This page describes what initiatives are ongoing in each field and their financial scope (in rounded SEK millions).
Fields and initiatives 2021—2025
Support for educational development, support and accessibility
Receiving functions: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Umeå University Library, University Administration
Initiatives within the field:
- hybrid workshop for flexible learning and support;
- accessibility (for students at all levels, i.e. including doctoral students);
- initiatives intended to support students' academic writing; and
- improved examination formats.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 26 million
Investment in an Arctic research school specialising in sustainable development
Receiving functions: University-wide (Arcum)
Initiatives within the field:
- establishing a cross-faculty arctic research school specialising in sustainable development.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 33 million
Strengthening education
Receiving functions: All faculties and the Umeå School of Education
Initiatives within the field:
- review of funding for full-time equivalents (FTEs) and annual performance equivalents (HPR);
- investments in vocational education and costly placements; and
- investments in education linked to strong research environments.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 60 million
Improving talent acquisition
Receiving functions: All faculties
Initiatives within the field:
- direct investments in employing staff through doctoral education and career development positions such as doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors based on the needs of each faculty; and
- initiative to develop and streamline the recruitment process.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 60 million
Initiative for digitalisation
Receiving functions: University Administration, university-wide
Initiatives within the field:
- identity and entry systems;
- Office 365 – digital tools;
- Mentimeter;
- license management;
- e-archiving;
- research data management (including training, support etc.);
- additional support for departments and offices regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and legal support;
- improved systems to support decisions;
- introducing a case management system; and
- student projects and assignments involving sensitive data.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 63 million
Initiative for infrastructure
Receiving functions: University Administration, university-wide
Initiatives within the field:
- support for local infrastructures with potential to be prioritised on a national scale;
- classroom technology; and
- lab research in hospital premises (co-funding).
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 25 million
Improving visibility and strengthening our brand
Receiving functions: University Administration, university-wide (to be allocated)
Initiatives within the field:
- English translation and proofreading services and international student recruitment;
- the Emmanuelle Charpentier Visiting Professorship in Biotechnology Research;
- Umeå University conference series;
- a sustainable campus; and
- development of a student app.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 14 million
Other initiatives
Receiving functions: All faculties, University Administration, university-wide
Initiatives within the field:
- financial officer/analyst, 50%;
- improved research support focusing on more support for EU grant applications;
- support for the application to the European Universities Initiative;
- career services (postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors);
- joint research investments for Umeå University; and
- research analyses.
Financial scope 2021–2025: SEK 35 million
Why are these initiatives and investments made?
The focus and scope for Initiatives intended to support research and education for 2021–2025 were adopted by the University Board. In total, the initiatives comprise SEK 315 million distributed across eight established fields and are funded by the University's agency capital.
The University Board also delegated to the Vice-Chancellor to decide on the detailed distribution of funds within each respective field. The Vice-Chancellor consulted initial proposals with the organisation prior to establishing the distribution and use of funds within this initiative in two batches. Batch decision one comprised SEK 176 million and batch decision two comprised SEK 139 million.