Career Grant for Early-career Researchers, career age 4–7 years

The Career Grant for Early-career Researchers is designed for researchers who have recently received a doctorate or are at an early stage of their career. The grant provides funding to conduct independent research projects within Formas' areas of responsibility: Environment, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning. The call has two tracks based on career age, with this track specifically for researchers who received their doctorate between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2022 (career age 4-7 years). The program aims to help early-career researchers improve their leadership skills, run their own projects, and advance the state of knowledge in their fields. It is intended to contribute to the next step in their careers by broadening perspectives, fostering independence, and enabling career progression. Projects should take on a new or partially new focus compared with previous work. A key component is the requirement for national or international mobility to other research environments. This mobility is designed to enhance researchers' abilities to contribute to societally relevant research of the highest scientific quality, bring new impressions and ideas, expand networks, and develop collaboration skills. The grant ultimately aims to strengthen researchers' opportunities to work in leading positions within academia, the public sector, civil society, or business. The research can include different scientific methods and perspectives, as well as disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Projects must be relevant for the ecological, economic, and/or social sustainable development of society and clearly demonstrate how they contribute to Formas' areas of responsibility.