Like these two programmes, the UTDANNING2020 programme is financed by the Ministry of Education and Research. UTDANNING2020 has a total budgetary framework of approximately NOK 400 million for the programme period.

The programme's primary objective is to strengthen educational research by promoting research of high scientific merit and to enhance the knowledge base for policy making, public administration, professional education and professional practice. A variety of subject areas and research communities will be encouraged to conduct research on issues related to the education sector as well as areas of overlap in other sectors, including working life.

To achieve the primary objective, it will be necessary to:

• Develop dynamic research groups that will make a significant contribution on the international research front;
• Strengthen the basis for recruitment within educational research in general and to top-level positions in particular; 
• Enhance the theoretical and methodological foundation of educational research; 
• Encourage research projects that combine various theoretical perspectives and methodologies as well as longitudinal studies; 
• Encourage a diversity of methodologies, for example by increasing the volume of quantitative research and social science research on the outcomes and effects of education; 
• Focus research thematically on the challenges within the sector and increase research on under-investigated areas such as kindergarten, upper secondary education and training, especially vocational education and training, higher education and adult learning; 
• Increase communication among researchers and between researchers and users.

The programme invites projects within the following four thematic priority areas:

• Educational objectives, content, and teaching and working methods; 
• Assessment forms, learning processes and learning outcomes in education; 
• Management, administration and organisation of educational and research institutions; 
• Education and society. 

Projects that investigate a single thematic area and those that address several areas are interesting and relevant under the new programme. The thematic priority areas should not be viewed as separate from each other, and there are particularly clear connections between thematic priorities A and B.