Dear colleagues in the VREF Community,
We are pleased to announce a Call for Expressions of Interest for establishing an International Research Program on Walking as a Mode of transport (IRP-WALKING).
The Call refers to an international research consortium in which multiple researchers and relevant practitioners work together in a thematic program, focusing on joint knowledge production, learning, and the sharing of insights on walking as a mode of transport in urban environments.
The Call is a two-step process. In this first step (December 2024 – May 2025), VREF invites researchers at universities (and research institutes of academic standing) to submit an EoI to establish and lead an IRP-WALKING.
- Each EoI will serve as an application for a VREF planning grant to prepare a full proposal for an IRP-WALKING. VREF plans to approve 3-5 planning grants.
- An EoI should be submitted to VREF no later than 1 April 2025.
In the second step (June-September 2025), only applicants who have received a planning grant will be invited to submit a full proposal for an IRP-WALKING.
The envisaged outcome of the second step is a VREF decision in December 2025 to fund one IRP-WALKING for 4 years 2026 – 2029 with up to 25 MSEK (approx. 2,2 M€).
Full Call and Guidelines for how to apply (pdf)
N.B. Following a question for clarification received early January, VREF has made a small correction on page 8 in the call text. The new version of the Call for Expressions of Interest has replaced the previous version
This is where we publish and answer questions regarding the Call.
If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us via secretariat@vref.se.
Q: On page 8 in the call for Expressions of Interest, I read that consortium partners are “universities or research institutes of academic standing, represented in the EoI by a contact person”. I am confused because this seems to contradict previous elements in the document, speaking of mixed consortia involving professionals, decision-makers, and representatives. Any clarification would be most welcome.
A: VREF confirms that cities, regions, not-for-profit organizations, and other stakeholders can be associated partners in the consortium. In order to clarify this, VREF has revised the sentence on page 8 in the call for Expressions of Interest. The new formulation is “Please note that the main applicant is an individual, while consortium partners should be universities or research institutes of academic standing who are represented in the EoI by a contact person. Similarly, associated partners such as cities, regions, not-for-profit organizations and other stakeholders, should also be represented in the EoI by a contact person”. A new version of the Call for Expressions of Interest has been posted on the VREF website 15 January 2025, replacing the old version. See new version here.
Q: Referring to the text on page 7 in call _It is foreseen that each IRP-WALKING consortium will primarily be a
partnership between researchers from 3-5 universities/research institutes, as well as associated partners such as cities, regions, not-for-profit organizations and others which support the uptake of research findings_, my question is if you can confirm whether businesses can be represented in the consortium.
A: Yes, businesses (private companies) can be represented in the consortium.
Q: I am an individual researcher with a university affiliation, however for administrative reasons it would be preferrable if I could be contributing to this work as a researcher working for a private company. Can you confirm that this is permitted in the call?
A: You can participate in the consortium as an individual researcher working at a private company. However, if you also are the main applicant, this does not apply. The main applicant must be affiliated with a university, and the university should act as host institution for the planning grant, if awarded.