Previous round
The first call for applications, in November 2023, led to the international recruitment of three associate senior lecturers, two of whom were funded for a total of SEK 10 million from the Vice-Chancellor’s funds. The Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology and the Faculty of Medicine recruited these international associate senior lecturers with the aim of nominating them for the Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation’s WAF programme. Of the University’s 16 nominations for WAF 2025, four were spotted through the initiative.
Time for a new excellence initiative
The new excellence initiative, which will run from 2027 to 2030, builds on previous experiences. The University has once again earmarked up to SEK 40 million to attract and nominate up-and-coming researchers embarking on their careers for the WAF programme. The aim is to consolidate Lund University’s position as a world-leading research institution by attracting international researchers through a joint university-wide recruitment campaign to be rolled out in November 2025.
Time to apply for funding
All faculties except the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts can apply for the WAF programme. During the spring and summer of 2025, the faculties will work to determine how the initiative meshes with the broader efforts relating to provision of expertise and are to announce whether they want to participate by September at the latest. The recruitment of up to eight associate senior lecturers may be organised.
The faculties receive a grant of SEK 5 million when the researcher they recruit is nominated as an international candidate for the WAF programme. Candidates are to be recruited from outside Sweden through open and broad international calls for applications, in line with the university-wide recruitment strategy. Only one candidate per faculty can be supported.
Lund University’s nominations for the WAF programme must be submitted no later than 15 February 2027. It is then hoped that the international researchers interested in the initiative can be welcomed to Lund after this date.
Read about previous calls for applications: New initiative for up and coming researchers supported by the Vice-Chancellor