HORISONT ("Horizon")
The application form will become available approximately two months before the application deadline.
Once anually
Many important and fundamental scientific discoveries and insights are found at the intersection of apparently disjunct and unrelated fields and the truly novel and original is often unpredictable and unexpected. There is rarely room for explorations of such unknown and unchartered territories through the usual means of research funding. The grant Horisont (“Horizon”) targets such unorthodox and unconventional approaches.
The Horisont grant is meant to support foundational research across all scientific fields and disciplines to find novel theoretical or practical solutions to important problems in science and society in the widest sense, including challenging methodological problem. The grant supports attempts to find paths into unknown terrain but also to enrich and deepen established fields. Foundational questions within disciplines or unexpected excursions across fields are all within the scope of the Horisont grant. Resources are typically scarce for novel and risky attempts and the Horisont grant could play a role here.
The supported research can be, but is not necessarily cross-disciplinary. However, the combination of ideas and inspiration from different and apparently unrelated fields is encouraged.
The Horisont grant should be viewed as seed money for the development of and preparations for new research programs that usually cannot find a place in the usual research funding systems, or to serve as a basis for research proposals for larger and long-term projects.
The grant
The Horisont grant amounts up to SEK 1 million (the overhead included) and can be used during a 24- month period. A financial and scientific report should be submitted no later than 36 months after the onset of the project. Up to two projects can be granted per year.
The applicant
The applicant must hold a PhD and be employed at a Swedish college or university for the period of the grant. There is no prejudice to academic age or academic position.
The application
A written application in Swedish or in English no longer than 2 pages should be submitted to the Royal Physiographic Society no later than September 15 . If cross- or multi-disciplinary research is planned, a short motivation and justification should be provided. The application should also comprise a short budget description specifying how the grant will be used.
Budget
The budget should be shown in the "Cost calculation". The grant must be managed by a Swedish college or university.
Selection
The most important criterion for a successful application is originality and how innovative the theoretical or methodological approaches are. The combination of theories and concepts from seemingly different research areas are not necessary, but encouraged. The research questions can be entirely novel or address established and long-lasting problems with new approaches.
Evaluation
Applications are evaluated by a panel appointed by the Society, with the aid of external experts.
Decision
The board of the Royal Physiographic Society makes the final decision in November and grantees and their projects are announced at the Society’s annual anniversary on December 2, 2023.
Reporting
The financial and scientific report should be submitted to the Society within 36 months of the onset of the project. A template for the financial report will be provided by the Society. The format for the scientific report is free. Unsuccessful or ‘failed’ attempts should also be carefully reported as they are an important and integral part of serious scientific inquiry.