- 1. About the programme
- 2. Announcement
- 3. Create application
| Deadline | Announcement | |
|---|---|---|
| Open-ended | Support Norwegian participation in establishing research infrastructure on the ESFRI Roadmap 2008 | Choose |
Objectives:
The objective of the National Financing Initiative for Research Infrastructure is:
• to establish a research infrastructure that enables Norway to address its knowledge challenges in a constructive, cost-effective manner, and to meet the needs of the industria sector and the authorities, address future recruitment challenges, enhance efficiency and quality in research, and increase the potential for international research cooperation;
• to coordinate, effectively utilise and operationalise research infrastructure in areas where Norway has dynamic research communities;
• to enhance the Norwegian research community’s international reputation as a provider of outstanding research infrastructure;
• to provide support for Norwegian participation in future international research infrastructures.
The infrastructure initiative was launched to follow up the Government white paper on research, Climate for Research, and the national strategy for research infrastructure, Tools for Research, which proposes a clear division of responsibility for investment in research infrastructure. A distinction is made between basic equipment, equipment of national interest, and particularly costly national and international research infrastructure. The Research Council has implemented the initiative to ensure an adequate interface between the funding of research infrastructure and other research funding, as well as a cohesive assessment of the balance between national investment and participation in international research infrastructures. The initiative encompasses infrastructure with investment costs in the range of NOK 2-200 million.
The Research Council provides support for the establishment (and in certain cases the operation) of research infrastructure with a national function. This refers to:
Infrastructure that is of widespread national interest
The establishment of the infrastructure must be of major interest to Norway as a whole. The Research Council will incorporate considerations relating to the priorities set out in the white paper on research.
Infrastructure that will be available in only one or a few locations in Norway, as a general rule
The Research Council encourages research institutions with common interests to implement task-sharing when appropriate and work together on grant applications.
Infrastructure that enables internationally cutting-edge research
Allocations are intended to support the activities of research groups that are already at the international forefront or demonstrate good potential realistically speaking to achieve that position.
Infrastructure that will be made accessible to relevant researchers and industries
Access must be given to any groups outside the applicant institution that will need to utilise the infrastructure. Grant applications must include plans for user access.
The initiative also provides funding for Norwegian participation in Nordic, European and other international cooperation on research infrastructure, including Norwegian participation in the construction phase of ESFRI projects. With regard to internationally distributed research infrastructures, the initiative may support the construction and operation of the Norwegian node of the infrastructure.
The National Financing Initiative for Research Infrastructure does not encompass:
• basic equipment that a number of research institutions are expected to have and research infrastructure that costs less than NOK 2 million;*
• research facilities involving investments that exceed NOK 200 million. Research infrastructure of this magnitude will be dealt with at the ministerial or government level, after consultation with the Research Council, in compliance with the strategy Tools for Research;**
• international research cooperation involving major, long-term commitments in the form of investments and membership dues. Decisions regarding such commitments will be taken at the ministerial level;
• buildings that house research infrastructure. Institutions must state in the grant proposal that suitable facilities for the research infrastructure will be provided. Funding may not be sought to cover expenses associated with this, with the exception of extra outlay for particularly costly technical installations essential to establishing the infrastructure.
*) Costs related to depreciation of research infrastructure that has been procured independently of any support from the Research Council and will be used in a project receiving Research Council funding may be approved as a portion of the overall project costs. (link)
**) Institutions seeking to establish research facilities with investment costs over NOK 200 million should contact the Research Council directly.
This programme/activity normally accepts grant applications from:
Universities, university colleges and research institutes*, as well as publicly-funded administrators of research infrastructure working in close cooperation with Norwegian research institutions.
*) According to the European Commission definition, a research organisation “means an entity, such as a university or research institute, irrespective of its legal status (organised under public or private laws) or its way of financing, whose primary goal is to conduct basic (fundamental) and applied (industrial) research or experimental development and to disseminate their results by way of teaching, publication or technology transfer; all profits are reinvested in these activities, the dissemination of their results or teaching; undertakings that can exert influence upon such an entity, in the quality of e.g. shareholders or members, shall enjoy no preferential access to the research capacities of such an entity or to the results generated by it.”
Duration:
2009-2017
Overall budget:
The initiative is primarily funded through an earmarked portion of the yield from the Fund for Research and Innovation. Currently, the investment level via the Fund is NOK 140 million in 2010 and NOK 280 million per year from 2011.
Programme webpage
Relevant documents
- What type of research infrastructure is eligible for funding (PDF-40.5 KB)
- Application Review Procedure (PDF-57.6 KB)
- Assessment Criteria (PDF-41.9 KB)
- Template for project decription (Word-69 KB)
- Spreadsheet for Cost Calculation (XLS-39 KB)
Contact
- Jon Børre Ørbæk Senior Adviser 22 03 75 29 jbo@forskningsradet.no
- Solveig Flock Senior Adviser 22 03 70 34 sfl@forskningsradet.no
- Gudmund Høst Special Adviser +47 22 03 73 77 gho@forskningsradet.no
- Monica Bergem Senior Adviser 22 03 74 22 mbe@forskningsradet.no
- Odd Ivar Eriksen Special Adviser +47 22 03 70 23 oie@forskningsradet.no
- Vidar Skagestad Special Adviser 22 03 74 41 vsk@forskningsradet.no
- Jacob Edward Wang Senior Adviser 22 03 73 25 jew@forskningsradet.no
- Ingunn Stangeby Special Adviser 22 03 74 34 ins@forskningsradet.no
- Terje Strand Senior Adviser 22 03 71 20 ters@forskningsradet.no
