Call for funding - SFO Stem cells and Regenerative medicine 2023-2024

The call is closed.

Areas of support

The SFO will support researchers, research programs and infrastructure at the Karolinska Institutet (KI) with or without collaboration with the health care system based on scope, quality, and the potential to strengthen and develop the field. 

2023-2024 calls

The SFO for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine has decided to allocate up to 24 million SEK for 12 research grants according to the same strategy as for previous years. Research grants will be allocated for 2023 but depending on governmental and university decisions successful applicants may be awarded grants for a second year (2024) without new application. Previous and currently supported infrastructures and researchers from SFO Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine are presented here.

This year’s call encompasses basic and clinical research grants. Due to regulations, research grants for this period will be distributed 2023, with a disposition time until 31 Dec 2024. If a second year is granted, the disposition time will end 31 Dec 2025. The exact number of research grants per category will depend on the number of submitted applications, and quality of the applications.

Research grants

The SFO will during 2023 support up to 6 junior research grants and up to 5 senior research grants for projects within the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. The senior research grants are open to all candidates and the junior research grants are open to candidates up to 12 years after obtaining their PhD. Applicants should be affiliated 100% at KI and/or the Stockholm County Council (SLL) at the time of starting the project. Applicants who received research grants from this SFO with a disposition right including 2023 are not eligible to apply.

Eligible projects will be supported with a total of 2 MSEK/year. Research grants can be used to cover salaries, running costs, equipment and administrative costs. Indirect costs for the research project specified in the application must not exceed the INDI level at the receiving department. A researcher is limited to submit only one application for a research grant or a clinical research grant.

Clinical research grants

The SFO will during 2023 support up to 5 clinical-translational research grants for projects within the area of stem cells, regenerative medicine and cellular therapies. The call is open to all candidates. These research grants aim at supporting clinically active physicians, who have both an MD and a PhD degree and are affiliated 100% to SLL and KI at the time of starting the project. During the period of research support, the applicant should perform clinical work corresponding at least 20% of full time and be employed as “ST läkare” or specialist at a clinical department within SLL. Examples encompass, however are not restricted to, clinical trials, development of ATMP products or other essential steps for planned clinical trials, correlative biological studies for clinical trials and diagnostic and biomarker studies, all with relevance for the field.

Eligible projects will be supported with a total of 2 MSEK/year. Research grants can be used to cover salaries, running costs, equipment and administrative costs. Indirect costs for the research project specified in the application must not exceed the INDI level at the receiving institution. A researcher is limited to submit only one application for a research grant or a clinical research grant.

Relevance for the field – who can apply?
Research on stem cell biology is important for understanding normal development, homeostasis, and physiological as well as pathological cell turn over. Advancing our knowledge about these processes is critical within regenerative medicine and tissue engineering aiming to develop strategies for regrowing, repairing or replacing damaged cells/tissues/organs/body parts by endogenous or transplanted cells and to treat malignant conditions. Research projects with relevance within the broadly defined areas of stem cells and regenerative medicine are eligible.

Applicants involved in research programs with relevance for the above-described fields are welcome to submit an application. PIs in the process of being recruited to KI or KS and who will be employed within 2023 are also eligible but will require a detailed letter of support by the chair of the receiving department and / or clinical department.

More information for the application can be found here.