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Volvo Research and Educational Foundations

Since 2000 the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF) are focusing their funding activities on Future Urban Transport (FUT). The vision is to create a high quality international research and educational programme, and an attractive meeting place for the main actors in the FUT area. The ultimate goal of the programme is to increase accessibility and efficiency, as well as promote environmental and societal sustainability. The main theme is "how to cope with the complexity of urban transport development".

The three corner stones of the FUT programme are:

  • a number of globally distributed Centres of Excellence
  • a somewhat greater number of smaller international research projects
  • recurring international FUT conferences

The idea behind the interdisciplinary Centres of Excellence is to improve the conditions for those researchers who want to co-operate in order to develop new and better knowledge about how to cope with the increasing complexity of the transport problems in larger urban areas. They are expected to organise and carry out high-quality interdisciplinary studies, stimulate a combination of knowledge and action in real urban contexts and become self-sustaining after the VREF funding period of approx. 5 years.

The smaller research projects offer a possibility for researchers to apply for projects related to key aspects of future urban transport. The grants will cover the cost of (typically) one individual researcher (usually a graduate student or postdoc) for two years (extension by an additional two-year period is possible).

The international FUT conferences, organised by the Scientific Council of the VREF, offer decision-makers, business and academia a new opportunity of taking part in an interactive process aiming at better understanding of the complex problems of FUT and of following what is being carried out in practice in various urban areas in different parts of the world. These conferences will also be meeting-places for those researchers who receive support from VREF.

Additional information about VREF and how to apply for research funding is found at: www.volvoresearchfoundations.com