Research funding

Linnaeus University's research is funded by both governmental and external funds. The part that goes directly to the university is called direct government funding. The other part, known as external funding, is obtained competitively. External research funding comes from various sources, such as the EU's framework programmes, research councils, innovation agencies, other parts of the public sector, the private sector, and various types of foundations.

In 2023, external financiers contributed with around SEK 322 million to our research, which corresponds to 41 percent of the university's total research revenue.

Our major research funders

The Swedish Research Council

The Swedish Research Council (VR) is Sweden's largest research funder. VR supports basic research of the highest scientific quality in all research fields.

Formas

Formas is a governmental research council for sustainable development. Formas finances research and innovation, develops strategies, performs analyses, evaluates, and communicates about research and research results. Formas also conducts research compilations aimed at facilitating that Sweden can meet its environmental goals. It also hosts the Swedish Climate Policy Council.

Forte

Forte, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, is a government agency under the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Forte promotes and supports research in the areas of health, working life, and welfare. The work is based on the vision of a more equal and socially sustainable society in the future.

EU's framework programme

The EU has several framework programmes, including Horizon Europe. The programme aims to contribute to green growth and competitiveness and has clear global objectives to combat climate change and promote sustainable development.

The Kamprad Family Foundation

The Kamprad Family Foundation aims to support, stimulate, and reward education and scientific research in a way that promotes entrepreneurship, environment, competence, health, and social development. The foundation particularly supports projects aimed at: improving the quality of life for the elderly, entrepreneurship – especially that which promotes a vibrant countryside, better environment – with a particular focus on the practical implementation of research results, development, research and education in architecture, interior design, and design, as well as research and education in medicine.

The Knowledge Foundation

The Knowledge Foundation finances research and competence development at Sweden's university colleges and newer universities that takes place in collaboration with the business community.

Vinnova

Vinnova is Sweden's innovation agency, with the mission to strengthen Sweden's capacity for innovation, to contribute to sustainable growth. Vinnova's work is based on the sustainable development goals adopted by the UN in Agenda 2030.

Research to combat the spread of bird flu

Over the past four years, the highly contagious and deadly H5N1 virus variant has evolved into a constant threat to both domestic and wild birds, with more outbreaks and new species being affected. In the large international research collaboration Kappa-Flu, funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research fund, researchers from around the world are working together to stop the spread.

Jonas Waldenström.

Bird flu has increased dramatically in Europe since 2020. Of particular concern is the H5N1 virus variant, whose spread has escalated from occasional outbreaks during the winter months to a constant threat to both wild and domestic birds.

“Another worrying development is that the virus is now affecting more species than before, for instance, the black-headed gull, such as the outbreak we saw in Kalmar in the summer of 2023, as well as other breeding seabirds and mammals like seals and otters”, says Jonas Waldenström, professor of disease ecology.

More knowledge is needed

To counter the spread of H5N1, more knowledge is required about the characteristics of the virus and about the bird species that carry it, including their migration patterns. These are questions that researchers at Linnaeus University are attempting to answer as part of the large international research collaboration Kappa-Flu, funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research fund.

One of the goals of Kappa-Flu is to identify birds that carry the virus in the wild without falling ill themselves. This requires active sampling – a kind of spot check where wild birds are captured and tested for the virus. As part of the project, sampling stations are being established at strategically important locations across Europe. One of these is the Ottenby Bird Observatory in southern Öland, just a short distance from Linnaeus University.

Protection against future pandemics

The situation with bird flu reminds us of the importance of researching which diseases are present in nature and their potential to be transmitted to humans. The majority of our diseases originate in the animal world, and the flu viruses circulating among humans today have their origins in birds.

“Among virus researchers, the question of the next major outbreak is always present. The fact that humanity recently experienced a pandemic was not surprising in itself; the question is more about which type of virus would take hold next.”

“Despite the fact that we share many infections with animals and that the majority of our diseases originate from other species, we lack a great deal of knowledge about what is happening in the wild. We need to understand this better in order to protect ourselves”, says Jonas Waldenström.

More information

The research group Zoonotic Ecology and Epidemiology

The research is part of the Linnaeus University Centre Linnaeus University Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS).

News about funded research

We have the HR Excellence certification

Linnaeus University strives to provide a dynamic and encouraging environment for research and development. We aim to make it easy to start researching with us, to conduct research of the highest quality in a stimulating workplace where researchers thrive and develop. At our university, it should be easy to move forward in one's research.

This is why we have the European Commission's HR Excellence in Research certification.

Our research

Research at Linnaeus University has both breadth and cutting edge. It is conducted within a large number of research environments, research groups, and research projects.