Research for Future Skills, Education and Working Life
Important dates
What you can do now
Get to know the new application form
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27 May 2026
Application deadline
01 Jan 2027
Earliest permitted project start
01 Jun 2027
Latest permitted project start
Important dates
About the call for proposals
This call is in a new application system. You can find more information about the new system here.
Purpose
The purpose of this call is to gain new knowledge about education and working life, and about skills needed and skills development, in the face of societal challenges and changes. The research must be of high quality and support policy and practice. It must shed light on challenges, trends and opportunities in and between education, work and society.
Thematic or subject-specific guidelines
Projects must contribute with new knowledge within or across the following thematic areas:
- Education and working life in transition: The topic covers the functioning, development and adaptation of the education system, labour market and working life in the face of societal changes and the need for transformation.
- Competence and skills development: The topic includes how individuals and groups can develop competence throughout the life course and across different arenas, and how to facilitate seamless transitions between education, skills development and work.
- Learning, inclusion and quality in education: The topic covers the development of a high-quality education system and knowledge about factors that promotes learning, development and personal formation.
- Inclusive and well-functioning working life: The topic includes how we can ensure a well-functioning working life characterised by, among other things, high labour force participation and good working conditions.
We also invite research that sheds light on the role of social, cultural, structural and individual factors within the prioritised thematic areas.
The thematic areas are interrelated and are not mutually exclusive, research questions may therefore cut across the different areas.
The research must be relevant to Norwegian conditions, but international perspectives are welcome when appropriate. Research on governance, regulation, policy and administration, as well as cross-sectoral interaction and coordination, is relevant. The same applies to research that considers historical, cultural, ethical and normative perspectives, as well as gender and diversity perspectives.
Please note that the call includes earmarked funding for two projects where research on and for higher vocational education and/or vocational education and training is included in the main research question.
The call for proposals is based on the portfolio plan for welfare and education (in Norwegian) and is intended to contribute to achieving the plan's objectives and priorities.
Structural guidelines
Applications that demonstrate the following will be viewed favourably:
- active collaboration with researchers or research groups abroad
- active collaboration with at least one other national research organisation
- interdisciplinary cooperation at level 1 of the UHR's division of subject areas (in Norwegian)
Prioritisation of applications
We will prioritise the following in the recommendation to the portfolio board:
- a balanced distribution between and within the main thematic areas of the call
- an even distribution of funding for research on education, skills, the labour market and working life
- projects that introduce new perspectives and topics to the welfare and education portfolio, provided that the quality and relevance are sufficiently high. We will also seek to strengthen perspectives from legal studies, law and the humanities.
- two projects where research on and for higher vocational education and/or vocational education and training is included in the main research question, with funding earmarked for this purpose
Related calls for proposals
- democracy and participation, see also the call Democracy as a Form of Governance and Way of Life
- climate transition and sustainability, see also in particular the call Collaboration for a Green and Fair Transition, as well as the call Research for a Green and Fair Transition (link to come)
- the Sami population and national minorities, see also the call Follow-up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report
- inclusion of children and young people, see the call Research for Children and Young People's Participation and Safety
Why we have this call for proposals
The Norwegian welfare and knowledge society is facing changes and challenges that place new demands on both the education system and working life. Digitalisation and technological development, the transition to a low-emission society and changes in population composition are among the developments that affect key societal structures and require new and updated knowledge.
A high-quality education system and a well-functioning working life are crucial for value creation, inclusion and sustainable social development. We therefore request research that sheds light on key topics and issues within education and working life, and that generates knowledge about developments, challenges and potential solutions.
Who can participate in the project?
In addition to our requirement for who can be the Project Owner, we have requirements for the project manager's competence and for who can be collaborating partners.
For all participating organisations, the following applies:
One and the same actor cannot have two different roles in the project. This means that, for example, a subcontractor cannot simultaneously be the Project Owner or a collaborating partner in the project.
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
The Project Owner must be an approved Norwegian research organisation. You can find an overview of approved research organisations here.
The research organisation listed as the Project Owner in the application form must have approved the submission of the application.
If the application is a collaboration between several organisations, the Project Owner must submit the application on behalf of all partners.
Requirements relating to the project manager
You must have an approved doctoral degree or equivalent before the application deadline.
If you do not have an approved doctoral degree, but you have associate professor qualifications or are employed as researcher 1, researcher 2 or senior researcher in the institute sector or in a health trust, you can also be a project manager.
Requirements relating to collaborating partners
We do not require collaboration in this call. If you are going to include collaborating partners, the following applies:
- Only approved Norwegian research organisations (see "Who is eligible to apply?" above) or equivalent research organisations in other countries are eligible to be collaborating partners and receive funding under this call.
- Other types of organisations, including companies and other enterprises, may not be collaborating partners.
- All collaborating partners must enter into a collaboration agreement with the Project Owner if they are awarded funding from the Research Council.
Requirements relating to R&D providers
You cannot include R&D providers in the project.
About collaborating with foreign organisations
Foreign organisations similar to Norwegian research organisations are eligible for funding under this call. Other foreign organisations are not eligible to participate in the project.
Using subcontractors in the project
The Project Owner or collaborating partners may engage subcontractors to deliver services and contribute to the implementation of certain tasks in the project. Subcontractors cannot be given rights to project results.
Organisations that are subject to the regulations for public procurement must in the usual way carry out the selection of subcontractors in line with these regulations.
What can you seek funding for?
You can apply for funding to cover the actual costs necessary to carry out the project. The Project Owner must obtain information on costs from the collaborating partners in the project. These costs must be entered in the budget under the cost type to which they belong.
