The KTH Global Academia Postdoc Program
A postdoctoral initiative to support early-career scholars, safeguarding academic freedom and deepening long-term international partnerships.
The global academic landscape is under severe pressure. Political, economic, and institutional uncertainties affect research systems across many regions, with early-career researchers disproportionately impacted. In particular, recruitment freezes and funding constraints are creating substantial barriers for newly graduated PhDs and postdocs, especially in countries that have traditionally been at the forefront of international research.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology has long recognized the importance of strong and reciprocal international collaborations. Over the past five years, our faculty have co-authored nearly 3,000 publications with leading North American institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and MIT. These partnerships are not only scientifically productive; they also reflect a shared commitment to open science, academic freedom, and long-term institutional relationships.
In light of current disruptions, we are establishing a new postdoctoral initiative to offer temporary academic placements for early-career researchers whose trajectories have been interrupted by factors beyond their control. The intent is not to draw talent away from partner institutions, but to provide continuity and capacity within the global academic system by offering time-limited opportunities for research, collaboration, and professional development in a stable environment.
This initiative aligns with KTH’s strategic priorities of internationalization, research excellence, and societal impact. It represents a constructive and collegial response in moments of uncertainty — a response that seeks to protect and preserve the long-term relationships and values upon which global science depends.
Enabling research without borders
By offering a stable, open, and academically independent environment, KTH aims to contribute meaningfully to the continuity of high-quality research and the strengthening of international academic collaboration. Through the postdoctoral program, KTH will be able to host early-career researchers whose work aligns with some of the university’s core research areas.
The program is designed to:
- Safeguard academic freedom by providing a politically neutral and supportive setting for scholars at a formative stage of their careers
- Reinforce and deepen long-standing collaborations between KTH and international partner institutions
- Support critical research efforts that are currently constrained by external factors
Priority areas for collaboration
The program will focus on scientific fields where KTH holds internationally recognised expertise and where continued global cooperation is essential. These include:
- Climate and sustainable development
- Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity
- Energy systems
- Space and quantum technologies
Research environments such as the KTH Climate Action Centre, KTH InspireLab, Digital Futures, and Cybercampus Sweden will serve as key hosts for incoming scholars, particularly those working in high-impact areas currently facing systemic or political limitations elsewhere.
From idea to reality
The program seeks to establish a minimum of ten two-year postdoctoral fellowships. Each fellowship will require a total investment of approximately SEK 3–4 million, covering salary, research infrastructure, and relocation support. Several research groups are already prepared to host scholars; the next step is to secure the philanthropic and institutional partnerships needed to realise the program.
Why your support matters
By supporting this initiative, you are contributing to:
- Advancing research in areas critical to global well-being
- Sustaining academic freedom in the face of political and structural challenges
- Creating new bridges between leading academic institutions around the world
- Empowering a new generation of scholars to pursue bold, collaborative research
- Strengthening Sweden’s role as a hub for open and collaborative world-class science
This is an investment in knowledge, international solidarity, and the future of science. At a time when research is increasingly vulnerable to external pressures, your support helps ensure it remains open, collaborative, and globally relevant.
Support from abroad
KTH collaborates with Myriad USA, formerly known as the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS). Through Myriad USA, donors based in the United States can make tax-deductible contributions to KTH. Myriad USA is recognized as a public charity under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
You can also donate to KTH through here. And here you can find more information on how to donate from abroad.
