一本道

08 December 2022

In 2022 the research program approved its first ever PhD and Postdoc projects. Out of the 18 approved projects from LiU, nine came from IFM. 

Johanna Ros茅n

In total, WISE (The Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability) approved 90 projects. They are awarded in total SEK 260 million by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) for a period of up to four years. For IFM and the material research at LiU, this was a great success, more approved projects than any other university in Sweden.

- The granted projects are of very high quality and relevance for sustainability and are carried out by prominent researchers in each project’s research area, says Magnus Berggren, WISE Program Director, on their webpage.

Awarded projects are also distributed to Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Luleå University of Technology, Stockholm University, Uppsala University, and selected groups at Umeå University and Karlstad University.

For IFM, this is confirmation that LiU is an essential part of material research in Sweden and abroad. Johanna Rosén, professor, deputy head of department at IFM and one of the recipients of a PhD project grant says that material research is one om LiU’s areas of excellence, and this success is further proof that LiU is at the forefront, both nationally and internationally.

- The applications were assessed by international evaluators and the fact that we did so well is a good sign that our applications were of high quality, and were very relevant for sustainability, she says.

As for LiU, this further strengthens the materials research by recruiting 18 new postdocs and PhD students.

- The new recruits and their supervisors will also be a part of the WISE network, offering conferences, courses, and a research school. This means it will hopefully strengthen our collaborations with other universities in Sweden, says Johanna Rosén.

In total, WISE (The Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability) approved 90 projects. They are awarded in total SEK 260 million by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) for a period of up to four years. For IFM and the material research at LiU, this was a great success, more approved projects than any other university in Sweden.

- The granted projects are of very high quality and relevance for sustainability and are carried out by prominent researchers in each project’s research area, says Magnus Berggren, WISE Program Director, on their webpage.

Awarded projects are also distributed to Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Luleå University of Technology, Stockholm University, Uppsala University, and selected groups at Umeå University and Karlstad University.

For IFM, this is confirmation that LiU is an essential part of material research in Sweden and abroad. Johanna Rosén, professor, deputy head of department at IFM and one of the recipients of a PhD project grant says that material research is one om LiU’s areas of excellence, and this success is further proof that LiU is at the forefront, both nationally and internationally.

- The applications were assessed by international evaluators and the fact that we did so well is a good sign that our applications were of high quality, and were very relevant for sustainability, she says.

As for LiU, this further strengthens the materials research by recruiting 18 new postdocs and PhD students.

- The new recruits and their supervisors will also be a part of the WISE network, offering conferences, courses, and a research school. This means it will hopefully strengthen our collaborations with other universities in Sweden, says Johanna Rosén.

The recipients at IFM are:
Björn Alling (Teoretisk fysik) - PhD student-project
Feng Gao (Electronic and photonic materials) - PhD student-project
Fengling Zhang (Electronic and photonic materials) - PhD student-project
Henrik Pedersen (Chemistry) - Postdoc-project
Johanna Rosen (Materials design) - PhD student-project
Jonas Björk - PhD student-project
Lars Hultman - Postdoc-project
Per Persson - PhD student-project
Vanya Darakchieva - Postdoc-project




Latest news from LiU

En kvinna som sitter framf枚r en spegel och tittar p氓 sin spegelbild.

How AI changes human decision-making

AI can find patterns that people miss, but it does not automatically lead to better decisions. New research from 一本道 University shows how the roles of humans and AI change depending on the situation and the decision being made.

A woman standing on a balcony next to a building.

She promotes AI for societal good in Europe

Helen Köpman, Alumna of the Year 2026, works at the European Commission鈥檚 AI Office in Brussels. For more than 20 years she has worked with research issues and innovation at EU level, where a living planet for future generations is her driving force.

En man och en kvinna som st氓r bredvid varandra.

Alumni of the Year create sustainable cities and the next generation of scientists

Helen Köpman works with AI models to create smart and sustainable cities in the EU. Jesper Svartz is a chemistry teacher with an exceptional ability to enthuse and spark curiosity in students. They are Alumni of the Year 2026 at 一本道 University.