Frequently Asked Questions About Explore 2026

Which organisations may act as administering organisations in this call?

This call has specific requirements for the administering organisation. Only Swedish higher education institutions, certain research institutes and government agencies with a research remit are eligible. The administering organisation must also be approved by Formas for all types of calls when the application is registered.

Who can become an administering organisation? External link.

Why do you impose specific requirements on the administering organisation in this call?

Explore aims to promote innovative research of the highest scientific quality and societal relevance, long-term knowledge development, and internationally outstanding researchers and research environments. The conditions for achieving this vary between organisations. Eligibility to act as an administering organisation is therefore limited to Swedish higher education institutions, certain research institutes and government agencies with a research remit.

What is meant by project participants?

Project participants are the people who contribute to the implementation of the project and whose salaries are funded within the project, either through the grant applied for or as an in-kind contribution. People engaged through purchased services are not considered project participants.

Project participants include, for example, the project leader, participating researchers, doctoral students and other staff. In the budget section of your application, you must specify the role in which each person will participate in the project.

Which roles can I specify for project participants?

In the budget section of your application, you must specify the role in which each person will participate in the project. You can choose from the following roles:

• Project leader. The project leader has overall responsibility for implementing the project. In Prisma, you select the role “Applicant” for the person who is intended as project leader.
• Participating researcher. Select this role for researchers with a doctoral degree who make a substantial contribution to implementing the project.
• Postdoctoral researcher. Use this role if you intend to recruit a postdoctoral researcher to the project.
• Doctoral student. Use this role if you intend to recruit a doctoral student to the project.
• Other staff with a doctoral degree. Use this role for people who contribute to the project, but to a more limited extent than participating researchers. This category may also be used for project participants with a doctoral degree who will be recruited at the start of the project and will not be employed as postdoctoral researchers.
• Other staff without a doctoral degree. Use this role for people who contribute to the project but do not hold a doctoral degree. This may include, for example, research assistants, laboratory assistants and technicians.

Can fully retired people participate in the project?

Fully retired people cannot receive funding for salary costs.

Can someone participate in the project without being paid or included in the budget?

No. To be considered a project participant, the person must be paid for the time they spend working on the project, either through the grant applied for or through funding from their employer, for example as an in-kind contribution. A person who participates without pay cannot therefore be included as a project participant. If the person contributes only on isolated occasions, for example as a reference person or adviser, their involvement may be described in the project description if it is relevant to the implementation of the project.

Can project participants be employed by companies or other organisations engaged in economic activity?

People employed by companies or other organisations engaged in economic activity cannot receive funding under this call. Funding for such people must therefore not be included in the budget for which you are applying. The only exceptions are organisations approved as administering organisations for Explore 2026.

Can people employed by a company or another organisation engaged in economic activity participate in the project if their involvement is funded in kind?

Yes. People who work for and are employed by companies or other organisations engaged in economic activity may participate in the project if their involvement is funded from other sources, for example as an in-kind contribution.

A prospective project participant holds two positions, one at a higher education institution and one at a company. Can funding for this person be requested from Explore?

You may apply for funding for a person who holds multiple positions, provided that 1) at least one of the positions is at an organisation eligible under the call, and 2) the person participates in the project through that position. If a person holds multiple positions, the application must clearly state through which position they will participate in the project.

Can I apply for funding for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers?

Yes, you may apply for funding for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. You may apply for funding for project-related salaries, operating costs, premises costs and indirect costs. Funding may include annual salary increases.

Can I apply for funding for a project participant who has not yet been identified and will be recruited at the start of the project?

Yes, you may apply for funding for a project participant who has not yet been identified and will be recruited at the start of the project. In Prisma, select the appropriate role for the participant, for example doctoral student, postdoctoral researcher or other staff with a doctoral degree. Unnamed project participants cannot have the role of participating researcher.

As with other named project participants, you must describe what the prospective project participant will do in the project and the skills and experience they will need. This should be included in the project description.

What is meant by other staff with a doctoral degree?

Other staff with a doctoral degree are people who contribute to the project to a limited extent. This category may also be used for project participants with a doctoral degree who will be recruited at the start of the project and will not be employed as postdoctoral researchers.

What is meant by other staff without a doctoral degree?

