Basic research – expanding the boundaries of our knowledge

Basic research is about exploring and pushing the boundaries of our knowledge. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein

Basic research is a systematic and methodical search for new knowledge and new ideas, motivated by pure curiosity and not by any predetermined application in mind. This may involve analysing properties and structures with the aim of setting up and test new hypotheses and theories.

Basic research is about exploring and pushing the boundaries of our knowledge. This research can lead to entirely new questions about things we didn't know we didn't know, and provides a knowledge base to use in situations we can't predict today.

Basic research can sometimes also be referred to as "unbiased research", where the researcher asks questions that neither the context, norms nor the client point out. Another definition is "research with no applications in sight". This means that the researcher, without thinking about what the research could be used for, seeks knowledge only for the sake of knowledge. A third definition is "curiosity-driven research", where the researcher's own curiosity is the main driving force. Sometimes, basic research is also described as "frontier research". This means that the researcher experiments and challenges conventional wisdom.

Basic research is characterised by the fact that it is the researcher himself who wants answers to certain questions. Within applied research, the goal is usually to produce new knowledge that is primarily aimed at a specific practical application.

Foundation for future innovations

Free basic research can be seen as a foundation for future innovations. Although the primary aim has not been to find applicable solutions to various practical problems, basic research has often led to major and important discoveries that have resulted in practical applications. There are many such examples.

Basic research in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry has paved the way for the CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors, which have a variety of potential applications for health and agricultural advancements. Another example is the discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19. A third example is how chemists Nils Löfgren and Bengt Lundqvist at Stockholms högskola, the predecessor of Stockholm University, discovered the substance that became the local anesthetic Xylocain*.

Stockholm University strong in basic research

Stockholm University is characterised by its basic research. Within all four faculties, basic research accounts for the majority of research. A large part of this research is also nationally leading and internationally prominent.

Stockholm University's strategies for 2023–2026 state that the university's fundamental mission is "... to contribute with scientifically based knowledge. It creates development; Free basic research leads to future innovations. Stockholm University's strong basic research profile will continue to be promoted and the importance of research for knowledge development, utilisation and for solving societal challenges will be clarified."

Stockholm University is very successful in obtaining external funding for its basic research. The main funders are the Swedish Research Council, the Wallenberg Foundations, the European Research Council (ERC), Formas, Forte and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.

These web pages provide examples of basic research conducted at Stockholm University to highlight the importance of basic research.

* Xylocaine is a local anesthetic developed by chemists Nils Löfgren (1913–1967) and Bengt Lundqvist (1922–1955) in the early 1940s at Stockholms högskola, the predecessor of Stockholm University. In 1943, they sold the rights to the pharmaceutical company Astra. It was, and still is, used especially as a local anesthetic by dentists because the anesthetic effect is immediate. The acquisition of the rights to lidocaine (the active ingredient in Xylocaine) is often referred to as the most important event in Astra's history.
Source: Swedish Intellectual Property Office

Stockholm University's strategies for 2023–2026