Call for Members for FBA’s International Research Working Groups

• Ref: 25-00068
• Sista ansökningsdag: 2025-05-04

Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) is the Swedish government agency for peace, security and development. As part of Sweden’s international development aid, we promote peace in conflict-affected countries. We offer training and advice and conduct research in order to strengthen peacebuilding and governance. Moreover, we deploy civilian personnel to peace operations and election observation missions primarily led by the UN, EU and OSCE. The agency is named after Count Folke Bernadotte, UN’s first peace mediator. 

FBA uses an evidence-based approach in its operations, combining insights from research with proven experience and contextual knowledge. In order to deploy an evidence-based approach in practice, FBA’s International Research Working Groups constitute an important tool for the agency. The members inform FBA’s operations by providing expert advice grounded in research. Click here for more information about the International Research Working Groups.  

FBA’s mandate from the Swedish government evolves continuously. In order to remain connected to research in all the agency’s areas of operation, FBA has recently established five new International Research Working Groups and seeks to complement two of the existing groups. The agency thus launches an open Call for Members for the following groups (scroll down for full group descriptions at the end of the page): 

• The European Union  
• NATO  
• Hybrid Threats, Including Disinformation  
• Support to Free and Fair Elections 
• Protection of Civilians and Conflict-related Sexual Violence
• WPS (extension of existing group): Gender-Equal Peace Processes
• YPS (extension of existing group): Youth in Peace and Security Processes  

FBA invites scholars from around the globe seeking to deploy their academic knowledge to inform policy and practice to apply. The membership term is four years, starting on the 1st of August 2025. 

Responibilities and benefits

• Members are expected to provide expert advice to FBA, thus informing the agency’s operations. In internal meetings, FBA-funded seminars and research-practitioner dialogues, members are offered regular opportunities to inform practical work through engagement with FBA practitioners and partner organisations. 

• Members are eligible to apply for FBA’s Research Grants, i.e. research funding for policy-relevant research projects, awarded annually through a competitive process. Click here for more information about the FBA Research Grants. 

• Due to Swedish procurement rules, the membership itself is voluntary-based and not remunerated. However, the voluntary dimension of the membership is limited. For larger assignments, such as commissioned reports or full-day seminar participation, members are remunerated through consultancy arrangements.  

• Membership is non-residential. 

• Members can be offered the opportunity to publish policy-relevant research findings in FBA’s publication series. Click here for more information about FBA’s publication series. 

Qualifications

FBA invites applications from scholars in the social sciences with the following qualifications: 

• Demonstrated research excellence or a promising research agenda commensurate with the academic rank. Doctoral degree (PhD, D. Phil) in the applicant’s field is required, as well as proven academic expertise and publications, commensurate with rank, in reputable academic outlets. The research should pertain to one or several of the research working group themes mentioned above. Geographical expertise of relevance to FBA’s work is meritorious. Click here for more information about FBA’s partner countries.  

• Applicants must have demonstrated experience of, and a clear commitment to, policy-oriented research and to engaging with practical work on peace, security and development.  

• All applicants are expected to have proven experience in undertaking research using an intersectional approach, for instance using sex and age-informative data and analysis as well as addressing factors such as ethnicity, class, ability, religion, location, etc.   

In order to promote broad-based research, stimulate the exchange of ideas, and give FBA employees access to different types of knowledge, FBA aims to ensure diversity in the group members. Hence, FBA encourages diversity in terms of academic seniority, the researchers’ methodological and epistemological approaches, their age, gender and ethnicity/geographic origin. 

How to apply

Interested scholars should submit their application through an online form (see below), and attach the following documents:

1. CV, including list of publications (four pages maximum) 
2. Cover letter with statement of intent (500 words maximum) on how the researcher can contribute to FBA’s work in the specific area(s) within which the applicant has expertise. Applications that do not make explicit reference to a specific area are unlikely to be successful. Please consider questions such as: Why do you wish to be considered for FBA’s International Research Working Groups membership? In what way will membership help you in your research? What is your experience in terms of policy-relevant research and engagement with policy makers and practitioners working on peace, security and development? How can you contribute to FBA’s work in the specific area(s) where you have expertise?

For more information, please contact FBA’s Research Team at ResearchUnit@fba.se.  

Application deadline: May 4, 2025, 23:59 CET. 

Descriptions of the Research Working Gruops

The European Union 
FBA’s longstanding cooperation with the EU centres on contributing to an effective CSDP, supporting the EU´s integrated approach to external conflicts and crises and contributing to progress in candidate countries’ accession processes. FBA seeks to create effective institutional processes that are flexible and robust to withstand future challenges. The overall expectation of the Research Working Group on the EU is to contribute with research-based knowledge to advance FBA’s work. In addition, because FBA’s work intends to promote synergies and cooperation between the EU and NATO where the two organisations have overlapping activities, the Research Working Group is also expected to further FBA’s understanding of potential areas of cooperation between the EU and NATO. 

