Innovation Project for the Public Sector

Level of Innovation

This criterion gives an indication of the significance of the innovation in relation to the “state-of-the-art” in a field. In this context, the term “innovation” is to be understood as renewal or new creations that generate value added. The innovation will be assessed as to whether it represents an innovation solely for the partners or applies in a national/international context as well.

Innovation areas:

• New or improved products/services
• New or updated methods of production/delivery/distribution
• New or updated structures for management/organisation/working conditions/competence
• New or updated business models
   

Potential for value creation within the public sector

This criterion gives an indication of the anticipated gains (financial and otherwise) for the public sector partners and affiliated users that will result from the implementation of the project. These gains will be compared against the aggregate expenses for the R&D project and the implementation period. It should be assumed that the project will be successfully realised. The potential for value creation may encompass:

• New services.
• Enhanced quality.
• Reduced costs.

Realisation of the innovation

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the conditions are in place for the potential for value creation to be realised, assuming that the R&D project will be successful. The realisation of the innovation will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• The plan for realisation (business plan). 
• Risk elements relating to industrialisation, commercialisation and implementation. 
• Market risks. 
• Organisational risks. 
• Financing risks. 
• Other risks.

Level of research

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the project will produce new knowledge of significance for the scientific development of the fields covered by the research. It must be evident that the project incorporates knowledge about the research front.
The level of research will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Status of the project in relation to the international research front.
• The proportion of research in the R&D project.

R&D project quality

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the R&D project can be considered to be realistic and feasible assessed in relation to the following points:

• R&D method 
• Project implementation plan, including milestones and deliverables
• Budget and resource parameters, including financing

Implementation capacity

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the partners, viewed as a whole, are seen as capable of performing the R&D project in an optimal fashion.

The implementation capacity will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Scientific management.
• Organisation and administrative leadership.
• Constellation of cooperating parties (make-up and competence).

Relevance of the research for innovation

This criterion gives an indication of how important the R&D project is for achieving realisation of the innovation.

Additionality

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which funding from the Research Council will affect the project by triggering efforts and actions by the target group partners that would not be achieved if the support had not been granted. Additionality will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• The impact of the funding in determining whether the project will or will not be realised, and the overall magnitude of the project.
• Whether the funding will lead to changes in the way the project is structured and implemented. 

Quality of the application documents

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the application documents are satisfactory as a basis for assessing whether a project should be granted funding. The information and plans that have been requested must be clearly described.

R&D-related risk

This criterion gives an indication of the level of ambition established for the scientific objectives of the R&D project, and how scientifically challenging it will be to achieve these objectives in full.

Other socio-economic benefits

This criterion gives an indication of the impact of a project on society outside of the utility value/commercial benefits for the partners in the target group. It should be assumed that the project will be successfully realised.

External effects may encompass:

• Value creation in industry.
• Useful applications for the public sector.
• Useful applications for civil society.
• Dissemination of knowledge, diffusion of technology and knowledge-building within R&D institutions.
• Enhancement of the external environment.

International cooperation

International cooperation will be assessed in relation to the extent and quality of the international cooperation activities set out for the project.

Relevance relative to the call for proposals

This criterion gives an indication of how well the project satisfies the guidelines and stipulations set out in the call for proposals.

Ethical perspectives

The Research Council emphasises the need for projects to maintain high ethical standards and not conflict in any way with the fundamental principles for ethics in research.
More information on ethical perspectives may be found in the guidelines for ethics in research drawn up by the national committees for research ethics and in the Act on Ethics and Integrity in Research.

Environmental impact

The Research Council attaches importance to whether research projects give adequate consideration to any potential impacts (positive or negative) on the natural environment (external environment), when this is relevant. This applies both to the performance of the projects and to the utilisation of the results.

Recruitment of women

The Research Council considers it important for projects to promote increased recruitment of women to higher academic positions and within the MST subject areas (mathematics, science and technology).

Gender balance in the project

The Research Council works actively to enhance the gender balance in the Norwegian research sector. Each project can play a role in this by seeking to ensure gender balance in the composition of the project group.

Gender perspectives in the research

The Research Council views it as essential that gender perspectives are given adequate consideration in research projects where this is relevant. Good research must take into account biological and social differences between women and men, and the gender dimension should be one of the main pillars of the development of new knowledge. In research projects this dimension may be manifested through the research questions addressed, the theoretical approaches chosen, the methodology applied, and in the efforts to assess whether the research results will have different implications for women and men.

Internationalisation

In this context, internationalisation refers to the extent to which the project serves to promote the internationalisation of Norwegian research, by such means as:

• International networks.
• International mobility.
• Measures that enhance Norway’s attractiveness as a host country for research activities.