Sven Stafström received his PhD in theoretical physics from Linköping University (LiU) in Sweden in 1985. In 2000 he became professor in Computational Physics at LiU, a position he still holds. His main research interest relate to charge transport in carbon based materials for electronic applications. Sven Stafström has a strong background in academic leadership. He served as Director of Studies at the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (LiU), acting Dean at Linköping Institute of Technology, Director of the National Supercomputer Centre (NSC) and Head of the Department of Science and Technology at LiU. In 2010 he became Secretary General of the Swedish Research Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences, a position he held until he became acting Director General in November 2013. Starting from June 2014 he is Director General of the Swedish Research Council.