External research funding
Research accounts for 84% of Karolinska Institutet's annual revenue, and in 2019 the income for the research area amounted to nearly SEK 6 billion. The largest financial contributions, except government base-funding, come from the Swedish Research Council, Region Stockholm and the EU. Among private financiers, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Wallenberg Foundations and AstraZeneca are the largest contributors. Some 65% of the research funding come from external funders.
Swedish foundations
Swedish foundations
A number of Swedish foundations are contributing largely to different research projects at KI. The most important of these private contributors are the Swedish Cancer Society and the Wallenberg Foundations.
Funding from the EU
Funding from the EU
The European Union is the most important international funding organisation for research at KI, which in turn is one of the largest recepient of European funding in the field of health research.
US research funding
US research funding
US and international funding supports many research projects at Karolinska Institutet. In 2019, almost SEK 100 million was obtained from US federal agencies, including the NIH.
Strategic research areas
Strategic research areas
The strategic research areas are efforts by the Swedish government in certain selected areas. KI has received funding for six of seven research fields: stem cells, diabetes, neuroscience, cancer, epidemiology and care sciences.
News on funding awarded to KI
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EUR 19 million in ERC Synergy Grants
EUR 19 million in ERC Synergy Grants
Two research projects at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded synergy grants from the European Research Council (ERC). In total, the researchers and their international partners were awarded about EUR 19 million (SEK 209 million) over a six-year period for studies that aim to widen our understanding of disease-causing fat cells and unlock new cancer treatments.
Generous EU support to research projects
Generous EU support to research projects
Karolinska Institutet did well in the latest call for funding within the health programme under Horizon2020. In all, 20 research projects that are either coordinate at KI or in which our researchers participate have been granted funding for a total sum of SEK 170 milion.
Celebrating 100 years: The story about KAW's awakening interest in KI
Celebrating 100 years: The story about KAW's awakening interest in KI
In its pursuit of excellence and pursuing long-term goals, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation has awarded billions of Swedish kroner to researchers at Karolinska Institutet over the years.
"Junk DNA" could be gold
Previously, researchers considered that non-coding RNA was a junk DNA that had no significance because it did not create any proteins. It has since been found that it may prove to be gold in the fight of cancer. KI researcher Claudia Kutter is one of the researchers who is studying non-coding RNA. View a video from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Better medicines and vaccines
Disease-causing viruses and bacteria challenging body's immune system are a major health problem. Carmen Gerlach at KI explores how our immune system works, focusing on the T-cells which she hopes will be able to provide puzzle pieces for better vaccines and medicines. This video is produced by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.