Foundation Day highlighted the vital role of foundations in supporting free research
On 1 October, Stockholm University held its second Foundation Day to mark the International Day of Foundations and Donors.
“An event like this clearly shows that much of today’s research would not be possible without the support of foundations, it really demonstrates how important this form of funding is,” said Martin Blåvarg, Administrative Director of the Handelsbanken Foundations.
Throughout the day, participants highlighted the crucial role that foundations play in enabling independent research and advancing knowledge. The programme included presentations, research visits and discussions between researchers, university management and representatives from various foundations.
“We are proud and pleased to welcome the foundations to our university, to give them the opportunity to experience the important research they support, and to meet our researchers. Foundation funding is of great value to Stockholm University and to research in Sweden. As government research grants tend to become increasingly targeted, the support provided by foundations is an invaluable complement to the universities’ core funding,” said Jane Reichel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University.
Presentations on current research
The programme featured presentations of ongoing research at Stockholm University, including:
- Marine infrastructure and life beneath the surface – with Tina Elfwing (Baltic Sea Centre) and Martin Jakobsson (Vice-President, Faculty of Science)
- Doctoral training at IIES and its importance for successful careers – with Per Krusell, Tessa Bold and Agneta Berge
- Social policy, welfare and the labour market – research at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), presented by Dan-Olof Rooth
- Sustainability and wellbeing for all – research at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, presented by Line Gordon
Participants also visited the Department of Molecular Biosciences (MBW) and the Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre (SUBIC), where they explored research ranging from fundamental biological processes to advanced imaging technologies.
“Foundation Day was a great opportunity to understand the real value that foundation funding brings to Stockholm University. For me, representing a foundation that supports research in economics, it was especially fascinating to learn about other fields – particularly within the natural sciences, where large investments in technical infrastructure such as research vessels, specialised microscopes or MRI equipment are needed. That is quite different from my own field, where we mainly fund researchers’ time,” said Martin Blåvarg, Administrative Director of the Handelsbanken Foundations.
“It also became very clear during the day that much research simply would not happen without support from foundations. The discussions with the university’s management were very valuable, giving us a better understanding of the issues that are most important from the university’s perspective. Many thanks for a highly engaging and insightful day!”
The day concluded with a networking lunch and a meeting between the university’s management and representatives from participating foundations.