Knowledge-building Project for Industry

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.

Scientific merit

Scientific merit is a comprehensive criterion that gives an indication of essential, fundamental aspects of the research project. The scientific merit of a project will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Originality in the form of scientific innovation and/or the development of new knowledge.
• Whether the research questions, hypotheses and objectives have been clearly and adequately specified.
• The strength of the theoretical approach, operationalisation and use of scientific methods.
• Documented knowledge about the research front.
• The degree to which the scientific basis of the project is realistic.
• The scientific scope in terms of a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, when relevant.

The project manager and project group

The qualifications of the project manager and project group will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Project management.
• Expertise and experience within the field of research.
• Publication record.
• Experience with national and international collaboration on projects.
• Experience with supervision of students and junior researchers.
• The degree to which the project manager and project group are part of a research environment that has the competence and resources needed to ensure the success of the project.

Feasibility

 The feasibility of the project will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Budget and resource parameters, including financing.
• Plans for project implementation, including milestones and deliverables.

Benefits for the national knowledge base

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which the project will contribute to long-term competence development in the Norwegian research community.

The benefits for the national knowledge base will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• The role of the project in maintaining/strengthening the knowledge base
• The development of cutting-edge expertise
• Researcher training
• The importance for relevant educational programmes and other forms of knowledge management
• The national status of the R&D institution in relation to the thematic research areas

Relevance and benefit to trade and industry

This criterion gives an indication of the anticipated potential of the expertise/knowledge developed in connection with the project to generate value added in Norwegian trade and industry. The relevance and benefit to trade and industry will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• The need for this expertise among the participants from industry.
• The need for this expertise within Norwegian industry at large.
• The potential of the increased expertise to trigger new growth in Norwegian industry.

Strategic basis and importance

This criterion gives an indication of how the project is incorporated into, and the role it will play, in relation to the project owner’s and partners’ strategic objectives and plans, as well as the relevant research challenges (e.g. subject-specific evaluations, research agendas and technology roadmaps, strategic activities and business plans).

User participation

This criterion gives an indication of the extent to which those who will be utilising the R&D results have entered into a binding commitment regarding their involvement in the management and implementation of the project.

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.

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.

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.

Dissemination and communication of results

Dissemination and communication of results will be assessed in relation to the following points:

• Plans for scholarly publication, dissemination and other communication activities
• Plans for popular science dissemination and communication activities vis-à-vis the general public as well as users of the project results, including planned use of channels and measures.
• Plans for ensuring that important users (in industry, community life and public administration) are incorporated into/take part in dissemination activities 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.