This is the seventh call for Research Pairs projects within Digital Futures. Researchers from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm University and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) are eligible to apply for funding under this call.
About Digital Futures
Digital Futures is a cross-disciplinary research centre that explores and develops digital technologies to address major societal challenges in Sweden and globally. We generate knowledge, innovations, and future leaders of high industrial relevance and strategic importance. Today the centre involves twelve partners across the three sectors: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, AstraZeneca, City of Stockholm, Ericsson, Hitachi Energy, Region Stockholm, Saab, Scania, Skanska, and Xylem. This partnership forms the foundation of a vibrant ecosystem where scientific knowledge, innovation, and societal needs intersect. Find out more about Digital Futures here.
Digital Futures’ research is organised around its Research Matrix, which contains four societal contexts: Smart Society, Digitalised Industry, Rich and Healthy Life, and Educational Transformation, and three core scientific themes: Trust, Cooperation, and Learn.
Purpose
The Research Pairs Projects call supports early-career researchers in forming new collaborations with strong potential to grow into impactful scientific work within 3–5 years. This initiative empowers emerging digital leaders by giving them the opportunity, resources, and visibility to shape the future of digitalization.These individuals are expected to actively engage and contribute to various initiatives within Digital Futures.
Projects should demonstrate strong scientific quality, originality, and an interdisciplinary approach. The research question must include a digitalization component and align with the Digital Futures Research Matrix by addressing at least one research theme and one societal context. More information about these areas can be found at: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/
Eligibility
- The researchers in the pair should belong to either i) two different KTH schools, ii) KTH and RISE1/SU. iii) RISE/SU Important: Researchers can serve as PIs or co-PIs on only one proposal. Researchers who have previously been PI or co-PI in a Research Pairs project are not eligible to apply for this call.
- Each applicant needs to have obtained a doctoral degree not more than 12 years ago2 at the time of the submission deadline 2026-06-09, have 80% employment or more at KTH, SU, or RISE (Division of Digital Systems in the Stockholm region) with one of the following positions: Assistant professor,associate professor, full professor, or permanent full-time Researcher (”tillsvidareanställning”).
Researchers do not need to be Digital Futures faculty when applying but will become Digital Futures faculty if the project is funded.
1Researchers employed by RISE Digital Systems Division in the Stockholm area are eligible to apply.
2 The eligibility period set out above can be extended beyond 12 years for certain circumstances such as parental leave, clinical training, long-term illness, or national service. Please indicate those in your CV.
Project duration and maximum funding
Up to five projects will be selected. The duration of the projects is two years with a maximum funding of 2 MSEK per project (1 MSEK per project year). The budget must be split equally between the two PIs (500 KSEK per calendar year per PI). The amount applied for must not exceed the maximum funding for a project in this call. Stockholm University will fund up to 2 PIs.
Applicable Funding Policy for Digital Futures Faculty
Researchers can be involved in several projects under different instruments, but within Digital Futures, the funding per PI is limited to 1 MSEK/year. Hence, funding that you may have received under the current Digital Futures instruments Flagship projects, Research pairs, Research pairs Consolidator, Demonstrator projects, and Seed Projects will be taken into consideration. Funding from Digital Futures to Societal Innovation Projects, and Industrial Innovation Projects, is included, but not the part from partners. Digital Futures Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows projects, ISPP postdoc Projects and C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute projects are not considered.
How to apply
- Fill in the application according to the Template below.
- Create an account on the application submission system and register the application stating the title, PIs and a short abstract by the registration deadline 2026-06-02 using this link: https://crp.dsv.su.se/research-pairs-26/
- Complete the application including uploading the project description to the submission system before the call deadline 2026-06-09, using the same link as in step 2.
Evaluation
The project proposals will be evaluated by an external international expert panel. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
- Scientific quality and originality of the proposed research: Quality, originality, and potential impact of the project proposal to make significant contributions to the field and advance the state-of-the-art.
- Merits of the applicants: Applicants’ scientific track-record and their relevant background for the proposed research project. This includes education, relevant work experience, publication record, as well as earlier research projects and other scientific achievements.
- Degree of interdisciplinarity and composition of the research pair: The team brings together diverse competences to address the proposed research challenges.
- Feasibility of the project: For example, feasible goals, work plan, budget and resources.
- Conformity to the scope of Digital Futures: The project addresses at least one thematic area and societal context area in the Digital Futures Research Matrix.
The evaluation will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the evaluators independently grade the project proposals according to the criteria. Based on the outcome, the top proposals will be invited to the phase 2 hearing, where the applicants present their projects and answer questions by the evaluation panel. After the hearing, the panel finalises their ranking and recommends a set of projects for funding.
Based on the evaluation and available funding, the DF Executive committee compiles a funding proposal on how many of the top project proposals to fund. The funding proposal is then sent to the DF Governing Board and the KTH President for decisions in that order.
Contact
Contact call@digitalfutures.kth.se for further questions. Please include “Research Pairs 2026” in the subject of your email.