More about our project application

Typically, projects are funded with SEK 100,000-200,000 per year for 1-2 years from SLU Partnership Alnarp, with matching contributions from partners. The maximum amount that can be granted is SEK 275,000 per year for three years, which applies to, for example, industrial doctoral students.

Partner co-funding can be in the form of actual funding or in-kind contributions such as staff time, analysis costs, equipment rental, etc.

What is not funded?

Contract research cannot be funded through SLU Partnership Alnarp as it requires full cost coverage. Development of specific products is not funded, except for projects that involve early development stages with general benefits for academia and the industry. Projects closely related to product development require greater co-funding in the form of cash contributions from partner companies. For employees at the LTV Faculty, longer trips, such as to international conferences, should be directed to the LTV Faculty's scholarship funds where possible.

Employees of the Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, and Crop Production Science (LTV) and the Department of Southern Swedish Forest Science at the Faculty of Forest Sciences (S) can apply for project funding. Applications are made in collaboration with one or more of the SLU Partnership Alnarp partners.

The main applicant should complete a signed agreement between the project funders, certifying that all parties commit to providing the specified resources as outlined in the application.

The agreement serves as important documentation to confirm commitments from project partners, including invoicing from institutions to partners, which requires clear indications of amounts and invoicing dates.

The agreement should be signed using EduSign by the main applicant, head of department, and the chair of the steering group for SLU Partnership Alnarp. An external partner confirms the approved agreement via email to the main applicant, who attaches the confirmation email.

The signed and approved agreement should be submitted to SLU Partnership Alnarp no later than three months after the funding decision.

The main applicant should inform their institution's financial support unit about the approved project and provide a copy of the agreement mentioned above. Based on the agreement, the institution can set up a project number in the financial system for recording project costs.

Regarding certain co-funders such as other research funding organizations, for example, the Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Agricultural Research (SLF), Region Skåne's Environmental Fund, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, and Lantmännen's Research Foundation, a copy of their decision protocol is sufficient.

There are two application periods each year, with the final application deadline on February 15th and October 15th. Submitted applications are then reviewed by respective thematic groups, which provide advisory opinions. Decisions are subsequently made by the SLU Partnership Alnarp steering group, usually at the end of March and the end of November each year.

The project description should be attached to the application and should include:

• Background description
• Purpose/objective
• Methodology/hypothesis
• Implementation plan
• Plan for utilization and communication of project results

The summary in the form is important and should provide a good overview of the research question, project goals, and implementation. Indicate if the project is part of a larger application.

Communication plan

• Describe how the results will be beneficial to partners, disseminated to the industry and the public, and potentially used in education.
• Which channels/media will you use to reach your target audience and disseminate project results?
• Specify if the project is expected to lead to scientific publications.
• For clear and concrete results that are useful for stakeholders, fact sheets are desirable.

SLU Partnership Alnarp is happy to assist in sharing relevant descriptions, images for social media and newsletters, videos, articles, or similar. Feel free to ask if we would like to visit when the project has something to showcase! Please note that for accessibility reasons, we cannot publish non-accessible presentations or videos without subtitles.

When projects involve activities, please inform the partnership as soon as possible to include them in the calendar and newsletters.

The applicant should indicate if the project is part of a larger application. Clearly state any funding available or sought from other funders. Costs for staff time should be indicated in the application form as the number of hours multiplied by the hourly cost, including indirect costs (LKP) and overhead (OH), for each applicant. Calculation of the hourly cost can be done using the "Calculation of Hourly Cost" template.

1. Specify Funding from partner companies, the value (in monetary terms or converted into kronor)
2. Specify Other funding and the source of funding.
3. Specify Personnel costs, indicating the person and cost (number of hours x total hourly cost including OH)
4. Specify Other costs per year (materials, travel, etc.)

You should apply for funding from SLU Partnership Alnarp for the portion of the costs that are not covered by other funding and funding from partner companies. The balance should be zero when calculated in the form.

For applications co-funded by the Swedish Farmers Foundation for Agricultural Research (SLF), the application cannot be for more than 35 per cent of the SLF funding. There is also an additional requirement that at least one more partner be active in the project. For example, if the SLF as sole funding body grants a project 500,000 no SLU Partnership Alnarp funds will be granted. However, if there is an additional project partner contributing e.g. 100,000, the SLU Partnership Alnarp can grant up to 275,000 (500,000 x 35%) + (100,000 x 100%).

An additional project partner is also a requirement when the funding body is the Swedish Board of Agriculture, the Skåne Region Environmental Fund or the Rural Development Programme.

According to its statutes, the donation fund should be used to promote fruit and berry cultivation in southern Sweden through applied research, trials and information. The applicant completes the application which is then submitted to SLU Partnership Alnarp for processing and decision. Grants from this donation fund cannot replace any other part of the funding (from SLU or a business partner) but can only be used as a third means of funding, thereby enabling higher project output. Any donation funding granted should be seen as an opportunity to facilitate fulfilling the requirements for scientific quality and practical applicability in priority projects.

SLU Partnership Alnarp steering group may also grant funds from the Erik E:son Wikland donation fund, without requiring co-funding from a business partner, for long-term applied research such as variety trials with berries and fruit that cover a period of 5–10 years. On the application form, enter Erik E:son Wikland donation fund, together with the amount applied for from this fund, under “Övriga finansiärer” (Other funding bodies).

If final reporting cannot be done according to the original plan, contact Håkan Schroeder by email requesting an extension, stating the reason for the delay. If an extension is granted, this will be registered in the database.

For projects at the LTV Faculty, the project account code at each department must be communicated to SLU Partnership Alnar office as soon as it has been created.

Once the project agreement has been submitted, the total amount granted will be paid to the account code provided by the department.