Open call: ISPP Postdoc Projects
This is the fourth call for Industrial and Societal Partnership Program (ISPP) Postdoc Projects within Digital Futures.
Important dates
- Call opens: 15 March 2024
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 3 June 2024
- Expected decision on Projects: October 2024
- Expected Start of Projects: January 2025, depending on the duration of project contract negotiations.
Researchers from KTH, Stockholm University or RISE are eligible to apply for funding under this call.
Purpose
ISPP projects like Industrial Innovation Projects and Societal Innovation Projects are the main instrument within the Industrial and Societal Partnership Program (ISPP) of Digital Futures to foster research collaboration and impact within the Digital Futures eco-system. The ISPP is rapidly growing into a network of industrial companies as well as public entities which have a strategic interest in technologies for digital transformation. The main goals of the ISPP are to (I) position Stockholm as a leading area in the field of digitalization, (II) to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities related to digitalization for different players (private companies, public authorities), and (III) to foster the creation of novel and innovate project consortia that can address challenges and grow into larger consortia and initiatives. Thus, a major part of the industrial and societal impact and dissemination of Digital Futures is intended to take place through the ISPP. ISPP postdoc projects are considered to be a targeted instrument through which ISPP partners can address specific, well-defined research challenges in collaboration with Digital Futures faculty.
Scope
Digital Futures Strategic Research Programme: The three research themes Trust, Cooperate and Learn cut across the four contexts Smart society, Digitalized industry, Rich and healthy life, and Educational Transformation.
Eligibility
PIs and Constellation
The following positions/titles/roles are eligible to apply as PI or co-PI:
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Full Professor
- Permanent full-time Researcher or equivalent (”tillsvidareanställning”) with a PhD degree and 80% employment or more at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University or RISE.
PIs or co-PIs do not need to be Digital Futures faculty when applying but will become Digital Futures faculty if the project is granted.
ISPP postdoc projects must feature a collaboration between at least two academic partners from different departments and at least one industrial or societal partner.
Notice that for this project call, only researchers at KTH, Stockholm University or RISE are eligible to apply for funding.
Project Duration and Funding Conditions
ISPP postdoc projects must have a duration of 2 years.
The projects will be funded with a maximum of 500 kSEK/year per postdoc in terms of Digital Futures funding. The additionally required funding per proposed postdoc position needs to be funded by ISPP partners.
These external funds provided must be clearly outlined in a Letter of Intent (one per project partner) submitted together with the project proposal.
For ISPP postdoc projects, only ISPP partners qualify as partners. Furthermore, only cash funding is considered as matching funds towards the Digital Futures funding requested.
ISPP postdoc projects are subject to signing a project contract among all involved parties after proposals are decided to be funded. The project contract relates to funding and IPR. Consortia submitting proposals under this call are recommended to discuss and align their interests before submitting proposals.
Applicable Funding Policy for Digital Futures Faculty
For this call, no restrictions on previously received Digital Futures funding will be applied.
Information Meeting
Digital Futures offers an optional information meeting for project consortia to get first-hand information on all call conditions.
This meeting will be held on 21 May at 12 pm digitally on Zoom, https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/64218059928.
No registration is required before the meeting.
Evaluation
ISPP postdoc project proposals are evaluated in two steps. They are evaluated in step 1 by external evaluators, who review proposals according to the criteria:
- Potential for research advancement and impact measured through Industrial transfer, scientific excellence and societal outreach.
- Feasibility of the proposed project plan
- Relevant qualification of the project consortium
In step 2, the panel feedback from step 1 will be considered by the Digital Futures Industrial and Societal Board when speaking out a funding recommendation to the Digital Futures Governing Board, which decides about the Digital Futures cash funding of project proposals.
After the decision and the closing of the contract, successful project consortia will trigger the HR processes to hire postdocs.
How to apply
- Prepare your application according to the project description template: ISPP_Project_Template
- Send your application file with all supplementary material to call@digitalfutures.kth.se, and include “ISPP postdoc projects call” in the subject of your email.
Contact & Questions
Contact call@digitalfutures.kth.se for further questions. Please include “ISPP postdoc projects call” in the subject of your email.
Background
Digital Futures is a cross-disciplinary research centre that explores and develops digital technologies. We bring solutions to great societal challenges in Sweden and globally. We generate knowledge, innovations, and future leaders of high industrial relevance and strategic importance. Digital Futures is jointly established by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Digital Futures awards funding to strategic research projects to support a specific action or project that furthers the vision of Digital Futures. Find out more about Digital Futures here.
Current already established funding schemes under Digital Futures with either ongoing projects or active calls related to Collaborative Research Projects, Research Pairs, postdoc funding, as well as Demonstrator Projects. Societal and Industrial Innovation Projects have been launched since 2021 and are an essential part of the Industrial and Societal Partnership Programme (ISPP), which was formally inaugurated in the spring of 2022. ISPP postdoc projects are a new research project funding scheme under the Digital Futures ISPP. KTH schools and Platforms, Stockholm University (SU) and RISE are encouraged to be active in the formation of ISPP postdoc projects (note that RISE affiliates cannot receive Digital Futures funding in this round of ISPP project calls, see Eligibility above).