Aim and scope
DDLS and WASP have a strong ambition to form solid collaborations by bridging the gap between the scientific disciplines of DDLS and WASP respectively. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation has earmarked funding for such collaborations in their donations to both these programs. To amplify their collaboration, DDLS and WASP announce a third call for proposals for bridging research projects.
The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg national program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) uses data, computational methods and artificial intelligence to study biological systems and processes at all levels, from molecular structures and cellular processes to human health and global ecosystems. DDLS aims to recruit and train the next generation of data-driven life scientists and to create globally leading computational and data science capabilities in Sweden.The DDLS program has four strategic areas: cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, precision medicine and diagnostics, and epidemiology and biology of infection.
Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program, and provides a platform for academic research and education, fostering interaction with Sweden’s leading companies. The program addresses research in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and software as enabling technologies for the development of systems acting in collaboration with humans, adapting to their environment through sensors, information, and knowledge, and forming intelligent systems of systems. WASP strengthens, expands, and renews the national competence through new strategic recruitments, a challenging research program, a national graduate school, and collaboration with industry. The program is conducted in close cooperation between leading Swedish universities with an aim to promote the competence of Sweden as a nation within the area of AI, autonomous systems, and software.
The funded projects should span the thematic profiles of DDLS and WASP, address fundamental research challenges between the DDLS and WASP research areas and be of a visionary, high risk – high gain nature. The main objectives should go beyond just applying existing computational tools to biological problems or data-sets. Addressing the fundamental research challenges requires significant multidisciplinary activities involving conceptual, methodological and technological elements from both the life sciences and engineering fields with powerful research methodologies based on mathematics of artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous systems or software. It is therefore expected to apply new mathematics, modeling, or informatics to life science data in integrated projects. The projects must, as an integral part, contain both: i) Harvesting or making use of empirical data from experimental, clinical, or observational studies, and ii) Development of theoretical or computational methods from sciences such as mathematics, computer science, physics, and engineering.
The funded projects should also continue the building of a collaborative community and a critical mass by making data, resources, and code available in accordance with the FAIR principles. Supported projects are also expected to create resources and technical capabilities that will be made available to others. Applications should thus specify how FAIR data sharing and open access publishing of data and code will be addressed and any exceptions should be stated at the time of application. All projects are required to establish a data management plan (DMP) at the start of the project.
Project participants are expected to be active contributors and participants in community events, training activities, seminars, and symposia.
A research project should have both a rapid start-up phase and a high potential impact. Thus, a project can explore new synergies between existing projects and staff, and novel ideas enabled by forming multidisciplinary teams spanning across the DDLS and WASP domains.
The projects must have two applicants, one faculty from DDLS and one from WASP (defined under Who can apply below). The aim is a flexible cross-program collaboration where participants from each program extensively contribute to the project. Please see definition of eligible project participants below.
Who can apply?
A project is led jointly by one main PI/co-PI from DDLS and one main PI/co-PI from WASP. It is expected that each PI devotes at least 10% activity level to the project. An applicant can be involved in a maximum of 2 applications and as a main PI in only a single application. The two PIs can come from the same university.
PIs/co-PIs must be: assistant professors, associate professors or professors. Both PIs have to hold such a position before the deadline for this call.
PIs with DDLS-WASP projects awarded in the 2021 or 2022 calls are eligible to apply for the 2026 call as long as the projects are completed and the final financial report has been submitted before August 20th, 2026. Main PIs from funded DDLS-WASP NESTs are not eligible to apply in this call.
The WASP applicant should be employed at one of the WASP partner universities CTH, LiU, LU, KTH, UmU, UU or be part of Affiliated Groups of Excellence at ÖrU or LTU and have their research focus within AI, Autonomous Systems or Software. Project participants from the WASP area should be/become employed as described above.
The DDLS applicant should work in life science with a data or computational angle within one or more of the four DDLS research areas and be affiliated with a Swedish university or The Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Project participants
A project participant is someone who has experience within the research fields that are in the scope of DDLS or WASP such as PhD-student, postdoc, junior/senior researcher or technical staff/expert.
