71 new SciLifeLab Group Leaders appointed

419 research and infrastructure leaders can now call themselves SciLifeLab Group Leaders, following the completion of this year’s evaluation process.

The SciLifeLab research community is a dynamic, interdisciplinary network of scientists from various fields within molecular life sciences, united by the goal of addressing critical challenges in health, biodiversity, and sustainability. 

71 new SciLifeLab Group Leaders are now part of this community. Of the approved applicants, 39% are women, an increase from last year’s 31%. The total number of SciLifeLab Group Leaders is now 419. This year, SciLifeLab received, and approved, applications from ten universities. 

“It feels great to welcome new SciLifeLab Group Leaders who are eager to contribute to our activities and future development – a shared ambition that strengthens our entire community. In turn, we offer access to an extremely strong national network within all walks of molecular life science, enabling exciting cross-university and cross-disciplinary collaborations,” says Disa L. Hammarlöf, Research Coordinator at SciLifeLab. “They also gain visibility, the opportunity to influence our direction, access to tailored research calls, and more.”

New evaluation process to remain at the forefront
A new nomination process for the SciLifeLab Group Leader concept was introduced prior to last year’s evaluation, to ensure a transparent and structured approach.

“The SciLifeLab Group Leader status is not permanent, but will be re-evaluated every four years using the same criteria, promoting turnover in the organisation’s faculty. This is an important step to ensure that SciLifeLab remains at the forefront of cutting-edge research and technology in the long run, and can help Sweden to tackle societal challenges related to health and environment,” said SciLifeLab Director Jan Ellenberg when the new process was introduced.

Initial selection is managed by SciLifeLab committees at the sites and founding universities. The SciLifeLab Strategic Management Group then makes a recommendation to the SciLifeLab Board, which takes the final decision. 

A current position as SciLifeLab Fellow, DDLS Fellow, Platform Director, Platform Co-Director, or Head of Unit automatically grants Group Leader status.

The next call is, preliminary, planned to open June 2026.

Learn more at the SciLifeLab Group Leader page, and see all the SciLifeLab Group Leaders here.