FRIPRO
FRIPRO is an open, national competitive arena within all disciplines and topics, for researchers at research organisations. Through FRIPRO, we fund basic, excellent research, where the project ideas come from the researchers themselves. The Research Council has five open-ended calls for groundbreaking research.
FRIPRO in the new application system
FRIPRO will be transfered to the new system on 14 January 2027. At the same time, we will close the old system. If you submit your FRIPRO application in the old system by 1 December 2026, you will receive feedback on necessary adjustments to the application so that you have time to correct and submit again before the old system closes.
1 December is not a new application deadline. This is something we do with all FRIPRO applications: When a FRIPRO application is submitted, we assess whether it meets the requirements set out in the call. If all the requirements are met, you will not receive separate feedback on this, and the application will be further assessed. If the application does not meet all the requirements, you will be notified of the necessary changes that must be made before the application is resubmitted.
It will still be possible to submit the application after 1 December and until 13 January. However, if the application is submitted later than 1 December, we cannot guarantee that there will be sufficient time to provide feedback and implement any necessary changes before the old system closes. In such cases where the application is considered insufficient, any adjustments must be reversed and submitted in the new application system.
The transition to the new system does not apply to Radical Research Ideas. This call will be launched later in 2027. We will return with more information and will notify you well in advance of the transition.
About FRIPRO
Free, basic research is important for scientific and academic renewal, and can form the basis for more applied research, business development and policy development. The FRIPRO scheme will contribute to this, and funding is available for basic and applied research projects in all disciplines where the project ideas come from the researchers themselves.
The FRIPRO scheme shall promote
- scientific quality at the forefront of international research
- bold and innovative research
- career and international mobility for researchers early in their research careers
At FRIPRO, we are willing to invest in bold research that has the potential to provide significant advances in the field, even if it also carries a significant risk of failure. When you apply, you should describe well how you will manage the risk and alternative plans if the first do not go as desired.
The Research Council of Norway's portfolio for ground-breaking research is responsible for FRIPRO.
As project manager for an application to one of the calls for groundbreaking research, you will be given a one-year waiting period calculated from the date you submit the application until you can serve as project manager for a new such application. For Researcher Project with International Mobility, Researcher Project for Early Career and Radical Research Ideas, you can apply for a deduction for the requirement of a maximum of seven years since you defended your thesis.
All FRIPRO applications are assessed by a panel of peer reviewers before the Portfolio Board for Ground-breaking Research decides whether to award funding to each application or not. The portfolio board does this approximately every two months for all applications that have been peer-reviewed.
When can I apply?
We receive and process applications on an ongoing basis, which means that you can apply at any time. There are restrictions on how often you can apply, and the project for which funding is sought must be scheduled to start 8–18 months after submitting the grant application. The average application processing time is 5 months, varying from approximately 2–10 months.
How long before the planned project start-up should I apply?
The average application processing time is 5 months, varying from approximately 2–10 months. This means that you should calculate 2–10 months from submitting your application until you receive an answer. If the application is approved, you may need to update the application/make some changes before we approve it. You will also need to arrange any collaboration agreements and approve the contract, and in addition you may need time to hire PhD candidates or others in the project.
If your project requires significant time from when you learn that the application has been granted funding for the project to start, it is advisable to apply 12–18 months before the planned project start. If you can start quickly, you can apply 8-12 months before. If you receive an answer sooner than you expected and would like to start sooner, we will normally approve this. If the application processing takes more than 8 months, you can also obtain approval to postpone the start of the project if this is necessary for the project.
Words and phrases in FRIPRO
Are you wondering about any of the words and terms we use on this page and in our FRIPRO calls? We have explained some of these in the document terminology and framework for the scheme (FRIPRO) (pdf that opens in a new window).