The SNS Prize was established to highlight younger researchers who excel at disseminating socially relevant research and contributing to its practical application. The prize amount is 200,000 SEK, and the first award ceremony took place on June 8, 2023, as part of the celebration of SNS’s 75th anniversary. The prize will be awarded every two years thereafter.
Nominations for the SNS Prize 2025 opened on December 2, 2024, and will close on March 3, 2025. The award ceremony will take place on June 12, 2025. The recipient is recognized for making an impact on the Swedish public debate and for effectively communicating their research to decision-makers across different sectors of society. This can be achieved, for example, through:
The prize amount is 200,000 SEK for the winner, with 25,000 SEK awarded to each of the other finalists.
The purpose of the SNS Prize is to highlight the recipient as a role model who inspires other researchers. The goal is to promote the dissemination and practical use of more research and to foster the long-term growth of researchers engaged in this work.
The nominee must have a doctoral degree and be actively working as a researcher at a university or a comparable academic institution.
The nominee must not be older than 45 years old (must not have turned 45 in the year the prize is awarded).
The nomination should include a CV, a list of publications, and a motivation of no more than 4,500 characters, explaining how the nominee has contributed to the practical use of research.
Anyone can nominate potential prize winners. Nominating oneself is allowed.
Nominations should be sent to snspriset@sns.se.
The jury will consider the following criteria in their assessment:
Relevance: The research addresses one or more key societal issues and is relevant from a policy perspective.
Effort: The researcher has actively worked to reach out to and/or collaborate with relevant stakeholders.
Quality: The research is of high scientific quality.
The prize is part of SNS’s initiative to promote the practical use of research in connection with SNS’s 75th anniversary. It is funded through a fundraising campaign targeting SNS’s membership base and advisory board.
The jury for the SNS Prize includes Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson, Karin Grundberg Wolodarski, Ingvar Mattson, Rasmus Nerman, and Therese Nilsson.
Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson is a professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg, where he leads the Swedish Election Studies Program. His research areas include elections, public opinion, and voter behavior. Henrik chaired the “SNS Democracy Report 2021: Polarization in Sweden.”
Karin Grundberg Wolodarski is a journalist at Dagens Industri. She has covered the private education sector and in 2022 released her second book, “Experimentet. Hur den svenska skolan blev en av världens mest avreglerade” (The Experiment: How the Swedish School Became One of the Most Deregulated in the World).
Ingvar Mattson is the Director of the Swedish Parliament. He has previously served as the Director General of the Swedish Agency for Public Management and as the Auditor General. He has a background in political science research. Ingvar is one of the editors of Svensk författningspolitik (Swedish Constitutional Policy), first published by SNS in 2003 and now in six editions.
Rasmus Nerman is the CEO of Apoteket and a board member of the AllBright Foundation and Platform24. He has previously been the CEO and Group CEO of the Nordic care group Humana and INOM.
Therese Nilsson is a professor of economics at Lund University, a researcher at the Institute for Business Research (IFN), and a member of SNS’s advisory board. Her primary research interest is the interplay between education and health. She is a co-author of several SNS reports, most recently in 2020 on the long-term effects of increased teaching time in schools.
Johanna Rickne received the award for her outstanding research and ability to reach decision-makers and the public with her findings.
When the SNS Prize was first awarded in 2023, it went to Johanna Rickne, a professor of economics at Stockholm University. She has received broad recognition for her research on economic and political gender equality and actively participates in public debate. The prize amount is 200,000 SEK, and the jury’s motivation reads:
“Johanna Rickne is a distinguished and internationally recognized researcher. She effectively disseminates her research on topics such as integration, economic and political gender equality, and voter behavior. She has not only been published in leading scientific journals but has also made her research accessible through a strong presence in the public sphere and numerous collaborations with various societal actors and think tanks. Johanna Rickne is a role model who has contributed to making issues of gender equality more prominent in the public space and among decision-makers.”
The other four finalists received a joint second place and a prize of 25,000 SEK each. See the jury’s motivations below. A total of around fifty nominations were received for the SNS Prize this year.
Martin Kragh, Associate Professor of Economic History researching Russia: Martin Kragh is a prominent researcher. In addition to his internationally recognized research with high policy relevance, he has led and developed institutional infrastructure for research on Russia and Eastern Europe in Sweden. He has worked admirably to spread research results and knowledge about Russia, contributing to a more informed debate and public discourse on Swedish foreign and security policy. He frequently participates as an expert in media and as a speaker in academia. Martin Kragh reaches a wide public audience and serves as a role model for other young researchers following the spirit of the prize.
Lisa Laun, Associate Professor of Economics researching pensions, labor market policy, and social insurance: Lisa Laun is an internationally recognized economist who actively works to spread knowledge and research findings on labor markets and social insurance. She is a role model by contributing to a more informed and nuanced debate on issues such as pensions, sickness benefits, and labor shortages. Through her involvement as an expert in councils and investigations, she has had an impact on political development. She is also a frequently sought-after media expert and a much-appreciated lecturer both within and outside academic circles. These are further examples of her efforts to bridge research, policy, and society.
Amir Rostami, Associate Professor and Lecturer in Criminology researching organized crime: Amir Rostami is a leading researcher and expert on organized crime in general and welfare crimes, political and religious extremism, shootings, and bombings in particular. Through collaborations, he has built strong research environments. His past experience as a police commissioner allows him to translate research findings into concrete policy proposals. His collaboration with other societal sectors and public education makes his internationally published research policy-relevant. Through his active participation in public debates, Amir Rostami serves as a role model who inspires both researchers and current and future decision-makers.
Karl Wennberg, Professor of Business Administration researching entrepreneurship and economic inequality: Karl Wennberg is an internationally well-regarded researcher in business administration. He combines a successful research career with a strong presence in the Swedish public debate. Through his expert participation in councils and investigations, and by collaborating with a variety of public and private actors, his research on entrepreneurship and economic inequality has been put to societal use. As a teacher and supervisor, Karl Wennberg is an innovative and inspiring role model for new generations of researchers, particularly through his involvement in the interdisciplinary Swedish Young Academy.