Other staff without a doctoral degree are people who contribute to the project but do not hold a doctoral degree. This may include, for example, research assistants, laboratory assistants and technicians. In Prisma, select the role Other staff without a doctoral degree for these people.

Which role should I select for the project leader in Prisma?

In the budget fields in the English version of Prisma, the project leader is referred to as the “Applicant”. We have reported this inconsistency in terminology to the Prisma development team.

What does it mean to have a career age of at least four years?

Career age is defined here as the time that has elapsed between the date on which a person’s doctoral degree was awarded and the closing date of the call.

To have a career age of at least four years in this call, the project leader must have been awarded their doctoral degree no later than 7 October 2022.

Are periods of parental leave or sick leave deducted from my career age?

In this call, your career age is not affected by parental leave, military service, sick leave or similar circumstances.

Which date should I specify for my doctoral degree: the date of my thesis defence or the date on my degree certificate?

You should specify the date shown on your degree certificate.

What are all the requirements for being a project leader in Explore 2026?

To be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026, you must meet the following requirements:

• You have a career age of at least four years.
• You have a level of activity in the project of at least 20 per cent. This may be funded through the grant applied for, other sources or a combination of the two.
• You will be employed by the administering organisation from the start of the project until the project has been completed and its final report submitted to Formas.

What restrictions apply to project leaders in Explore 2026?

• A project leader may submit no more than one application.
• You may not be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026 if you are the project leader of a project that: 1) is funded under one of Formas’ researcher-initiated calls, and 2) will receive funding payments in 2027. Formas’ researcher-initiated calls comprise Explore, Career Support, the Annual Open Call and Mobility Support. You can find the project’s payment schedule in the terms and conditions, which are available in Prisma.
• You may not be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026 if you have applied for funding under Career Support 2026. If you have applied for funding under Career Support 2026 and wish to be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026, you must withdraw your Career Support 2026 application. If you are the project leader for an application to Explore 2026, you will not be eligible to be the project leader for an application to Career Support 2027.

Do I need to be employed by my administering organisation when I submit my application?

No, you do not need to be employed by your administering organisation when you submit your application. However, you must be employed throughout the project period, including the grant availability period, and until the project’s final report has been submitted to Formas.

I am a visiting researcher. Can I be the project leader?

Yes, you may be the project leader in this call provided that you are employed by an administering organisation eligible under the call throughout the project period, including the grant availability period, and until the project’s final report has been submitted to Formas.

What is a participating researcher?

Participating researcher is a specific role in the application and should not be confused with the broader term project participant. Participating researchers are researchers with a doctoral degree who have actively contributed to preparing the application and whose skills and experience are essential to the successful implementation of the project. Participating researchers contribute to the implementation of the project throughout its duration. People who contribute to a more limited extent or only on isolated occasions should not be added as participating researchers, but should be assigned another role.

Only the project leader and participating researchers may attach an academic profile and CV to the application.

Requirements for participating researchers

• Each application may include no more than four participating researchers.
• Participating researchers must have been awarded a doctoral degree by the closing date of the call.

Can I participate as a participating researcher if I am not employed when the application is submitted?

Yes, you may be a participating researcher even if you are not currently employed. However, you must be employed when the grant period begins and throughout both the grant period and the grant availability period. The application must clearly state which organisation will employ you while you carry out the research to be funded by the grant applied for.

How much funding can I apply for in respect of project participants employed outside Sweden?

A maximum of 15 per cent of the project budget may be used to fund project participants employed outside Sweden. The 15 per cent limit applies as an average over the duration of the project.

Project participants include the project leader, participating researchers, doctoral students and other staff. People engaged through purchased services are not considered project participants.

Any parts of the project carried out by project participants based outside Sweden must be well justified.

Can project participants in other countries be employed by any type of organisation?

Project participants employed outside Sweden must be employed by a university or other higher education institution to receive salary funding through the project. Certain other organisations whose principal activity is research may also be approved. In such cases, contact the call team well before submitting your application.

Why is there a limit on the amount of funding that may be requested for project participants employed outside Sweden?

Formas does not have a clear mandate to disburse research funding to other countries. However, under its government mandate, Formas is tasked with promoting and initiating national and international research collaboration and exchanges of experience. Formas’ areas of responsibility are inherently cross-border, and global collaboration is often required to address sustainability challenges.

