About project reports

The Research Council is responsible for monitoring that the research funding granted is used for the purposes for which it has been allocated, and that the research results obtained from the projects are in keeping with the established plans.

When assessing grant applications, the Research Council attaches importance to the feasibility of the projects in scientific and administrative terms. Written reports submitted during the project period (progress reports) and upon conclusion of the project (final report) are among the tools employed in the monitoring process. Deficiencies with regard to reporting are seen as a weakness in the project management’s ability or willingness to follow up project activities at the administrative level, and may have ramifications for the continued funding of the project as well as when assessing subsequent grant applications from the same party.

In addition to a final report, all recipients of funding from the Research Council (with a very few exceptions) are required to submit progress reports. An approved progress report is a prerequisite for the disbursement of the funding pledged for the coming year.

In the case of projects with allocations in the fields of social science, humanities, medicine and environment and development research, copies of all research-generated data, including requisite documentation, shall be transferred from the Project Owner to the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD). This shall be carried out as soon as possible and at the latest two years following the expiry of the project period. The form for storage of data is found at https://www.nsd.no/nfr/nfrc.

Please contact your case officer at the Research Council in the event of any questions relating to reporting procedures and submission. The name and contact information have been provided in your earlier correspondence with the Council.

Other elements employed in the monitoring process to ensure that project allocations are used according to the original intent include:

• Meetings and other forms of dialogue between the Research Council and the research-performing institution.
• Presentations of project results on the project webpages.
• Project seminars at which results are presented. 
• Subject-specific and programme evaluations and other types of evaluations. 
• Audits of the internal monitoring procedures at the research-performing institution