HER-MIND Seed Funding Call for Innovative Pilot Projects in Women’s Mental Health

Specific Aims of the seed funding call

• To support innovative pilot projects within women’s mental health;
• To promote new collaborations across KI, including collaborations across departments, disciplines, and methodological approaches;
• To support early-career researchers and research independence;
• To strengthen and expand the HER-MIND network.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted during the application period from August 17 to September 18 at 17:00. Applicants should submit their completed application as a single PDF file by email to HER-MIND@ki.se.

Please use the following email subject line: HER-MIND Seed Funding Application – [Applicant Name]

What kind of projects are particularly encouraged?

HER-MIND particularly encourages applications for projects that are:

• new or clearly newly defined, rather than extensions of already ongoing PhD, postdoctoral/PI-led projects; and/or
• feasible as a pilot project, with clear activities that can be completed within 24 months; and/or
• positioned for future development, for example toward an ethical application, proof-of-principle data generation, new method, or intervention/treatment, manuscript/publication etc.

Projects that are already fully funded, already underway as part of an existing PhD or postdoctoral project plan, or that do not include a clear new collaborative, or innovative component will be considered less suitable for this call.

Eligibility

The main applicant must be an early-career researcher without an independent position, affiliated with Karolinska Institutet. For this call, early-career researchers include:

• research assistants
• doctoral students
• postdoctoral researchers and research specialists

Master students who are affiliated with a research group but are not formally employed are not eligible to apply.

What can the grant be used for?

The amount granted will be up to 50,000 SEK per year for up to two years. The funding may be used for project-related costs, such as:

• data or ethical application related fees;
• core facility or service costs;
• research time or other limited personnel support;
• travel essential for executing the project;
• meeting, workshop, conference to present preliminary results and develop further collaboration.

Application

Applications must be written in English and submitted as one single PDF file.

1. Project proposal (max 2 pages)

The project proposal should not exceed two A4 pages, including any figure/table and key references. Please use Times New Roman or Arial, 11-point font size, normal margins, and single line spacing.

The project proposal should include the following content:

• Project title
  • Brief background and rationale
  • Aim and/or research question(s)
  • Project plan and method(s)
  • Relevance to the seed funding calls and the scope

2. CV (max 2 pages)

Applicants should provide a short CV including current position, affiliation, education background, key methodological or clinical expertise, and up to five selected publications or outputs if relevant.

3. Budget (max 1 page)

Please list the relevant costs and write a short explanation and justification of the costs you are applying for.

4.A statement of support from group leader or immediate manager (max 1 page)

The statement should confirm

• the applicant’s current affiliation and position at Karolinska Institutet
  • the applicant has support to carry out the proposed project(s) during the proposed period.
  • the proposed project is not funded or part of an existing PhD or postdoctoral project plan.

5. Confirmation statements in the submission emails

Applicants should include the following three confirmation statements in their submission email:

1. The proposed project(s) is not part of an existing PhD or postdoctoral project plan; AND
2. If being shortlisted, I [Applicant name] will attend HER MIND annual meeting and present the proposed project(s) on 18 November. I am aware that if I cannot attend, this may affect my scores throughout the evaluation.
3. I understand that if I leave my KI employment before the end of the two-year grant period, the second-year funding may need to be returned, in accordance with HER-MIND funding rules.
    

Evaluation

Applications will first be checked for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applications will then be assessed in two stages.

Stage 1: Written application review

Written applications will be reviewed and ranked based on the assessment criteria below. 
Reviewers with a conflict of interest will not assess the relevant application.

Assessment criteria emphasizing on the

1. Relevance to the scope of HER-MIND and the seed funding calls
   1. Scientific quality
   2. Novelty and pilot characteristics
   3. Feasibility
   4. Collaborative and interdisciplinary value

Based on the written review, shortlisted applicants will be notified in late October and invited to present their proposal at the HER-MIND annual meeting on 18 November 2026.

Stage 2: Project presentation at the HER-MIND annual meeting

Shortlisted applicants will give an oral presentation and defend their project proposal during the HER-MIND annual meeting on November 18, 2026. The presentation will be assessed together with the written application.

The final funding decision will be made based on the overall assessment of written proposal and oral presentation. To reduce potential bias, HER-MIND may invite external juries, for example from collaborating networks or institutions, to participate in the review or presentation process.

Reporting and dissemination

Awardees will be expected to:

• use the funds within the approved project period;
• acknowledge HER-MIND support in relevant outputs;
• present their project(s) or results in a HER-MIND seminar series or network event during the following year.

Awardees are also expected to engage with HER-MIND activities and contribute to strengthening the network’s research environment in women’s mental health.

Questions

Questions about the call may be directed to: HER-MIND@ki.se