Purpose
Digital Futures postdoc fellowships aim to support talented early-career international researchers in pursuing their research ideas within a new research group and institution. As this is a mobility programme, the emphasis is on early-career researchers moving to a new institution to continue their research.
We highly welcome international applicants from institutions worldwide who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctorate.
Background
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.
Digital Futures Research Matrix
What the call offers
- The opportunity to conduct research in a new research group at a leading university of institute within the Digital Futures environment, fostering knowledge and expertise for a sustainable future.
- 2.4 million SEK toward salary costs for two years for each employed postdoc fellow. Funds will be transferred to the main supervisor responsible for employing the postdoc fellow.
- Access to Digital Futures’ resources, its network of academic and industrial partners, infrastructure and testbeds, events, and happenings.
- Mentorship and support in career development and research leadership education.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the HotCRP system. Each applicant can submit a maximum of one application.
Required application documents: Please note that uncomplete applications and/or applications that exceed the page limit will not be considered for evaluation.
- Abstract (≤ 300 words): A brief, public-friendly overview describing the proposed research activities, objectives, methods, and potential outcomes.
- Proposal of research activities: Should include research questions, objectives, methodology, and significance for the field and Digital Futures. Use clear language for reviewers from various disciplines. (max 2 pages, excluding references. Font type Times New Roman, Font Size 11, normal margins). More information about the Digital Futures research matrix can be found here: Digital Futures research matrix
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailing publications, relevant professional experience and expertise. (max 2 pages, excluding references. Font type Times New Roman, Font Size 11, normal margins).
- Research statement: Describing past and current research. (max 1 page, excluding references. Font type Times New Roman, Font Size 11, normal margins).
- Study certificates
- Copy of the PhD Diploma or certificate
- If the doctoral degree has not yet been obtained, you must submit: 1) Master’s degree diplomas and transcripts. 2) Certificate stating the year of enrollment in your PhD studies and the expected graduation date.
Translations into English or Swedish, if the original documents have not been issued in these languages, are mandatory.
Submission site link: https://crp.dsv.su.se/df-postdoc-call/
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must have:
- A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree. If you have had periods of leave (e.g., illness, parental leave), please indicate this in your CV. The doctoral degree must be awarded before starting the postdoc fellowship, which is expected to commence between January 2027 and June 2027.
- International experience, such as studying or working at a university outside Sweden.
Evaluation process
Applications will be evaluated based on:
- Applicant’s qualifications and international research experience
- Scientific quality and feasibility of the proposed research
- Alignment with the Digital Futures research programme
Evaluation guiding questions can be found here:
Evaluation stages
Stage 1 – Nomination
To move to the next stage, a postdoc application must receive nominations from two researchers affiliated with KTH, Stockholm University, or RISE.
- After submission, researchers from KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE will be invited to review and nominate applications.
- A researcher who nominates an application agrees to supervise the postdoc fellow if the application is successful.
- For this call, only KTH and Stockholm University1 faculty members can be main supervisors. Faculty at KTH, Stockholm University, or RISE Digital Systems division in Stockholm can be co-supervisors.
- Faculty members can nominate one postdoc applicant as a main supervisor and one as a co-supervisor, or two postdocs as co-supervisors.
1 Stockholm University will fund up to two postdoc fellowships
Important: Main supervisors of postdocs who were successful in the last round (Autumn 2025) CANNOT nominate applications as main supervisors in this round.
Any researcher nominating postdoc fellows should either already be a Digital Futures faculty member or meet the eligibility criteria to become one. Researchers at KTH, SU, and the RISE Digital Systems Division who are interested in supervising a postdoctoral fellow but are not yet Digital Futures faculty members should contact postdoc-call@digitalfutures.kth.se to ensure they have the opportunity to nominate applicants.
Postdoc applicants can contact and discuss their applications with potential supervisors, that can be contacted through the Digital Futures Faculty members page that can be found here: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/about/people/
Stage 2 – Review and Ranking
- Candidates with at least two nominations advance to Stage 2, where their proposals will be evaluated by a committee of faculty members from KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE. The evaluation will follow national and international standards.
Stage 3 – Employment
Funding decisions will be announced in June 2026. Employment procedures will begin thereafter at the school of the main supervisor. Digital Futures is not involved in the employment process and cannot answer questions about employment conditions.
Information and data handling
- All submitted proposals and personal data will be handled per national and international regulations.
- Documents will only be accessible to authorized staff at KTH, Stockholm University, and RISE involved in the evaluation process.
- Stockholm University will store proposals for up to 6 months after the submission deadline. KTH will store proposals for up to a year. Successful proposals are stored for up to 6 months after the end of the fellowship.
- Candidates may withdraw their application at any time upon request.
Contact & Questions
For further questions, contact:
Claudia Enciso (Operations Team, Digital Futures)
Sandra Pauletto (Associate Director, Mobility, Digital Futures)
by mail sent to postdoc-call@digitalfutures.kth.se