We recognise that international participation in research projects can contribute to both greater scientific quality and societal relevance. It may also be necessary to comply with good research practice and can promote the internationalisation of Swedish research. We have therefore chosen to allow some scope within this call for funding project participants based outside Sweden.

The limit itself is not new. A similar limit has been included in the call text for the Annual Open Call since 2019, although it was worded somewhat differently. The limit has also been included in several other calls. For some time, we have recognised a need to clarify what the limit means. We have therefore developed clearer wording that better reflects the scope of action available to us.

Can I purchase services, for example from consultants? How should these costs be reported in the budget?

Yes, research services, technical expertise, consultancy services and equivalent services may be purchased. These must be purchased or licensed from external providers on market terms and used exclusively for the project. In the budget, report such costs as operating costs. Purchased services must be reported excluding VAT. Operating costs must be specified in accordance with the administering organisation’s accounting practices. For purchased services, the budget specification must describe the expertise required and the extent and form of the provider’s involvement.

Is there a limit on the proportion of the budget that may be spent on purchased services, for example consultants?

No, there is no limit on the proportion of the budget that may be spent on purchased services, such as consultants. However, you should be aware that one of the assessment criteria in the call concerns the expertise of the project participants. Consultants are not considered project participants.

Why can I apply only for projects in the areas of the environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning?

This is determined by the Ordinance containing instructions for Formas (2009:1024), which states that Formas is to promote and support basic research and needs-driven research in the areas of the environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning.

My project idea does not fall within a single one of Formas’ areas of responsibility but addresses broader issues. Can I still apply?

Formas’ areas of responsibility should not be regarded as three separate areas. Knowledge needs often concern complex issues at the intersections of the environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning, or cut across these areas. Such issues may concern how people relate to sustainability challenges and how these are expressed in everyday life, cultural practices, organisations and politics – in the past, present and future. They may also concern norms, practices and values at individual, group or system level, or policy instruments, regulatory frameworks and political decisions.

How do I know whether my project falls within Formas’ areas of responsibility?

Formas funds research in all disciplines and combinations of disciplines, provided that the project makes a clear contribution to our areas of responsibility. In some research fields, projects almost inevitably contribute to our areas of responsibility. For example, it is difficult to imagine a climate-modelling project that does not contribute to the environmental area, a project on forestry methods that does not contribute to agricultural sciences, or a project on urban design that does not contribute to spatial planning. In other research fields, projects may or may not contribute to our areas of responsibility, depending on what is studied, how it is studied and why. Political science, microbiology, public health, economics and applied physics are just some examples of research fields that can address issues within our areas of responsibility, but also entirely different issues. This means that, when determining whether a project falls within our areas of responsibility, we must always consider the project itself rather than the research field.

Can you confirm whether my project idea falls within Formas’ areas of responsibility?

No. Whether a project idea falls within Formas’ areas of responsibility is assessed only on the basis of a finalised application. This is partly because we need a complete application to determine the extent and relevance of the contribution. It is also a matter of legal certainty. Before finalising your application, you may make both major and minor changes. If we gave a positive preliminary assessment and you subsequently amended your application, we might need to revise our assessment.

If you are unsure whether your project idea falls within Formas’ areas of responsibility, we recommend asking a colleague to read your application with a constructive and critical eye. You may also contact your organisation’s grants office or equivalent function.

Why can I not apply for funding for technical solutions for sustainable energy?

Formas has limited resources and must use them judiciously in relation to the research funding offered by other government funders. The Swedish Energy Agency has a substantial budget for research and innovation in the energy field and a specific remit to fund the development of technical solutions for a sustainable energy transition. Explore therefore does not fund projects whose main purpose is to develop technical solutions for sustainable energy.

Why can I not apply for funding to put existing research into practice?

Explore is intended to fund innovative research that substantially advances or challenges the existing state of knowledge and creates the conditions for scientific breakthroughs. The call is therefore not intended for projects whose main purpose is to put existing research into practical use. For such projects, Formas has a dedicated call, Effekt! From research to benefit, under which you can apply for funding for activities that help translate research results into, for example, new applications, working methods, products, services, networks or processes. Effekt! is expected to reopen towards the end of 2026.

How do I know whether my project is intended to put existing research into practice?

