15 Apr 2026
The purpose of the grants is to bridge the gap from academic basic research to innovations in materials science for sustainability.
The aim is to give researchers the opportunity to further develop their early discoveries in scientific projects toward innovation and commercialization. The call included innovations in materials science in a broad sense, but they must focus on a specific aspect of sustainability.
“Innovation in materials science is of greatest importance for sustainable development in the future. Through the Proof-of-Concept grant, the Foundation provides researchers with support to take academic research a step further towards innovation,” says Sara Mazur, Executive Director of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Eligible to apply are scientists that are employed at a Swedish University and have or have had grants from the Wallenberg Foundations are part of the Foundations strategic initiatives.
Between one and four million SEK
The projects that have been granted funding will receive between one and four million SEK each over a project period of a maximum of two years. In addition to funding, the project leaders will receive continued support from the Wallenberg Launch Pad, WALP, team to develop their innovations to commercial maturity.
Knut and Alice Wallenberg announce Proof of Concept grants in three areas: life science, materials science, and AI, quantum technology, or ICT.
This was the second call for Proof-of-Concept in materials science; next call opens September 1.
Since 2017, a total of 148 Proof-of-Concept grants have been awarded.
Proof-of-Concept grants awarded in the 2025 call in materials science:
Leif Asp, Chalmers University of Technology
Energy Efficient Manufacturing and Validation of Up-to-Scale High-Performance Structural Batteries
Daniel Weber, Chalmers University of Technology
Monolayer mesh catalysts for water oxidation towards green hydrogen production
Cecilia Persson, Uppsala University
Amorphous-matrix degradable alloys for sustainable bone repair solutions
Mikhail Vagin, Linköping University
High-selectivity oxygen pump for food storage
Daniel Aili, Linköping University
AI-Driven Raman-Based Materials Platform for Rapid Wound Diagnostics and Pathogen Identification (RAPID)
Daniel Brandell, Uppsala University
LiFILLERS – Li Based Ceramic Fillers for Next Generation Battery Polymer Electrolytes
Björn Wickman, Chalmers University of Technology
Mercury removal from concentrated sulfuric acid
Magnus Berggren, Linköping University
In Vivo Manufacturing of High-Aspect Ratio Organic Conductors and Electrodes for Sustainable and Minimally Invasive Electroceuticals
Richard Olsson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Electrochemical Factory for Sustainable Graphene Oxide Production from Carbon Fibers – Enabling Europe’s Transition from Critical Graphite Dependence to Circular Carbon Sources
For more information about upcoming calls and application procedures, visit the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation website
15 Apr 2026
An international team of researchers has developed a high-performance, biodegradable membrane made from jute agricultural waste to filter oily water. The material is produced using a simple and scalable process and it can be removed using ultrasound and easily re-casted, restoring its performance again and again. Even after repeated use, the membrane maintains over 99% separation efficiency.
31 Mar 2026
On April 16, 2026, the Uppsala node of WISE-EST will be officially inaugurated at the Ångströmlaboratoriet in Uppsala. The event will take place from 09:30 to 15:00 CET in the Siegbahn lecture hall.
31 Mar 2026
When the WISE research and technology platform (WISE RTP) CII at Chalmers University of Technology was launched a year ago, the team expected a gradual development after inauguration.
30 Mar 2026
We are pleased to announce that WISE Networking Day 2026 will take place on November 23–24, 2026.
30 Mar 2026
Are you preparing a proposal for WISE-ap3? Make sure you’re fully equipped to meet its strong sustainability ambitions.
27 Mar 2026
”My appointment reflects the board’s ambition to further strengthen and embed sustainability within WISE. In this role, my responsibility is to ensure that sustainability is fully integrated across all WISE activities”, says Professor Joseph Samec, WISE Director for Sustainability.
19 Mar 2026
What if electronic devices could simply disappear once their job is done? From temporary medical implants to short-term diagnostic tools, researchers are exploring materials that perform like conventional electronics but safely degrade when no longer needed.
19 Mar 2026
WISE Dialogue 2026 has successfully wrapped up, gathering nearly 400 participants from academia, industry, and the public sector.
