- Bjørn Skavlan Special Adviser + 47 22 03 73 80 bs@forskningsradet.no
In the vanguard of research :
New main strategy for the Research Council in the works
The Research Council of Norway plays an essential role in identifying and finding solutions to the significant research-related challenges that Norway is facing at the national and international level. To further clarify its role and enhance its efforts, the Research Council is drawing up a new overall strategy for its future activities.
In coming years, the Research Council's activities will focus on four fundamental challenges facing Norwegian research:
Ensuring adequate capacity: There must be greater investment in research activity and the overall quality must be enhanced to help researchers, trade and industry and society at large to develop and compete in an increasingly globalised world.
Meeting the needs of society: Research must seek to respond more directly to specified social and industrial challenges, especially in relation to welfare and industrial development, as well as global climate and energy problems.
Creating a sound structure: The structure of the Norwegian research system, its national partnerships and its international participation must be upgraded to achieve optimum utilisation of Norway's overall R&D resources.
Promoting learning from research: Research must generate results that can be applied by the private and public sectors alike, as well as provide a framework for learning that will benefit the national knowledge culture and base.
Constructive input from R&D stakeholders
The draft of the new strategy has recently been circulated for review to members of the research community, private sector and government administration. "We have received more than 60 responses," states Research Council Director General Arvid Hallén. "They provide us not only with good input to the draft strategy document, but also with excellent insight into matters that Norwegian R&D stakeholders consider to be important in general. In this way, the strategy review process enables the Research Council to become better equipped to deal with other important issues," he points out.
The draft version of the strategy (in Norwegian, as circulated for review) may be downloaded here. (PDF-85.3 KB)
Towards finalisation
The strategy is now being revised to incorporate the comments and input received, and performance targets in the priority action areas will be established. The strategy is expected to be finalised in the early winter of 2008/09.
The new strategy will provide the underlying platform for other Research Council policy documents and the annual budget proposal.
- Published:
- 16.09.2008
- Last updated:
- 16.09.2008
