Summary 

• Area: Humanities and Social Sciences 
• Applicants: individual researchers with a Swedish connection 
• Application amount: at least SEK 50,000 
• Application period: continuous 
• Decisions: 6 times a year (see Assessment criteria). 

Focus 

RJ Research Initiation is intended to support arranging scholarly meetings, such as conferences, seminars and workshops. The purpose is to promote initial scientific processes such as establishing new research networks, developing new research questions or preparing research applicaions.

RJ Research Initiation thereby primarily focuses on scientific processes that precede research. This means that meetings with a clear emphasis on forward-looking internal scientific dialogue are prioritized over, for example, recurring conferences or gatherings centered around result reporting in the form of publications and policy recommendations. RJ welcomes applications with international participation.

Requirements 

• Grants are not available for activities that have already taken place. 
• The application must be submitted to RJ no later than four months before the planned activity. 
• Applications for under SEK 50,000 are not considered. 
• The meeting does not have to take place in Sweden but must involve researchers at Swedish universities. 
• Funds, fees and remuneration are not granted for wages and salaries. 

Application 

Applications are submitted through RJ's application system. Familiarise yourself with the application form while reading the instructions below. The application must contain the following parts: 

Summary 

Write the summary in Swedish and English. The summary may be at most 1,500 characters, including spaces and should explain the activity’s relevance, its purpose and how it will be implemented.  

Project description 

Write the project description in Swedish or English. The description may contain up to 12,000 characters including spaces and is to contain and list: 

• The purpose and scientific relevance of the meeting 
• A detailed program stating 
• The time for the meeting 
• The place for the meeting 
• Named speakers/participants. 

Budget 

• Only include operating costs. 
• Expenses for travel, meals and accommodations need to comply with the grant administrator’s travel and representation rules. 
• Indirect expenses, salaries, fees, unforeseen expenses and costs associated with publications will not be approved. 

Budget specification 

Write the budget specification in Swedish or English. Specify and explain all budgeted costs. Unspecified or unexplained expenses will not be approved. 

Assessment criteria and review process 

The crucial criteria for RJ’s decisions are the meeting's research-initiating potential, feasibility, and relevance. Funding decisions are made by RJ's working committee. No explanation for decisions is provided.

Application period and decision dates

Funding decisions are made by RJ's working committee six times a year. The following dates apply for 2024:

• Applications received by 3:00 PM on August 12 will be reviewed by the working committee on September 13.
• Applications received by 3:00 PM on September 23 will be reviewed by the working committee on October 25.
• Applications received by 3:00 PM on November 4 will be reviewed by the working committee on December 6.

Decisions are communicated via email shortly after the decision meeting.