Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences - KVA social sciences scholarship

KVA social sciences scholarship

You receive a scholarship of up to 250,000 SEK (about 22,000 EUR), paid directly to you. Larger research grants of 250,000 SEK and above are paid to your university or research body instead. The money comes from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien, KVA) for work in the social sciences, with a strong focus on economics. You can use it for project running costs, stays abroad or conference trips where you present your own results. In the 2025 round the Academy shared out 8,227,000 SEK (about 726,000 EUR) in total across several purposes, including a portion reserved for younger economics researchers and a portion for economic studies relevant to Sweden.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a doctoral student, or a researcher who already holds a doctorate.
• Where you work: You are employed at a Swedish university or another public research body.
• Field: Social sciences. Much of the money is set aside specifically for economics.
• Recent doctorate is preferred: Among researchers, those who finished their doctorate in the last seven years are favoured. Time such as parental leave does not count towards the seven years.
• Purpose: The money must fund work that is still ongoing. Nothing is granted for work already finished when the decision is made.

How to apply

You apply online through an account in the KVA system, where you fill in your details and upload your documents as PDFs. The next call opens in 2027. In the 2025 round the window ran from 15 May to 28 August. You hear back by email about three months after the deadline. Applications sent by email or handed in incomplete are not considered.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut narrowly. You must be a doctoral student or researcher employed at a Swedish public research institution, so the eligible group is already small. The large total pot spread across several purposes helps, but the economics-focused portions target a specific field. If you fit the criteria, recently finished your doctorate and apply for ongoing work, your prospects are solid.