The distinction between research and the application of research is not always clear-cut. Research aims to generate new knowledge or to advance or challenge the existing state of knowledge. Applying research, by contrast, means using knowledge or solutions that have already been developed, for example to develop, adapt, test, demonstrate or implement something in practice. Whether a project is eligible for funding under Explore depends on its main purpose. A research project may include activities close to application, such as developing or testing a method, model or technology, if these activities are needed to answer the research questions and generate new knowledge. However, if the project’s main purpose is to bring an existing idea or solution closer to practical use, it is not eligible for funding under Explore.

Can I apply for a project lasting, for example, 45 months or 52 months?

No. In this call, the project duration is fixed at 48 months. You cannot apply for a shorter or longer project. The project must be clearly planned to run for the entire project duration, for example by including planned activities and costs in all 48 months.

Can I include annual salary increases when applying for funding for salary costs?

Yes. In the budget, you can enter the salary increase for each year or calculate an average. Clearly describe in the budget specification how you calculated the amount.

Under which cost category should I report fees and reimbursements?

Fees paid to people engaged for a specific, limited assignment who are not project participants should be reported as operating costs, in the same way as other purchased services. In the budget specification, describe the nature and scope of the assignment and how the fee was calculated.

If the payment relates to work carried out by a project participant, the cost must be reported as salary rather than as a fee. You must also follow the administering organisation’s accounting practices.

How do I calculate indirect costs/overheads?

Start by finding out which rules on indirect costs apply to the organisations participating in the project. The rules differ between different types of organisations. You can read more about this under the heading Indirect costs External link..

Next, find out which calculation model each organisation uses and which costs are included in the overhead rate. Costs for premises and IT, for example, should be reported as direct costs only if they are not already included in the indirect costs. Then calculate the indirect costs for each organisation based on the costs incurred there. Explain the calculations in the budget specification and enter the project’s total indirect costs in the budget table. Indirect costs may not be calculated on costs for equipment, depreciation or premises.

Is co-funding required in this call?

No, co-funding is not required in this call.

How detailed should the budget specification be?

Write the budget specification so that someone unfamiliar with the project can understand which costs are included under each budget item, how the amounts have been calculated and why the costs are needed to implement the project. You do not need to report every minor expense, but major costs and costs that may be difficult to interpret should be described and justified.

A clear budget specification helps reviewers assess whether the budget is reasonable and fit for purpose in relation to the project activities. It is also useful if the project is awarded funding and you need to enter into collaboration agreements, monitor the project’s finances or provide documentation for an audit.

Can I be the project leader for applications to both Career Support and Explore?

You may not be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026 if you have applied for funding under Career Support 2026. If you have applied for funding under Career Support 2026 and wish to be the project leader for an application to Explore 2026, you must withdraw your Career Support 2026 application. If you are the project leader for an application to Explore 2026, you will not be eligible to be the project leader for an application to Career Support 2027.

Can I submit the same or a similar application to Explore as I have submitted to another call?

You may submit the same or a similar application to Explore as you have submitted to another call, provided that the application submitted to the other call has not been awarded funding.

If both applications are awarded funding, you may need to withdraw one of them, depending on the degree of overlap between the applications.

However, your application may not include costs for purposes already funded by Formas or another funding body. Applications that are wholly or substantially the same as an application awarded funding by Formas or another funding body may be rejected.

We do not allow changes to applications once they have been finally registered. In other words, you cannot amend your application to Explore to reduce its overlap with another application.

In addition, the total amount of salary funding awarded for an individual researcher, doctoral student or other member of staff may never exceed 100 per cent of a full-time position. This also means that a person whose salary is fully funded by a funding body throughout the project period cannot receive additional salary funding.

Can I be the project leader for more than one application to Explore?

You may only be the project leader for one application to Explore.

Can I be a participating researcher in more than one application to Explore?

Yes, you may be a participating researcher in more than one application. However, the total salary funding awarded through projects funded by Formas or other funding bodies may not exceed 100 per cent of a full-time position.

Can I be the main applicant for one application and a participating researcher in another application to Explore?

Yes, you may be the main applicant for one application and a participating researcher in one or more other applications to Explore.

Which project grants make me ineligible to be the project leader in Explore 2026?

You may not be the project leader in this call if you are the project leader of an ongoing project funded under one of Formas’ researcher-initiated calls and whose grant period includes 2027.

