2025 - a year of extraordinary progress
2025 has been a remarkable year for the department – a year marked by scientific advances, major research grants, growing educational impact and strengthened collaborations. The achievements reflect the commitment of researchers, teachers and administrative staff across the department.
Exceptional success in European research funding
This year, researchers at the department secured an impressive range of highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) grants.
Associate Professor Simon Olsson received an ERC Consolidator Grant for SPETITO, which advances generative AI methods to efficiently simulate protein motion and support the design of new vaccines.
Assistant Professor Rocío Mercado was awarded an ERC Starting Grant for POLYGEN: New Paradigms for Deep Generative Modeling of Polymers. Her research develops generative AI to enable data-driven design of new polymers with targeted properties.
The department are also pleased to welcome Josef Urban, whose ERC Advanced Grant will begin as he joins the department on 1 January. His presence will greatly boost the departments cross-division efforts in AI for mathematics.
Strengthening research excellence
Researchers at the department continued to be recognised in major Swedish funding programmes.
Assistant Professor Rebekka Wohlrab was selected as one of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research’s Future Research Leaders 2025. Her work develops design principles for effective coordination in human–machine work environments.
Assistant Professor Ilaria Torre was appointed a Wallenberg Academy Fellow 2025 with research that aims to build a universal system for adapting robotic communication, helping humans interpret and respond to robots more intuitively.
The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) awarded funding to nine researchers at the department. This year’s results reflect both the breadth – spanning autonomous systems, cryptography, software engineering, mathematical reasoning and modern AI methods – and highlight the recognised quality and importance of the research selected for funding.
Associate Professor Simon Olsson and Professor Robert Feldt have been selected for the Chalmers Academic Excellence Program, which recognises scientific excellence, future potential, and leadership in building research environments and fostering academic citizenship.
Excellence in education and academic culture
The department’s work to support education and an inclusive academic environment was also acknowledged this year.
Associate Professor Francisco Gomes received both the Chalmers Pedagogical Prize and the Chalmers Equality Prize for his continued contribution to equitable learning environments for students and colleagues.
The Supervisor of the Year Award was presented to Assistant Professor Yinan Yu for her inclusive leadership and for establishing a transparent, supportive atmosphere for doctoral researchers.
Education thriving and attracting strong interest
Our educational programmes continued to grow in reputation and reach. The bachelor’s programme Software Engineering and Management is now one of the strongest programmes at the University of Gothenburg. This year, it reached a new milestone with more than 3,000 first-choice applicants, making it one of Europe’s most popular programmes in its field.
Honouring outstanding contributors to science
Two international researchers were recognised with honorary doctorates.
Babak Hassibi, Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), received an honorary doctorate from Chalmers. He is an Affiliated Professor at the department and has collaborated closely with our researchers over many years.
Ricardo Baeza-Yates, also a long-time collaborator with the department, was named an honorary doctor at the University of Gothenburg. His connection with our research community spans more than twenty years of exchanges and joint activities.
Two Jubilee Professors have also been appointed this year for 2026, Emily Riehl (Johns Hopkins University) and Xiao-Li Meng (Harvard University), whose upcoming visits will strengthen the research environment and international collaborations.
“The developments of 2025 provide a clear reminder of the steady and valuable work carried out within the department. Building on the experiences of 2025, the department enters 2026 with the same commitment, ambitions and focus on high-quality research and education,” says Richard Torkar, Head of Department.
Read more:
AI research on proteins awarded ERC Consolidator Grant | Chalmers
Distinguished EU grant to promising Chalmers researchers | Chalmers
Three Chalmers researchers appointed as future research leaders | Chalmers
Five new Wallenberg Academy Fellows at Chalmers 2025 | Chalmers
Funding from the Swedish Research Council 2025 | Chalmers
Trio honoured for their work on equality | Chalmers
Teachers awarded for inclusive pedagogy | Chalmers
She is the Supervisor of the Year | Chalmers
Chalmers new honorary doctors span a wide range | Chalmers
AI-researcher Ricardo Baeza-Yates new honorary doctor | University of Gothenburg
2026 Jubilee Professors appointed | Chalmers
Author: Cecilia Kertes