SweDev’s 2025 Member Survey shows how recent funding cuts are reshaping Swedish development research. Researchers report shifting away from global development priorities, weakened collaborations with the Global South, and rising pessimism among early-career scholars about their future in the field.
Photo: Dan Dimmock/Unsplash
During spring 2025, the Swedish Development Research Network (SweDev) conducted a survey asking members how recent cuts in funding for international development research have affected their work. The results show a shift in focus away from areas where research is most needed – particularly in and with the Global South. The findings also highlight broader implications for Sweden’s role as a global research leader and reveal growing pessimism among early-career researchers about their future in the field.
Recent cuts to Swedish funding for international development research – notably the termination of the U-Forsk grant in 2023 – continue to have far-reaching consequences. The SweDev 2025 Member Survey, conducted during spring 2025, gathered responses from 175 members from universities and research environments across the country to understand how these funding changes are reshaping the field.
The findings paint a concerning picture. More than half of the respondents report having adapted their research focus, often shifting away from international development topics or reframing projects to align with what are perceived as domestic or EU funding priorities. As one respondent noted: “I shift to areas more in line with government priorities. Some research ideas will not be funded at all.”
We also asked about how the composition of research teams has been affected. The responses indicate that nearly four in ten research teams have been restructured following the cuts, and two-thirds of researchers now experience increased barriers to pursuing international development research. Collaborations with partners in the Global South – once a hallmark of Swedish research leadership – have particularly suffered. 58% of respondents report that their research networks in developing countries have been negatively affected, leading to postponed or cancelled projects and reduced exchange of expertise.
Several researchers express concern that these trends are eroding the independence and societal relevance of Swedish development research. With limited funding available for field-based and qualitative studies, research agendas risk becoming increasingly shaped by short-term national interests. As one respondent put it: “Funding cuts are leading to research driven by funding agendas, where quantitative studies are perceived as more valuable than qualitative ones.”
The consequences are not only academic. Respondents warn that the cuts are creating disillusionment among early-career scholars, who see limited prospects to remain in the field. This risks a long-term loss of expertise and undermines Sweden’s reputation as a trusted and equitable research partner.
The 2025 findings confirm and deepen the trends first documented in SweDev’s 2024 survey “Development research in Sweden today: Funding and ways forward”. Together, the results highlight the urgent need to sustain and reinvigorate Sweden’s commitment to global development research — not only to maintain scientific excellence but to address the world’s most pressing challenges in partnership with the Global South.