Formas’ researcher-initiated calls comprise:

• Mobility Support for Early-Career Researchers.
• The Annual Open Call.
• Career Support for Early-Career Researchers.
• Explore – Formas’ open call for research projects.

Applications whose project leader has an ongoing project funded under one of Formas’ researcher-initiated calls and whose grant period includes 2027 will be rejected on formal grounds.

How do I find out whether my project is ongoing?

A project is considered ongoing during its grant period, that is, during the years in which Formas disburses funding. Information about the grant period is provided in the Approval of Terms and Conditions document received by the main applicant in Prisma when the grant decision was issued.

If the project’s grant period includes one or more payments in 2027, the project is considered ongoing in relation to Explore 2026.

To find the Approval of Terms and Conditions document in Prisma:

1. Go to the Applications and grants tab in your Prisma account.
2. In the menu on the left, click Grants.
3. Under Approved applications, open the relevant project by clicking View.
4. Under the heading Signing, download the Approval of Terms and Conditions document by clicking the Download

My project’s grant availability period includes 2027. Can I be the project leader in Explore 2026?

A project is considered ongoing during its grant period, that is, during the years in which Formas disburses funding. If the project’s grant period has ended but its grant availability period continues into 2027, you may be the project leader in the call.

Can I extend my project’s grant availability period and still be the project leader in Explore 2026?

Extending a project’s grant availability period does not affect its grant period and therefore does not affect whether you may be the project leader.

What is the rationale behind the different sections of the project description?

The project description is divided into four sections corresponding to the call’s four assessment criteria. This structure helps you clearly set out the information reviewers need to assess the project’s different qualities. However, the sections should not be read as standalone texts. Together, they should form a coherent description of what the project aims to achieve, why it is needed, how it will be carried out and what significance the results may have.

The description begins with the project’s purpose and objectives and the knowledge it aims to develop or challenge. You then describe and justify the scientific approach that will make it possible to achieve the objectives, including relevant research ethics considerations. The next section explains how the approach will be put into practice through a realistic implementation plan and how the project participants, resources and activities meet the project’s needs. Finally, you describe how the expected results may contribute to impacts and societal benefit, as well as the activities and target groups that may support this development.

All sections therefore need to be connected. It should be possible to follow how the project’s objectives underpin the scientific approach and implementation plan, and how these in turn lead to the expected results and potential societal benefit. Clear links between the sections help reviewers assess both each criterion individually and whether the project as a whole is well justified, feasible and appropriately designed.

What is the difference between the scientific approach and the implementation plan?

The scientific approach describes and justifies the project’s scientific foundations, for example the choice of theory, methods, empirical material and context. The implementation plan instead describes how the scientific approach will be put into practice through the project’s activities.

In some disciplines and projects, it may feel less natural to distinguish between the scientific approach and its practical implementation. However, making this distinction helps reviewers assess both whether the project’s scientific choices are well founded and whether the project has a feasible plan.

How can I describe research ethics considerations?

Research ethics are relevant to all types of research, but the issues that need to be addressed will vary between projects. You should therefore consider the specific purpose, scientific approach, implementation, expected results and potential uses of your project.

Consider whether the project may affect people, animals, the environment, communities, cultural heritage or other values and interests. Ethical issues may arise, for example, from:

• the choice of research questions, theories, methods, materials, cases or contexts;
• which people, groups, places or perspectives are included or excluded;
• how participation, consent, privacy, confidentiality and power relations are managed;
• how data, materials, samples, models or other information are collected, used, stored, shared and made available;
• risks of physical, psychological, social, economic, cultural or environmental harm;
• how the research results may be interpreted, used or misused; and
• conflicts of interest, relationships of dependency or other circumstances that may affect the conduct and credibility of the research.

Describe only the research ethics issues that are genuinely relevant to the project, rather than attempting to cover everything. For each relevant issue, you can then briefly describe:

• what the ethical issue involves;
• which people, groups, values or interests may be affected;
• what positive and negative consequences may arise;
• which interests need to be balanced against each other; and
• how the project has been designed to prevent or reduce risks and address any remaining dilemmas.

It is not sufficient to state that the project will comply with laws, guidelines or good research practice. If a risk cannot be eliminated entirely, explain why it is nevertheless justifiable and what safeguards are planned.