PhD students may be included under the following conditions (to preserve the high risk–high gain focus and ensure integration across domains):
- Projects may include two PhD students, one per program, or one joint PhD student
- Only new PhD students can participate in the project.
- PhD students should be part of the respective programs’ research/graduate school
- Time horizon & feasibility: Project funding is for three years; if a PhD student is included, the host and the Head of the department must guarantee full funding and supervision to PhD completion beyond the project period.
- Justification & role clarity: The application must include a concise role description for all participants, with special attention to PhD students. It should explain how the PhD’s work is integral to novelty, method development, and cross-domain integration.
- DDLS data-driven requirement: If a PhD student is counted on the DDLS side, the application must demonstrate a strong data-driven focus while traditional data generation should be limited.
- Supervision & symmetry: The application must specify the main supervisor and co-supervisors and describe how supervision and contributions from both PIs are balanced. Projects where multiple PIs collaborate around a single PhD must present a governance plan that ensures symmetry and tangible contributions from both programs.
Budget
The total funding for this call is maximum 52 MSEK (26 MSEK per program) and we strive for equal distribution between the DDLS and WASP programs. The maximum available funding for each project is 1 MSEK/year/partner, i.e., a total budget of 6 MSEK for three years. We prefer projects to last for three years to align with the increased cap, but shorter projects are eligible to apply. The budget should be commensurate with the ambition, novelty, and expected impact (e.g., enabling two 3-year postdocs or an equivalent mix of personnel and resources).
Financial information
- The grants will be funded by KAW. PIs/co-PIs are responsible for any necessary co-funding needed at each university/department.
- Maximum 20% of the awarded grant can be used for indirect and premises costs.
- See Standard WASP funding packages for PhD students and postdocs (only for WASP PhDs and postdocs)
- There is also a maximum coverage of 52,5% for LKP (payroll overhead) on personnel costs.
- All costs applied for in the projects are to be specified according to instructions in the application system.
- Eligible costs are for example: salaries for DDLS and WASP PI/co-PI (applicants), including supervision for PhD students/postdocs/experts/junior researchers, salaries for project participants, and running costs. For equipment, depreciation costs are eligible. Please check the budget template in the application system (Anubis) for more guidelines.
- Approved project will be financed by the corresponding program accordingly – transfer of funding between the programs is not possible after approval.
- Costs will be reimbursed by requisition to KAW. KTH and LiU will coordinate this process, templates will be provided for this purpose at a later stage.
- No funding can be directed to industry, industrial partners or public sector.
Proposal structure/format
Submission – how to apply
The following information should be entered according to the templates in the application system:
- Name of project
- Name, affiliations of main and co-PI
- Project plan (max 4 pages) with clearly specified subject area including data science and FAIR aspects
- Detailed description of the PI roles and the collaborative benefits (max 1 page)
- Short CV and top publications only for main PI and co-PI (co-applicant) (max 2 pages each)
- Reference list
- Letters of support, signed by the respective Head of Departments
- Letter of support for PhD student financing by the Head of Department, if applicable
- Budget
Evaluation criteria
Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Scientific quality
- Novelty and Originality, including the high risk/high gain nature of the project
- Multi-disciplinarity
- Merits of the applicants in relation to their career stage
- Alignment and added value to the programs
We will also consider:
- Diversity of gender of the applicants
- Impact on both life science and of the computational challenges addressed
- Open science and data sharing aspects
- Impact on the DDLS/WASP community
- Industrial and societal relevance
- Novelty of the PI constellation
Timeline
Call opens: 22 April, 2026
Information and networking event: 7-8 May 2026, joint conference Uppsala
Call closes: 7 September 2026 at 14:00
Funding decision by WASP and SciLifeLab boards: November 2026
Communication to applicants: No later than 2 weeks after decision
Project start: April 2027
Questions about the call
Please feel free to contact calls@wasp-sweden.org, ddls-calls@scilifelab.se
Find Collaborators – Submit your Abstract
To find potential collaborators, common topics, exchange ideas and opportunities, and raise awareness of competencies on each side, we invite you to submit an abstract. The abstracts are published in an online report until the call closes.
Online report of the abstract book