16 Mar 2026
Join us for the 8th Machine Learning Meets Materials Science Seminar, part of the WASP–WISE initiative! Mark your calendars: March 25 at 10:00!
12 Mar 2026
We are pleased to introduce Pär Jonsén as one of the speakers at the WISE Dialogue conference on March 17–18.
10 Mar 2026
“The WISE initiative is presently the most important initiative in materials science in Sweden. It is both exciting and imperative that MAX IV supports the programme by actively engaging in its activities. The WISE Dialogue is a great opportunity to learn about the latest developments and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration”, says Olof Karis, Director of MAX IV.
6 Mar 2026
“I’m very honored to receive the Göran Gustafsson Prize. For me, it recognizes the work my research group has carried out over many years to understand and control doping in organic semiconductors. I hope it will help us push this research further and develop new types of soft, flexible electronics” says Simone Fabiano.
6 Mar 2026
We are happy to introduce Erica Zeglio, Assistant Professor and WISE Fellow & Dr. Biswanath Das, two of our speakers at the WISE Dialogue conference, March 17-18.
2 Mar 2026
We are happy to introduce Francisco Panayo, one of our speakers at the WISE Dialogue conference, March 17-18. Francisco holds a key role as R&D Manager at Hitachi Energy.
27 Feb 2026
“Over the past few decades, computational modeling has gained widespread recognition in both academia and industry as an effective tool for accelerating materials design and deepening our understanding of materials behavior” says Carl-Magnus Lancelot, Technical Sales and Support Engineer at Thermo-Calc Software, responsible for customers in the UK and the Nordics.
26 Feb 2026
Until recently, most advanced 3D micro- and nanofabrication techniques were limited to polymers, restricting the range of materials that could be used. Now, an international research team has published a landmark study in the journal Nature demonstrating a state-of-the-art fabrication technique that overcomes these long-standing material limitations.
25 Feb 2026
Two cutting-edge research projects at Luleå University of Technology have been awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
23 Feb 2026
We are pleased to introduce Peter Dahlén as one of our speakers at the WISE Dialogue conference on March 17–18.
13 Feb 2026
The call text for the WISE Academic Project Call 2026–2027 (WISE-ap3) is now available. The application portal opens on 1 December 2026.
13 Feb 2026
WISE is introducing the WISE Research Master’s Thesis, a new research preparatory initiative designed for Master’s students in engineering and natural sciences.
Picture credit: Luleå University of Technology
11 Feb 2026
Eight collaborative research projects joining quantum technology and materials science have been approved funding. Together, the projects receive 1 MSEK each.
2 Feb 2026
WASP and WISE hereby announce the WASP–WISE 2026 call for NEST 2 (Novelty, Excellence, Synergy, and Teams) is open.
27 Jan 2026
WISE Dialogue 2026 is approaching – the major annual gathering for the entire WISE community!
20 Jan 2026
Don’t miss the chance to hear from two internationally renowned researchers in an upcoming digital seminar on February 5, 2026, from 3-4 pm CET.
16 Jan 2026
WISE is preparing its 3rd Academic Project Call (WISE-ap3) to fund PhD and postdoc research advancing sustainable, eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes.
22 Dec 2025
“Sustainability is at the center of everything we do. Our research focuses on some of the greatest challenges of our time – such as how we extract raw materials, use energy, deal with emissions and reduce waste.”
Photo credit: Thor Balkhed, Linköping University
16 Dec 2025
Research on organic solar cells at Karlstad University is advancing with support from WISE.
15 Dec 2025
On February 2, 2026, WASP and WISE will launch a joint call for proposals for five-year NEST projects.
11 Dec 2025
“Ce-based systems continues to surprise us in their unique physical and chemical properties, and the current discovery certainly should be placed under WISE thematic area Discovery, with hope to become a key ingredient in applications for sustainability”, says Prof. Eriksson from Uppsala University and WISE co-director.
5 Dec 2025
“For us it is important to work with sustainable materials and make sure that we manufacture them employing low-energy processes. We think from the beginning what elements we are going to use -their availability, price, recycling possibilities, etc.”, says Professor Thelakkat.
