Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO)

New requirements and restrictions in 2023

To reduce the time and resources spent on writing and processing grant applications to the Research Council, we are introducing several measures that will contribute to increasing the percentage of applications for Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO) that receive funding. To achieve this, we are introducing two main measures.

The first is to replace the yearly application deadline with open-ended calls for proposals and application processing. This measure includes a one-year waiting period for project managers to apply again. The second is to introduce a submission restriction period for project managers for applications that do not receive one of the highest marks, so that they will have to wait for another year or two before applying again.

The waiting period and the submission restriction period are introduced starting with the Researcher Project for Young Talents call for proposals for the 15 March 2023 deadline. The threshold mark for avoiding a submission restriction period is lower for young talents than for project managers for Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal, and there will be no submission restriction period for project managers for Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility. The thresholds are based on the average of the marks (1–7, with 7 being the highest mark) given by the panels.

Call	Two years submission restriction	One year submission restriction	No submission restriction
Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal	3 or lower	Higher than 3, up to and including 5,5	Higher than 5,5
Researcher Project for Young Talents	None	4,5 or lower	Higher than 4,5
Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility	None	None	All

The waiting period applies from the date you submit the application. The submission restriction period applies from the date the waiting period expires. Example: A project manager submits an application for a Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal on 1 November 2023. In the panel evaluation, the application receives a grade average of 5,5, and the project manager receives an answer to the application in the spring of 2024. The waiting period for the project manager means that (s)he can be the project manager for a new FRIPRO application 1 November 2024 at the earliest, but because the application received a grade average within the threshold for the one-year submission restriction period, (s)he cannot submit an application to FRIPRO again before 1 November 2025 at the earliest.

We will introduce open-ended calls and application processing from and including the FRIPRO calls for proposals that will open for application submission in the autumn of 2023. Once you submit an application, you will have a 12-month waiting period until you can be project manager for a new FRIPRO application. We will make funding decisions for grant applications several times a year. The peer review process will be the same.

In addition, as of autumn 2023 we are introducing four less comprehensive measures to increase the funding rate and reduce the number of applications and the time and resources used in FRIPRO:

• You cannot be project manager for more than one FRIPRO project at a time, but you may apply for a new project well before your current project is finished.
• There will be a requirement of six years' experience after PhD or equivalent for Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal, so that this FRIPRO call will be reserved for experienced researchers. Early career researchers can apply for Researcher Project for Young Talents or Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility.
• If it is appropriate for the project you are planning, you can apply for a project with a longer duration than you have been able to until now.
• The Research Council will start using permanent pools of expert reviewers in the processing of applications to more quickly and efficiently assemble suitable expertise to assess the applications we receive.

The changes have been made in close dialogue with Norwegian research organisations, the Research Council's Executive Board and FRIPRO's three portfolio boards.

The assessment criteria (Excellence – Potential for advancing the state of the art and Quality in R&D activities) are still the most important when applications are selected for funding from FRIPRO, and only the best researchers with particularly strong applications will be able to succeed. In 2022, approximately 25 per cent of applications with a mark of 6 or 7 on all assessment criteria received funding.

About Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO)

New knowledge often arises in unexpected ways and in areas that cannot be predicted. Free, basic research is therefore important to scientific renewal and renewal in the field of practice and can form the basis for more applied research, business development and policymaking. FRIPRO aims to contribute to this, and we announce funding for basic and applied research projects in all disciplines where the ideas for projects originate with the researchers themselves.

Innovative and outstanding research for major advances

FRIPRO will promote

• scientific quality at the international research front
• bold and innovative research
• career development and international mobility for young scientists

No one can know the exact results or future value of a research project, but we can always dream big and aim for research that can lead to significant advances in the field. Through FRIPRO, we are willing to invest in bold research with a high-risk potential. We expect grant applications for such projects to have good risk planning and back-up plans.

For research organisations and career development

Through FRIPRO, we want to reach researchers at different stages of their career. We therefore announce funding via the application type Researcher Project, under the three calls that combined ensure that everyone with an approved PhD can apply for funding from FRIPRO:

• Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal: 6 years after doctoral defence
• Researcher Project for Young Talents: 2–7 after doctoral defence, below the age of 40 years
• Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility: 0–7 years after doctoral defence

In addition, project managers for Researcher Project for Young Talents/Young Research Talents may apply for funding for stays abroad of 3–12 months.

FRIPRO targets research groups, which means that only research organisations, potentially in cooperation with other research organisations, may apply for this funding. Companies and other undertakings cannot be partners but may deliver R&D services to the projects as sub-contractors.

The portfolio boards make the decision

The portfolio boards for Humanities and social sciences, Life science and Natural Sciences and technologies make the final decision on whether to grant or reject FRIPRO applications.