Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is allocating additional funds, in total SEK 1.6 billion, to patient oriented, clinical research. The initiative will, among other things, strengthen research at the four Wallenberg Centres for Molecular Medicine based, among other places, at Karolinska Institutet. As part of this initiative, SEK 125 million has been allocated to Karolinska Institutet.
As part of this initiative, support is included for around 80 Clinical Fellows - physicians who will have the opportunity to both work clinically and conduct research. It is a joint effort where the involved universities and the regions connected to the Wallenberg Centres for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), as well as Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, co‑finance the research portion of the physicians' positions.
"This is a powerful, long‑term initiative to ensure that Swedish clinical research does not lose momentum. There have been signs that fewer physicians are conducting research, which is why we are very pleased that, together with the universities and regions, we can now offer the conditions needed for more people to engage in research," says Peter Wallenberg Jr, Chair of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Strengthening Sweden's competitiveness and healthcare
Nearly half of the total investment is also directed toward collaborative projects between early‑career clinicians and preclinical researchers, as well as so‑called NEST projects between researchers in clinical medicine and researchers in AI and molecular technologies. NEST stands for Novelty, Excellence, Synergy, and Team.
"We want to secure Sweden's competitiveness in this field. Leading clinical research is crucial for ensuring that patients in Swedish healthcare have access to the best treatments. It is also important for pharmaceutical development to continue in Sweden, which strengthens the entire Swedish life science sector," says Peter Wallenberg Jr.
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation has long contributed to making Sweden a leading life science nation. With this initiative, the Foundation will have invested over SEK 10 billion in life science over the past 25 years.
Sweden's largest private research financier
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation was founded in 1917. The Foundation's purpose is to benefit Sweden by supporting basic research and education primarily in medicine, technology, and natural sciences. This is done through support to excellent individual researchers as well as project funding and strategic programs.
Since 1917, the Foundation has awarded nearly SEK 42 billion. In 2025, the annual grants for excellent basic research and education in Sweden totaled SEK 2.5 billion, making the Foundation Sweden's largest private research financier and one of the largest in Europe.
Source: Wallenberg Foundations
