The Purpose of the Foundation

The principal purpose of the Foundation is to generally promote scientific research

The Foundation’s objectives are set out in two paragraphs (§§ 2 and 3) of its Statutes.

“The main purpose of the Foundation is to promote scientific research in Sweden and shall also promote the care and upbringing of children, provide support for the preparation of education for children and young people and promote the care of needy elderly, sick or infirm people.

Grants, scholarships and other appropriations may be made from the assets of the Foundation in furtherance of its purposes. The Foundation may also seek to realise its objectives through other measures and arrangements.”

Over time, the Foundation promotes all of its purposes, but today the Foundation’s focus is on projects, ideas and individuals in the humanities and social sciences that are expressed through research and education, seminars and – the third task – publishing.

In Sweden today

The Foundation’s main purpose is to promote scientific research in general “in Sweden”. In 1947, when the Foundation was established, there were tax law reasons for the expression “in Sweden”. However, following a more recent tax ruling (Regeringsrättens årsbok 2004 ref. 131), these reasons no longer exist. The Swedish Tax Agency’s website contains its guidance based on the ruling: “There is no restriction to activities that favour recipients in Sweden. This is evident from the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling on a foundation that provided grants for teaching or training where most of the funds were provided to recipients outside Sweden (RÅ 2004 ref. 131).”[1] The issue has thus been settled in precedent-setting legal cases.

The background to the ruling is that research has long been increasingly globalised. The best researchers consequently collaborate across national borders. Internationalisation is a matter of course all over the world, including in Sweden. Cross-border exchanges of researchers and students promote Swedish research.

It is of great importance for Swedish research to be able to acquire expertise from other countries and research environments. This is best achieved by bringing together Swedish researchers with prominent researchers from other countries and in research environments. The Government writes: “International co-operation in higher education and research is in many cases crucial for excellent research and innovation.”[2] ”Internationalisation is not an end in itself but a means to “achieve increased quality and relevance in its activities, to strengthen Swedish society in general and contribute to sustainable development nationally and globally”. For a small nation like Sweden, internationalisation is a necessity.”[3]

The expression “in Sweden” has similarities with the concept of “beneficial to the country” (Sw. landsgagnelig), which appears in the statutes of foundations with a similar profile. This refers to measures that benefit Swedish development in research and education in general, but which need not be geographically limited to Sweden.

The Foundation’s activities, like almost all research, are thus characterised today by a long-term, international perspective.

With the support of foundation law expertise, the Board has therefore concluded that support can be given for research outside Sweden. Although we support researchers outside Sweden, there are clear links to Sweden. Scientific research that benefits Sweden and Swedish interests in a broad sense is therefore compatible with the Foundation’s purpose.

Third task – the task of co-operation

According to the Higher Education Act (1992:1434), the task of higher education institutions is to co-operate with the surrounding society for mutual exchange and to work to ensure that the knowledge and skills available at the university benefit society. This is known in the higher education world as the third task.

Through seminars, books and TV programmes, the Foundation disseminates knowledge created within the research community in Sweden and internationally to the rest of society. This furthers the Foundation’s purpose of promoting scientific research in Sweden in general.

How we work

The Foundation partly an operational foundation, which means that the Foundation conducts projects on its own and through subsidiaries.

Through scholarships and other grants, the Foundation also supports individuals and collaborate with external parties in the academic world. In this way, the Foundation is also partly a revenue foundation.