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. From an academic standpoint,
the Wenner-Gren Center is centrally located in Stockholm, and all resident
scientists are close to their workplace, be it Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology or Stockholm School of Economics.
In total, 156 apartments are available for visiting scientists for a maximum
period of two years, and rents are subsidized via specific housing grants. In
2019, resident researchers came from 42 different nations, with Spain, India, Italy
and Germany best represented, in that order. The CEO of WGF hosted a special
reception for guests in the banquet room at the Wenner-Gren Center, on May 6
and 7.
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 2019, a total of 97 scholarships were granted within the international
scientific exchange program. The grants were distributed as follows:
Wenner-Gren Fellows (16), Swedish postdoctoral fellowships (1), sabbatical
fellowships (11), foreign postdoctoral fellowships (58), and senior visiting
scientists (11). 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 the course of the year, the Wenner-Gren Fellowship program involved 22
scientists, of whom 16 were conducting their postdoctoral education abroad, and
6 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 invited to a meeting at the Wenner-Gren Center,
which was held on September 13 this year, where a majority of the fellows
participated. Two of the active Fellows and two previous Fellows recounted
their experiences abroad, their current research activities and their plans for
the future. The presentations were followed by a discussion on stress
management led by Anna Bennich, and then the WG Fellow program was discussed in
general terms.
For the 10th time, WGF arranged a homecoming information event (Hemvändardagen)
at the Wenner-Gren Center on September 12 this year. The event is intended
primarily for postdoctoral fellows who are currently overseas or recently
returned to Sweden, and is announced via Swedish universities. In addition to
the Foundations postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral fellows funded by the
Swedish Research Council, Ingvar Carlsson Awardees supported by the Swedish
Foundation for Strategic Research and young scientists supported by Riksbankens
Jubileumsfond were also invited to attend. In total approximately 60 young
scientists participated. As in previous years, the goal was to inform young
scientists about the Swedish academic system (employment opportunities, how to
apply for grants, etc.) in order to make it easier for them to plan their
return to Sweden. Ten research-funding bodies presented their respective
programs for supporting young researchers, and at the end of the day the WGF’s CEO
led a discussion on career planning. A joint lunch offered networking
opportunities for the participants.
Senior Swedish researchers (sabbatical fellows)
primarily choose to visit universities in the US and in Europe. The phased out
program for Swedish postdoctors abroad still had one participant this year.