The
Wenner-Gren Foundations (WGF) seek to promote international cooperation in the
area of scientific research. To this end, WGF provide housing for visiting
researchers at the Wenner-Gren Center in Stockholm, and awards grants both to
Swedish researchers who wish to travel abroad, and to visiting scientists who
would like to come to Sweden. Further, WGF organize international symposia,
usually located at the Wenner-Gren Center, and provides grants to external
international symposia in Sweden. Travel grants are provided for young
researchers to participate in conferences, workshops and symposia. Finally, WGF
organize Wenner-Gren Distinguished Lectures and provides financial support for
foreign guest lecturers to be invited to Swedish universities and colleges. The
Foundations’ administrative office is located at the Wenner-Gren Center in
Stockholm.
Visiting scholars’
residences are located in Helicon, a semi-circular, three-story building in the
Wenner-Gren Center centrally located in Stockholm. In total, 156 apartments are
available for visiting scientists for a maximum period of two years, and rents
are subsidized via specific housing grants. During 2021, resident researchers came
from 40 different nations, with India, China, Spain, Germany, and France best
represented, in that order.
WGF offer
a comprehensive program for international scientific exchange of researchers.
After completion of their doctorate, especially promising young Swedish
scientists may obtain postdoctoral fellowships for study abroad and
repatriation to Sweden (Wenner-Gren Fellows). Senior Swedish researchers can
apply for sabbatical grants for visits abroad. For visiting foreign scientists,
young researchers from abroad may work at Swedish universities supported by
postdoctoral fellowships, while senior researchers from abroad may apply for
guest researcher grants.
During the
fall 2020 and year 2021, a total of 207 scholarships were granted within the
international scientific exchange program. The grants were distributed as
follows: Wenner-Gren Fellows (23), sabbatical fellowships (15), foreign
postdoctoral fellowships (155), and senior visiting scientists (12). Approximately
a fourth of these scientists, primarily senior scientists, had to postpone
their visits to 2022 due to the covid pandemic. It may be added that WGF
examine the distribution of fellowships by gender when the material is
sufficient and there were in general no disfavor of female applicants. The
Scientific Committee continuously follows the gender balance among granted
applications.
During 2021,
the Wenner-Gren Fellowship program involved 28 scientists, of whom 20 were conducting their postdoctoral education
abroad, 3 were scholars in Sweden and 5 led their own research group in Sweden.
The WG Fellowship program is designed to give fellows the opportunity for a
three-year visit abroad and to facilitate their establishment as an independent
researcher on their return to Sweden. To this end, each returning Fellow
receives a grant to cover a two-year position in Sweden and a freely disposable
one-time research grant of SEK 400,000, may recruit a postdoctoral researcher
from abroad, and can apply for a planning grant of up to SEK 30,000 to
establish collaborations with foreign research groups. Feedback from this
repatriation program has been very positive.
Each
year, all WG Fellows are usually invited to a meeting at the Wenner-Gren Center.
During 2021 we instead arranged two digital meeting on April 29 and September 23
this year, where most of the Fellows and some board members participated. A few
active Fellows recounted their experiences abroad, their current research
activities and their future plans, whereas one or two earlier Fellows gave
their long-term aspects and hands-on advice for establishing a research group. These
digital meetings have been appreciated and we plan during 2022 to arrange a
digital meeting in the spring and hopefully a physical meeting in the fall. All
active Fellows reported that they despite the covid pandemic had managed to
pursue their research projects with some modifications.
Senior
Swedish researchers (sabbatical fellows)
primarily choose to visit universities in Europe, in Asia and in the US. A
third of the fellows had to postpone or shorten their visits due to the covid
pandemic.