Call for planning grants 2026

The Centre for Welfare Studies (CVS, for its Swedish name, Centrum för välfärdsstudier) is a research centre for contemporary welfare issues. Its activities are interdisciplinary, university-wide, and take place in collaboration with external actors. With a special focus on governance, organisation, and management, current challenges and opportunities facing the welfare society are analysed. With the goal of developing expertise and increasing the proportion of external funding at CVS and the University of Borås, the centre has recurring calls offering planning grants.

The planning grant allows for researchers at the University of Borås to write an application to at least two external research councils and/or research funders during 2026.

Conditions

The planning grant comprises SEK 125,000 including overhead costs. The applications to research funders will thus be produced during 2026.

Grants can be applied for by researchers at the University of Borås. A condition for obtaining a grant is that the project accommodates collaboration outside the original research environment, i.e. between different Faculties/centres/platforms at the University of Borås, or collaboration with another higher education institution or other external organisation.

The projects are to deal with the governance, management, and organisation of welfare in a broad sense and be within one of CVS's three focus areas:

• Cross-sectoral collaboration
• Skills supply in welfare
• The challenges and opportunities of digitalisation

Read more about CVS's three focus areas

Additional conditions:

• Normally, the support must not lead to a reduction in the applicant's time for professional development.
• The funds do not cover premises costs.
• In the first instance, CVS also wants the research funder to provide full financing. If this is not the case, the matter is to be discussed with the Director of CVS and opportunities for co-financing are to be explored.
• Funds are not given for writing two so-called outline applications.
• At least one of the applications to the funders must consist of a full application.
• Applicants who receive planning grants must, after the research funders have announced their decisions, report this in writing to CVS, and send a copy of the applications to research funders to CVS. 

Format

Planning grant applications are to be one page long (max. 4,500 characters incl. spaces) as well as a summary (max. 1,000 characters incl. spaces).

The application is to be accompanied by the following:

• a brief description of the project stating the purpose, implementation, societal relevance, the research group's competences, partners and intended research funders (justified in relation to the focus and purpose of the application)
• a timetable for the submission of the application
• a page with the project manager's CV where the social security number should not be stated (max. 2,000 characters incl. spaces). 

Mark your application with the reference number FO2025/223.

Summary, application and CV are to be merged into one document and sent to cvs@hb.se, by 24 November.

Assessment

The application is assessed by CVS's steering group, which meets in December. The application will be assessed by a jury and the assessment will be focused on the possibility of obtaining external funding and the project's relevance in relation to CVS focus areas. Applications that do not follow the instructions will not be assessed.

After the grant has been awarded

After the grant has been awarded, a conditional appendix is signed between the project manager and their Faculty/department and CVS regarding the funds and their conditions.

Applicants who receive planning grants must, after the research funders have informed them of their decisions, report this in writing to CVS. This is to be done via a special form provided by CVS. Applicants must also send a copy of the applications to research funders to CVS.

During this year, the researchers who receive planning grants are invited to CVS research workshops, which provide a supportive forum so that the application that is being developed is in line with CVS's main issues and focus areas. Those who receive planning grants are encouraged to turn to the Grants and Innovation Office (GIO) for review and discussion of the application.