fourth quarter of 2026, communicated to all applicants by email and published on the website.