Call open: Technology Development Projects 2025

Call for Technology Development Projects (TDPs) 2025

Continuous technology development, renewal, and uptake are crucial for SciLifeLab ́s national research infrastructure to remain at the forefront. As part of our efforts to advance technology development and promote collaborations between the infrastructure scientists and SciLifeLab’s research community, we are pleased to announce a major call for Technology Development Projects (TDPs).

To be prioritized, the proposed project should develop new technologies, methods or tools that:

• are cutting-edge and internationally competitive
• are not yet available as nation-wide services in Sweden
• have potential for broader scope and of general versatility for infrastructure users
• have the potential to be developed into a robust, supported service

The initiative is jointly funded by a total amount of approximately 50 MSEK from the SciLifeLab’s budget for the National Infrastructure (NAT) and the Pandemic Laboratory Preparedness (PLP) strategic area, complemented with allocated staff resources from the Bioinformatics Platform (NBIS), and Data Centre (DC).

The call is open September 18–November 18, 2025.

Scope

The call supports the development of new technology, methods or data tools for future implementation as SciLifeLab infrastructure services, and project applications must fit into at least one of the following categories:

• General: Development of new, cutting-edge technology, adaptation of important technology developed elsewhere, or adaption of important technology towards new application areas
• PLP: Development, refinement and implementation of technologies and capabilities aimed to improve the national preparedness for pandemics and, when possible, other biological crises
• Data: Development of new data tools or technologies including AI, establishment of new data analysis pipelines, or prototyping new potential data services in collaboration with the Bioinformatics Platform and/or Data Centre

Who can apply?

• Main applicant: A senior infrastructure staff scientist at a SciLifeLab platform
• Co-applicant(s): SciLifeLab Group Leader (GL) principal investigators, other PIs at Swedish universities, and/or infrastructure staff scientists at other units/platforms including non-SciLifeLab facilities. Companies, healthcare providers and international PIs can also be co-applicants, however, no SciLifeLab funding can be distributed to these categories (see Funding below). Co-applicant(s) is not mandatory but recommended.

We would like to particularly encourage SciLifeLab and DDLS Fellows to contact the infrastructure platforms with TDP ideas for joint applications. We also promote proposals that involve collaboration between several infrastructure platforms and units.

Funding

The maximum funding is 1.5 MSEK per year for two years (2026–2027) and may cover:

• Salary (full or partial) for researcher(s) developing the technology, protocol or tool
• Reagents, consumables, and materials

Applications may alternatively/also suggest involvement of personnel and technical resources allocated from the:

• Bioinformatics platform (NBIS) – up to 1 FTE/year
• SciLifeLab Data Centre (personnel, IT system access or infrastructure resources)

IMPORTANT!! For applications including requests of NBIS or Data Centre resources, please contact NBIS/Data Centre (tdp-dc-nbis@scilifelab.se) before October 23 to allow for time to jointly agree on a project plan.

We expect the infrastructure platforms to contribute with FTE resources for such projects.

The desired distribution of funding between the collaborating project parties must be communicated to SciLifeLab before funds can be disbursed. Funding can only be transferred to Swedish university departments, and grants are not allowed to be transferred afterwards between partners.

Results

Project results are expected to be Open Source/FAIR, including any data tools hosted and served through SciLifeLab national services at the Bioinformatics Platform or the SciLifeLab Data Centre. PLP projects are expected to be shared through the Swedish Pathogens Portal, https://pathogens.se, hosted by the Data Centre.

We expect project leaders to submit progress reports upon request and a final report once the funding period has ended. Successful projects may be eligible to apply for competitive renewal in future TDP calls.

Submission of applications

Applications are submitted via the Anubis web portal and deadline is at 23.59 pm, November 18, 2025.

Reviewing and decision on funding

Applications will primarily be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Scientific and technological excellence and novelty
• Potential impact for the SciLifeLab infrastructure user community
• Technical feasibility
• Plans for development and maintenance of the technology/data tool as infrastructure service

Reviewers will be the SciLifeLab Strategic Management Group members, including Scientific Directors and Site Directors, and three external reviewers. Based on the reviews, the final selection of projects to be granted will be made by the SciLifeLab Director, Co-Director and Infrastructure Director in consultation with the PLP leadership, the Bioinformatics platform and Data Centre.

The formal decision on funding will be taken on the SciLifeLab board meeting on February 11, 2026, at the latest, and the result will be communicated to the applicants thereafter.

Contact

If you have any questions or need for assistance, do not hesitate to contact us on infra@scilifelab.se.