Research centres at Uppsala University

Uppsala University builds strategic research centres with a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach. Several of them offer both internal and external core facilities.

Strategic research areas

In 2009, the Swedish government decided to fund a number of strategic research areas. The decision was part of an initiative to create research of the highest international quality that stemmed from a recommendation by the Swedish Research Council, Fas, Formas, VINNOVA and the Swedish Energy Agency. Uppsala University participates in half of the 20 designated strategic research areas, seven of them in a coordinating role:

U-CAN
Cancer – The research programme U-CAN collects standardised data, tumour and blood samples and biomolecules from cancer patients before, during and after therapy. The material is used to develop methods and drugs for diagnosis and treatment of tumours.

STandUP
Energy – Stand Up for Energy (STandUP) focuses on long-term sustainable energy supply, one of the greatest global challenges in the next decades. The groups within STandUP envision a future society that is provided with renewable, highly reliable and cost-efficient energy for all its residential, commercial, transportation and industrial needs.

eSSENCE
E-science – eSSENCE is a collaborative research programme in e-science. eSSENCE strives to create a research environment that enables strong interplay between e-science research, e-infrastructures, e-education, industry and society.

SciLifeLab
Molecular bioscience – Uppsala University houses the SciLifeLab, an internationally leading centre that develops, uses and provides access to advanced technologies for molecular biosciences with focus on health and environment.

U-CARE
Health care research – The research programme U-CARE studies how people suffering from physical illnesses are affected psychosocially, and what kind of help they and their families need to deal with various emotional and mental health problems that may arise. New knowledge gained within this area is used to develop psychosocial and psychological self-help programmes for these problems. 

IRES Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Politically important geographical regions –   the Institute for Russia and Eurasian Studies (IRES) conducts research with an in-depth focus on recent developments in Russia, and in the post-Soviet space. IRES is designed to meet the highest international standards of scientific excellence and spans across the humanities and the social sciences, as well as law and theology.

Centre for Natural Disaster Science
Disaster and crisis management – the Centre for Natural Disaster Science contributes to improving the ability to prevent and deal with risks in society, both nationally and internationally, by raising awareness of the dynamics and consequences of natural hazards, considering the issue of vulnerability in Sweden, as well as discussing crisis management.

Uppsala University also participates in three additional strategic research areas coordinated by Lund University:
Diabetes (EXODIAB)
Epidemiology (EpiHealth)
Stem cells and regenerative medicine (Stem Therapy)

Linnaeus environments

Uppsala University also houses four strong environments supported by long-term government backing, through the so-called Linnaeus grants:

KIC – Knowledge and Innovation Communities och European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Uppsala University is part of the European KIC InnoEnergy consortium since 2010 together with KTH. In 2014, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) chose to back two new consortiums focusing on innovation in the areas of of health and materials, consortiums which Uppsala University are part of: EIT Health promotes entrepreneurship and develops innovations in healthy living and active ageing. EIT Raw Materials deals with issues of raw materials, for instance sustainable exploration, extraction, and recycling.

Research centres at the three Disciplinary Domains at Uppsala University:

Examples of new multidisciplinary centres at Uppsala University:

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