5 quick application tips from Jonatan Klaminder

    To secure funding from Formas, it is not enough for your high-quality research project to have the potential to contribute to society. You must also be able to describe how. Jonatan Klaminder, Professor of Environmental Science, has cracked the code and shares his best tips for success.

    Jonatan Klaminder shares his best tips for success at Formas.

    Photo: Mattias Pettersson

    1. Not everyone receives positive responses, but you have been granted funding several times. Why?

      "Until about seven years ago, I had never actually succeeded with Formas. Then I sought help from a colleague who, unlike me, had succeeded multiple times. Observing how he worked with societal relevance was a significant 'aha' moment for me. I needed to see it to crack the code and understand how lacking my own approach was. Since then, I've had a one hundred percent success rate."

    2. So what, according to you, is the key to success? Do tell!

      "We all know a colleague who has received funding. Start by looking at his or her application. The next step is to realise that this matter of societal relevance is not something you write at the last minute; it's something you have to work on long before you start writing the application. Identify who you are targeting, visit them, talk about your application and how you've planned it. If they are going to be part of the application, they must genuinely be interested, so it shouldn't be a problem for you to drop by and talk. While there, you will likely get names of individuals you haven't identified who could be even more influential. Bring your notepad, write down their names, and note their roles."

    3. Great, now we have a handle on the preparations. But how should one describe collaboration and societal relevance in the actual application?

      "Imagine you have to explain the whole thing verbally to a colleague and, for example, a CEO at Volvo Trucks. Both must understand what you mean. Be very clear about how all the anchoring has taken place. State who the stakeholders are, and how you plan to communicate with them. Let individuals be identified by their names, not just titles. Also, explain why you highlight them. Maybe someone even provided a telling quote about what your research could mean when you met? Such things can add extra weight to your arguments."

      "Then, of course, the stakeholder question can be more or less challenging depending on the subject area. Let's say you're researching earthworms ... How do you get someone in society interested in that? Well, then you have to struggle a bit ;)"

      "If we're going to indulge in a little laughter at how I expressed myself earlier, it could be in the vein of: 'When I get these results, I will look for relevant stakeholders'... and then I wrote nothing more. Who were these stakeholders? Why would they be interested in my research? That doesn't hold up. To be credible, you must be specific. If you feel lost about who to talk to, I would probably encourage you to apply next year instead. Your application might be excellent, but you must have a specific goal in mind. There is no avoiding that."

    4. You mention communication, which is something Formas emphasises is connected to societal benefit. What do you think is important to highlight?

      "As I said, I focus mostly on the individuals and explaining how they are connected to the application. The next step is describing when and how you plan to involve and communicate with them. Here, I think it's important both to present proposals and to include them in the budget. If you plan a workshop for stakeholders without budgeting for it, well, then it's not credible."


      "I have also benefited from being able to show that I am accustomed to appearing in the media, and have had 'outreach' in various activities. So, dare to venture into different contexts! Gain experiences that can support your future application. You can, for example, start by participating in 'Forskning à la carte' and lecturing for middle and high school classes, or explaining your research to the public at Curiosum. When I was a doctoral student, I traveled to schools and talked about natural science to fifth graders. Now I use it as one of several examples of how I can make my research accessible to a broader audience."

    5. Do you have any additional closing tips? 

      "Make sure to have a small notebook where you immediately jot down when you participate in a radio program or catch a glimpse of yourself in the news. It becomes a valuable resource when you are about to write your application, and need to demonstrate your communication and collaboration experience. Because when you are sitting there, a bit tired and stressed, trying to fill in: "What have I actually done?" it's not always easy. By then, you might have forgotten."

      "I also want to emphasise that success is possible even with a rejected application, provided that you genuinely try to address the identified weaknesses. When I was inspired by my colleague, I received feedback that Formas appreciated that I had developed the part about societal relevance and communication since last year."

      "And, last but not least. If you have to force this societal connection and have difficulty finding someone interested in what you do, well, then maybe you should consider writing an application to VR (the Swedish Research Council) instead." 

    Curious about Jonatan Klaminder?

    Currently, Jonatan Klaminder is researching earthworms. Are they beneficial creatures or an underground threat to sensitive ecosystems in the Arctic and to our climate? On umu.se, you can read more about Jonatan and his research.

    Go to Jonatan's personal page

    Lena Holmberg
    11/30/2023