If you conclude that the project does not raise any significant research ethics issues, you should still briefly describe the aspects you have considered and explain the basis for your assessment. The level of detail should reflect the significance of the issues and the nature of the project.

What is the difference between research ethics considerations and ethical approvals?

In the Ethical approvals field, state which formal approvals the project requires. In the project description, provide a broader discussion of the research ethics issues, trade-offs and dilemmas that the project may give rise to.

Formal ethical approvals cover only some of the research ethics issues that may need to be considered when a project is designed and carried out. A project may therefore require research ethics considerations and measures even if no formal ethical approval is needed.

My project is basic research. Why do I need to consider research ethics?

Research ethics issues may arise in all research, whether basic or applied. Even if the project has no immediate practical application, ethical issues may arise from how the research is designed and carried out, which data, materials, methods or models are used, and how the results may be interpreted, disseminated or used in the longer term.

For example, basic research on biological mechanisms may raise questions about the handling of samples, animal experiments or the future use of the results. Research that develops models or algorithms may need to consider the assumptions and data embedded in them, whether they risk producing misleading or unfair results, and how they may subsequently be used. Historical or social science research may need to consider how people, groups, places or cultural heritage are represented, even when the research involves no direct contact with participants. Research on new materials, substances or technologies may need to consider potential risks to people or the environment, even if practical application is still a long way off.

Considering research ethics does not mean that the project must have identified ethical problems or require formal ethical approval. The purpose is to show that you have considered which ethical issues may be relevant to your particular project and how they will be addressed. If you conclude that the project does not raise any significant research ethics issues, you should briefly describe what you have considered and explain the basis for your assessment.

How can I describe the project’s contribution to society?

Research can contribute to society in many different ways. The contribution may be direct or indirect and may arise in the short or long term. For some projects, the results may have a clear practical application, for example by influencing methods, technology, decision-making, policy or working practices. For other projects, the contribution may primarily consist of new knowledge, perspectives, concepts, data or methods that, in the longer term, create the conditions for further research and future societal change. You should therefore tailor the description to the focus of the project and be clear about the type of contribution that can reasonably be expected.

Start from the project’s expected results, as described in the Novelty and originality section, and describe:

• Outcomes: the changes to which the results may contribute in the short and long term, for example in knowledge, perspectives, behaviour, decisions, policy, practice or further research;
• Societal benefit and impact: which parts of society may benefit from the outcomes, in what ways, and how this may contribute to sustainable development; and
• Conditions: which assumptions, actors, resources, decisions or other circumstances need to be in place for the results to contribute to the described outcomes and potential societal benefit and impact.

It may be helpful to distinguish between what the project is expected to achieve during the project period and what it may contribute to in the longer term together with other actors and processes. The project does not need to be capable of delivering the described societal benefit and impact on its own. Instead, describe the project’s possible contribution without exaggerating or presenting uncertain outcomes as certain.

Activities intended to support the pathway to societal benefit and impact should be tailored to the project’s nature, stage of development and target groups. These might include making publications, data, methods or materials accessible; integrating participatory processes into the project; engaging in dialogue with relevant groups; collaborating with researchers or societal actors; communicating research; or otherwise creating the conditions for the results to be tested, developed further or used. Not all projects need to use the same types of activities.

Do not describe only which activities will be carried out, but also why they are relevant. For each activity, you can clarify which target group it is intended for, which need it addresses and how it may increase the likelihood that the project’s results will be put to use. Target groups may be found both within and outside academia and may be relevant at different stages of the project.

Be as specific as the current state of knowledge allows. If the pathway to societal benefit and impact is long, indirect or uncertain, it is better to state this openly and discuss possible development pathways and the conditions required than to exaggerate what the project may lead to. The description should show that you have considered how the project’s results may become significant, not that you can predict every future outcome.

My project is basic research. Describing its potential contribution to society would be purely speculative.

We understand that it can be difficult to describe a potential contribution to society when the future use of the research is uncertain or lies far in the future. You are not expected to predict exactly what outcomes the project will have or to promise that a particular societal benefit and impact will arise.

Instead, start from the knowledge, understanding, method, model, data or other results that the project may generate. Explain which further steps the results could enable, such as new research questions, the further development or testing of methods, changed perspectives, or a stronger evidence base for future decisions and applications. Also describe which actors or parts of society may benefit from this in the longer term and which additional efforts, decisions or circumstances would be required.

