New recruitments within major investment in sustainable materials

Within WISE, the researchers will study new circular sustainable materials. The photo is from the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry where 3D printing of bio-based water purification filters is done.
Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein

At the end of 2021, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation announced that the foundation is investing SEK 2.7 billion in the new research program Wallenberg Initiative Material Science for Sustainability (WISE). The program will run during the period 2022 – 2033 and includes six universities for research in materials science with a focus on sustainability. The universities that are part of the agreement as full members of the collaboration are Uppsala University, Lund University, KTH, Chalmers University of Technology, Stockholm University and Linköping University, which is also the host university. Luleå University of Technology has a slightly smaller share through a separate agreement.

WISE focuses on four themes or objectives: (i) conversion, storage and distribution of clean energy; (ii) to replace rare, energy-demanding, hazardous materials with circular sustainable materials; (iii) to prevent pollution, clean and protect the atmosphere, soil and water and (iv) to promote the discovery of new materials for novel sustainable technologies and applications.

15 new doctoral students and postdocs

At the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, research is carried out on lignin, and how it can be used for applications within sustainable energy and the environment. The image shows the characterization and structure determination of lignin. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein

SEK 2.7 billion will be distributed between the participating universities, which most likely means that Stockholm University will receive several hundred million for activities within the WISE collaboration over the next ten to eleven years. The investment at SU includes strategic recruitment of young researchers primarily including assistant professors who will each receive a significant starting package, a large number of PhD and postdoctoral projects including both academic and in collaboration with industry, investments in research infrastructure, as well as technology platforms and collaboration forums for research collaborations with industry.
 
In the autumn of 2022, in the first call for academic PhD and postdoctoral projects, with 4 and 2 year project time respectively, 90 projects were granted with support of a total of SEK 260 million by the foundation. Stockholm University was granted a total of 15 doctoral or postdoctoral projects within the framework of this call. Ten of these go to the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry (MMK), three to the Department of Organic Chemistry and two to the Department of Physics.
 
During April, there will be a new call for industrial doctoral students and industrial postdoctoral fellows with a decision before the summer. The idea is to create a research school within WISE with the participation of approximately 180 doctoral students and 180 postdoctoral fellows.

Three new assistant professors

Stockholm University has, within the framework of WISE, announced three assistant professorships with peripheral resources. These will be placed at the Department of Organic Chemistry and at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, and there are ongoing negotiations with the top candidates. Further strategic recruitments with similar advantageous conditions will be announced later during the project, including at the Department of Physics.

Henrik Cederquist.
Photo: Niklas Björling

Henrik Cederquist, Deputy Vice President for Science, believes that the investment within WISE will strengthen Stockholm University's research in materials science in general and with a focus on sustainability in particular. WISE provides opportunities to recruit doctoral students and postdocs partly within the framework of the strategic recruitments and partly in special calls.

“WISE will also provide the opportunity to strengthen our research infrastructure by building new and/or developing existing technology platforms with connections to materials science and research on sustainable materials”, says Henrik Cederquist.

Strengthen cooperation between departments

“WISE will be of great importance for the cooperation between the departments concerned, i.e. those that have activities within or closely related to materials science. But we also hope that more departments will be able to share the resources and contribute to WISE's overall goals. In this way, cooperation with more institutions can be strengthened”, says Henrik Cederquist.
 
Several of the researchers awarded grants in the first call are part of the Stockholm University Center for Circular and Sustainable Systems, SUCCeSS. In addition, there are thoughts on implementing research results from WISE within industry. An industrial platform called WIRA is connected to WISE. In addition, there may be connections to the Stockholm Material Hub, which is a collaboration within the University Alliance Stockholm Trio. Jiayin Yuan, professor at MMK and Director of Stockholm Materials Hub, is also one of the researchers awarded a project grant in the first call of WISE.
 
During the spring, WISE's board will make a decision on an infrastructure investment plan.

Agricultural residues can provide completely sustainable material, article on Joseph Samec´s research.

Lab-on-a-Chip, a new way of understanding the spread of environmental pollutants, article on Nicole Pamme´s research.

Conversion of carbon dioxide back into fuels, article on Sergey Koroidov´s research.