VREF is tax-exempt in accordance with the Swedish law, which means that the foundations aim to serve the public good. VREF’s processes for funding research and educational activities are transparent and allocated grants cannot be used for the benefit of private companies.

VREF invest in programs and projects with the mission:

• To support the development of new knowledge on ideas and solutions that can contribute to equitable access and sustainable urban transport;
• To support the development of educational and outreach programs in the area of equitable access and sustainable urban transport;
• To contribute to the dissemination and implementation of research findings among both university researchers, practitioners, decision makers and other relevant stakeholders;
• To support demonstrative examples and change processes

VREF Grants

VREF applies open and transparent processes for allocating grants. The normal procedure is a Call for Proposals, which is worldwide open to universities and other research organisations of similar academic standard as universities. Proposals are reviewed by the VREF Scientific Council. In most cases external reviewers are also required in order to complete an assessment prior to a decision from the Board.

The spirit of the Volvo Research and Education Foundations’ mission is to serve the public good. A cornerstone of VREF policy is that our funding of research and education shall contribute to the development of sustainable and equitable mobility systems. 

Consequently, all research findings under VREF programs should be made public and accessible for all. Publications in peer-reviewed journals and communication at scientific events is a basic requirement for all VREF supported projects, but equally important is communication with stakeholders in each local environment, as well as with policymakers at all levels. Research teams in the Future Urban Transport program have outreach beyond scientific circles embedded in their work, and they are frequently consulted both locally and globally.

The VREF has also developed a program of selected communication activities, which is complementary to the work of the research teams. In implementing such activities we often work with partners to extend our own networks and reach out to broader audiences.