Be clear about what constitutes a well-founded possibility and what remains uncertain. A credible description may therefore include several possible development pathways and explain why the links cannot be established in advance. What matters is showing that you have reflected on the research’s potential significance, rather than claiming that the project alone will bring about a particular societal change.

My project involves substantial scientific risk-taking. How can I describe its potential contribution to society in a relevant way?

Scientific risk-taking means that the project’s outcomes or impact may be more uncertain than in more established research. You are therefore not expected to present societal benefit and impact as certain. Instead, describe the possible contributions that could follow if the project succeeds and explain why they would be significant.

Start from the results that the project may generate and discuss the new possibilities they could open up. For example, the project may test an unproven idea or challenge established assumptions, open up a new field of research or create a new direction within an existing field. It may also develop a method, model, technology or conceptual framework on which others can build, or produce unexpected results that change the understanding of a problem. Even if a promising approach proves unsuccessful, the results may be valuable by helping researchers or other actors avoid less promising avenues.

You may wish to describe several possible development pathways and distinguish between what is likely, possible and more uncertain. Also explain which further steps, actors or conditions would be needed for the results to contribute to outcomes and societal benefit and impact in the longer term.

Results that do not confirm the project’s hypotheses or lead to the expected solution may also be valuable. What matters is showing why the knowledge the project may generate is relevant and how the project’s potential significance relates to the scientific risk-taking involved.

What is an academic profile?

In the academic profile, you describe your knowledge, experience and achievements in greater detail and explain how they are relevant to the proposed project. The academic profile serves as a bridge between the project description and the more traditional CV.

How much detail should I include in the academic profile?

It is up to you to decide how much detail to include. One useful approach is to put yourself in the reviewers’ position and consider how much detail they need to assess whether you have the expertise required to carry out the project successfully. Too little detail may make it difficult to understand your expertise, knowledge and experience. Too much detail may cause the key information to become lost among less relevant information.

Why has Formas introduced an academic profile as part of the application?

The way in which applicants describe their knowledge, experience and achievements must be fit for purpose in relation to the aims and objectives of the call. The decision to use an academic profile was based on the following considerations:

• Formas funds research across a wide range of disciplines and fields. Different disciplines and research fields produce different types of results, have different publication practices and use different systems for recognising academic achievement. To create equitable conditions, applicants need to be able to decide for themselves which experience, contributions and achievements they wish to highlight, and in what order.
• The ongoing movement towards, and transition to, an open science system requires new forms of research assessment that recognise the full range of outputs and contributions that research and innovation can produce. These may include different types of publications, knowledge exchange and education, open data, patents, contributions to policy or other forms of knowledge utilisation. Applicants therefore need to be able to describe a diverse range of outputs and contributions on an equal footing.
• The expertise of the project participants must be assessed in relation to the proposed project. Applicants therefore need to be able to describe and explain how the experience, contributions and achievements cited are relevant to the proposed project.

What is the difference between describing expertise in the project description, the academic profile and the CV?

The project description, academic profile and CV complement one another. The project description should make it easy for reviewers to identify the expertise within the project team and understand how it will contribute to the implementation of the project. The academic profile and CV focus on individuals. Here, the project leader and any participating researchers describe their expertise and experience in greater detail. This gives reviewers a clearer picture of the key individuals and the extent to which they have the expertise and experience needed to carry out the project.

• Project description. Here, you describe how the combined expertise of the project team meets the requirements for carrying out the project. For project participants who are neither the project leader nor participating researchers, this is the only place where you can describe their expertise. For project participants who have not yet been identified, for example if a doctoral student will be recruited, describe the expertise that the person will contribute to the project.
• Academic profile. Here, the project leader and participating researchers describe their respective expertise and experience in greater detail. Where possible, provide specific examples and refer to relevant achievements and/or publications included in the CV section.
• CV. Here, the project leader and participating researchers add relevant achievements and publications. These provide supporting evidence for the expertise and experience described in the academic profile and project description. In the CV, you can include information about education and employment. You can also add up to ten achievements and up to ten publications. Achievements may include documented experience of collaboration, open science, research communication, project management, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work, supervision of doctoral students, and similar activities. Publications may include scientific articles, reports, books or other types of publication.

May I attach a letter of support?