NATO 
FBA’s newly established mandate in terms of partnership with NATO focuses on the alliance’s two core tasks of crisis management and cooperative security. FBA also supports the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs with policy development as it relates to Sweden’s NATO commitments. FBA seeks to create effective institutional processes that are flexible and robust to withstand future challenges. The overall expectation of the international research working group is to bring evidence-based support to advance FBA’s partnership with NATO. In addition, because FBA’s work intends to promote synergies and cooperation between NATO and the EU where the two organisations have overlapping activities, the Research Working Group is also expected to further FBA’s understanding of potential areas of cooperation between NATO and the EU. 

Hybrid Threats, Including Disinformation 
FBA’s work on hybrid threats ultimately centers on supporting relevant countries’ and organisations’ resilience in order to counter hybrid operations. The Research Working Group on hybrid threats is expected to inform FBA’s operations in terms of how organisations and states can reduce vulnerability, build societal resilience and safeguard democratic development in the face of new, increased and more complex range of hybrid threats. This includes identifying the nature of the threats, their mechanisms and inter-connections, as well as practical counter strategies. It is of importance to FBA to understand the rationales and strategies of authoritarian states in geographic areas such as Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Africa, and examining how various actors can better identify the threats and counter hybrid operations. A comparative understanding of differences in hybrid threat tactics against democracies and emerging democracies, especially during elections, is also important. 

Support to Free and Fair Elections 
FBA’s work related to supporting and protecting  free and fair elections focuses on support to fragile elections beyond election observation activities. As part of this work, the agency calls for researchers who can provide insights into several related matters: election interference in the context of hybrid threats and disinformation; security actors’ role and actions during electoral processes in light of new or increased global security challenges; and best practices to strengthen the capacity of election management bodies and other election-related institutions in light of new or increased risks, notably pandemics, conflicts and climate-related catastrophes. FBA is also interested in how to best leverage the work of election observers; the promotion of free and independent media in relation to elections; and normative principles and standards, as well as international platforms for electoral support. Finally, FBA is interested in supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, respectively, in relation to elections. In terms of geographic focus, FBA is particularly interested in Armenia and Somalia, as well as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Colombia.  

Protection of Civilians and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence 
FBA is looking for researchers to support the identification of evidence-based strategies to enhance protection of civilians and effectively support victim-centred and rights-based prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence and violent extremism, radicalization and recruitment to armed non-state actors.  Identifying push and pull factors, as well as underlying root causes such as exclusion and discrimination, risk factors, targets, typology and reasons for perpetration are essential. An intersectional approach to research in this field is a requirement for FBA, as well as taking other relevant factors into account, such as climate-related risks and socio-economic challenges. A key focus is on understanding how multilateral, regional, and national organizations, including armed forces and the police as well as civil society organizations, can enhance their efforts to prevent conflict-related violence against civilian women, men, girls and boys. This also involves examining civilians' strategies to protect themselves from harm and pinpointing what works best in different contexts. Another critical area of focus is how to increase accountability for perpetrators of conflict-related violence against civilians. This includes how mechanisms such as transitional justice systems, national courts, and customary justice systems can better ensure equal access to justice and accountability. Contexts of particular interest to FBA include DRC, Somalia, Sudan and Ukraine.  

WPS (extension of existing group): Gender-Equal Peace Processes 
FBA  has a mandate to contribute to inclusive peace processes and local ownership in national and regional peace efforts, with a focus on gender equality and the equal participation of women. For peace processes to be inclusive and gender-equal, traditionally excluded groups must have influence over both the process and the outcome. This requires representation and influence, but also that those traditionally involved in a peace process consider the needs, rights and interests of diverse groups of women and men when they analyze and prioritize the issues in an agreement. To enhance these efforts, FBA seeks researchers with expertise in gender-equal peace processes and interrelated research areas. This group will play a pivotal role in supporting FBA’s goal of driving organisational development that results in the institutionalisation of gender equality in both organisational practices and political processes.  

YPS (extension of existing group): Youth in Peace and Security Processes  
FBA works to advance the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda through the development of tools such as training materials, learning forums and mentorship. A significant challenge in YPS work at present is the general lack of comprehensive and reliable data on the role of youth in peace and security processes. Many countries and regions, especially conflict-affected and fragile states, lack disaggregated data on youth participation in peace efforts, the specific impacts of conflict on young people, and the long-term outcomes of youth-led peacebuilding initiatives. There is also a need for further research on the impact of youth participation in formal peace negotiations and in political decision-making. Research on youth as peacebuilders in relation to radicalisation and violent extremism is also much needed. Lastly, there is a significant gap in research on how youth are integrated into Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) processes and the role and effectiveness of youth-centered DDR models. This Research Working Group will focus on these aspects.