WASP enters a new phase with long-term funding secured

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is extending its commitment to WASP through 2034. With a research grant of 6,2 billion SEK, the total budget of the program amounts to 7,2 billion SEK. At the same time, WASP is making strategic priorities for the next phase of the program.

Initiatives in AI for science, foundation models, and the recruitment of international researchers are central to the program’s direction going forward, says Amy Loutfi, Program Director of WASP:

“The long-term perspective is important for both WASP and Sweden. It enables us to continue building excellence in our core areas through the recruitment of leading researchers and doctoral education. We are also prioritizing new strategic initiatives that pave the way for the future, such as AI for Science, large-scale AI, and the next generation of autonomous systems and software systems.”

Strengthened collaboration with humanities and social science research

The next phase also deepens the ties between WASP and the humanities and social sciences. Through closer collaboration with researchers in WASP-HS, the program strengthens its ability to address the societal, ethical and human dimensions of the technologies it develops.

“In light of the ongoing and extraordinarily rapid developments in the field, we see a strong need for human-centered perspectives and approaches to technology. By working closely with researchers within WASP-HS, we ensure that questions concerning how emerging technologies in AI and autonomous systems affect people, organizations and society become a genuinely integrated part of our research agenda,” says Anders Ynnerman, chair of the WASP Board.

Shifted admission streams of PhD students

The program has seen a shift in how PhD students are admitted to the Graduate School. While most previously joined through open PhD project calls, an increasing number now enter through other large project calls and as part of WASP Fellows’ recruitment packages.

With many new PhD students joining the program through these two trajectories, the decision has been made to pause the academic and industrial PhD student calls.

“The graduate school is running at full speed with about 500 active PhD students per year for the coming years, and our projections show that approximately 800 PhDs will have graduated from WASP by 2034. The WASP management will keep monitoring the development and ensure that the Graduate School remains of a size that guarantees its quality and value for the students,” says Amy Loutfi.

Upcoming calls

Several calls are planned ahead for the board to take decisions on. With the rapid development within AI, autonomous systems and software, it is important to be agile, Amy Loutfi points out:

“A lot has happened in and around the program since its inception in 2015. It is important that the program adjusts according to the needs of the time. The goal is still to keep producing excellent, curiosity-driven research and to strengthen Sweden’s position within our scientific scope. I am eager to see what the coming years hold.”