You may not attach letters of support. Instead, by signing the application in Prisma, the administering organisation confirms that it undertakes to host and administer the project if the application is awarded funding.

May I attach a figure showing the project process?

You may attach a figure showing the project process if it is needed to make the project design understandable.

May I attach a graphical abstract?

You may not attach a graphical abstract. Attachments may be used only for visual material needed to make your project idea understandable. Visual material includes figures, diagrams, photographs and maps. You must refer to the visual material in the project description. Applications with attachments containing forms of information other than visual material may be rejected on formal grounds.

What may I attach?

Attachments may be used only for visual material needed to make your project idea understandable. Visual material includes figures, diagrams, photographs and maps. You must refer to the visual material in the project description. Any figure captions must be very brief and may only describe the figure; they must not add new information.

What happens if I attach forms of information other than those permitted?

Applications with attachments containing information other than permitted visual material may be rejected on formal grounds. This rule ensures that all applicants have the same amount of space in which to present their application and that applications can be assessed on an equal basis.

What is Weave?

Weave is a European collaboration that enables applicants to seek funding for joint research projects involving participants from several countries through a single application. The application is submitted to a lead funding organisation, while the other participants are funded by their respective national funding organisations.

Weave – simplified funding for projects involving participants from several countries External link.

Is Explore part of Weave?

Yes, Explore is part of Weave.

Can I be the project leader for both a Weave application and another application to Explore 2026?

No. You may be the project leader for only one application to Explore, regardless of whether or not you are applying for a Weave project.

Does the limit for international participants also apply to Weave projects?

Yes. The limit on the proportion of the project budget that may be used for project participants employed in other countries also applies to Weave projects. The specific terms and conditions for Weave describe how funding is distributed between the participating funding organisations, but do not change the budget rules that apply to the part of the project funded by Formas.

How will the review panels be formed?

For Explore 2026, we will create the review panels inductively, also known as a bottom-up approach, based on the applications received.

Why are you forming the review panels inductively, using a bottom-up approach?

One reason is to create better conditions for assessing projects at the intersection of different fields of knowledge and subject areas. Another is that the previous review panels did not adequately represent the breadth of research within Formas’ areas of responsibility. A third is to avoid structures that could both steer and constrain research. Creating the review panels inductively allows them to be better aligned with the research frontier.

What will the success rate be for Explore 2026?

The success rate for Explore 2026 will depend on the number of applications submitted in relation to the budget available for the call. Based on data from previous years, we expect the success rate for Explore 2026 to be approximately seven per cent.

What is partial randomisation?

Partial randomisation is a method for selecting which applications will receive funding, in which some applications are selected at random. Partial randomisation has been developed as a way of addressing or mitigating the challenges and limitations associated with peer review.

Why do you use partial randomisation specifically in Explore?

In Explore, the number of excellent applications is considerably greater than the number that can be awarded funding. This means that many of the applications that would have been discussed at a panel meeting under Formas’ standard process are of such high and comparable quality that it is difficult to rank them fairly and reliably. The comparison is made even more difficult by the fact that the applications come from many different research fields.

When small or uncertain differences in quality are nevertheless used to rank applications, there is a greater risk that the outcome will be influenced by uncontrolled chance and different forms of conscious or unconscious bias. It also becomes difficult for reviewers to explain clearly why one application should be prioritised over another. Partial randomisation makes the selection more transparent and predictable by giving applications assessed as being of comparable quality the same chance of being awarded funding.

How do you use partial randomisation in Explore?

The call text provides an overview of how partial randomisation is used in Explore. Read more under How your application is assessed in the call text.

More detailed information is available in the process description for Explore 2025. It also explains the background to the development work and the considerations underpinning the design of the process.

Process description for Explore 2025 External link.

What does partial randomisation mean for me as an applicant?

For you as an applicant, partial randomisation does not change how you should write your application. The application is reviewed by experts and scored against the assessment criteria for the call. Randomisation applies only to applications that, following peer review, have been assessed as being of high and comparable quality. If your application is included in this group, it has the same chance of being awarded funding as the other applications in the group.

Why do you not use partial randomisation in all calls?

In other calls, the limitations of peer review do not create the same challenges as they do in Explore. This may be because the call is targeted and the applications are more similar to one another, because the number of applications is smaller, or because novelty and risk-taking are not central factors.