We require that you break down the project budget into the following cost types in your application:
- Payroll and indirect expenses, which are costs related to researcher time (including research fellowship positions and the project manager's position) at the research organisations participating in the project. For doctoral scholarships, the support is limited to three full-time equivalents. For postdoctoral fellowships, the support is limited to a minimum of three years and a maximum of four years. See our website about postdoctoral research fellowship positions and doctoral research fellowship positions.
- Other project expenses, which are costs for other activities that are necessary to carry out the project's R&D activities. Any purchases from subcontractors must be entered here. All costs you enter as other project costs must be specified in the application.
- Equipment, which are costs that include operating and depreciation costs for scientific equipment and research infrastructure necessary to carry out the project.
You are not to use the cost type Procurement of R&D services.
You can find more information about how to set up a budget on our website Set up work packages and budget in the new application system (My page).
Research stays abroad and visiting researchers
If doctoral and postdoctoral research fellows are included in the project and there are specific plans for them to stay abroad, this may be included in the application. We also have a separate call for proposals for research stays abroad for doctoral and post-doctoral research fellows. Here, the project manager can apply for funding for research stays abroad for research fellows who are part of the project during the project period.
If you have specific plans for visiting researchers or stays abroad for researchers in the project, this may be included in the application. The rules for such stays and information about rates can be found on the page about work packages and budgets under the section Other project expenses.
Scope of support
Funding of NOK 4 – 12 million per project is available under this call. We do not require own financing.
Conditions for funding
We do not award state aid under this call. This means that the funding should only go to your organisation’s non-economic activity. We assume that the necessary accounting separation is in place. Our conditions for funding and the disbursement of funding can be found in our general terms and conditions for funding for R&D projects (in Norwegian, English version will be available shortly).
Practical information
The application must be created and submitted via the Research Council's application system.
Please note that you can only submit the application once. If you submit the application and subsequently discover that it still needs to be changed, you must submit a new application and notify us that the original application is to be withdrawn. When you submit the new application, you must fill in the entire application form again.
You must write the application in English.
You should not link to websites in the application. Any links you provide will not be included in the assessment of the application.
The Research Council of Norway may reject applications where the Project Owner or any partner has significantly breached its obligations in other projects funded by the Research Council within the two years prior to the submission of the application.
The application may be rejected if the project manager has been convicted of misconduct by the Joint Integrity Committee or the Investigation Committee in the last two years prior to the submitted application.
The call is available in both Norwegian and English. The text in the Norwegian call for proposals is legally binding.
Ethical standards
The Research Council requires a high standard of research ethics in the projects we fund. You must provide a brief description of how ethical issues will be handled, to show the panel that you have an appropriate plan for this.
The responsibility for ensuring that the research ethics standard is followed lies with the individual researcher and research organisation (cf. the Research Ethics Act). The panel's assessment and the Research Council's decision regarding funding do not entail any approval of research ethics.
For more information, see the Research Council's page Ethical standards in research.
If you are granted funding
If your application is awarded funding, you must be aware of the following:
The project manager and the Project Owner must have assessed and managed any issue of research security in the project. Research security refers to the risks related to undesirable transfer of knowledge and technology, malign influence on research and innovation or violations of research ethics or integrity, where knowledge and technology are used to undermine key societal values.
Grant recipients in research organisations and the public sector (Project Owners and collaborating partners) must have action plans for gender equality (GEPs) available on their websites. The requirement does not apply to the private sector, interest groups or the voluntary sector.
The Research Council requires full and immediate open access for scientific articles, see Plan S - open access to publications.
For all projects that handle data, the Project Owner must prepare a data management plan in connection with the revised application, where you will find more information about the requirements for data management plans in projects that receive funding from us.
For medical and health studies involving humans, the Research Council sets special requirements and guidelines for prospective registration of studies and publication of results. We will update with more information soon.
Assessment
The panel will assess the application in light of the purpose of the call and the following criteria:
Excellence
- The extent to which the objectives are clear and relevant to the purpose of the call.
- The extent to which the project is ambitious and will challenge the state of the art.
- The extent to which interdisciplinary approaches are adequately addressed.
- The extent to which the gender perspectives in research and/or innovation are adequately addressed.
- The extent to which ethical issues are adequately addressed.
- The extent to which the theoretical approach, research design and choice of methods are credible and suitable.
Impact
- The extent to which the expected impact of the project underpins the purpose of the call.
- The extent to which the results from the project are likely to make significant and important contributions.
- The extent to which the planned results will contribute to achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
- The extent to which the plans to achieve the described impact are credible.
- The extent to which the plans and measures for dissemination and exploitation of the results are suitable for maximising the expected impact.
- The extent to which proper practice for open research is integrated, including the sharing and management of the research results.
- Where relevant, the extent to which the plans for cooperation with stakeholders, including citizens, end users and society in general, are suitable.
Implementation
- The extent to which the project participants’ expertise is complementary and that they as a whole have the necessary expertise.
- The extent to which the project manager has relevant expertise and experience.
- The extent to which the allocation of tasks ensures that all project participants have a clearly defined role and adequate resources to fulfil that role.
- The extent to which the plan for the implementation of the work is clear and realistic with defined milestones, work packages and deliverables.
- The extent to which the proposed management structures and governance are appropriate.
Administrative procedure
Applications that do not satisfy the formal requirements or do not meet the purpose of the call will be rejected. Applications that fall outside the delimitations set out in the call will be rejected without further consideration.
Applications that meet the formal requirements and fall within the scope of the call will be submitted to a panel of at least three panel members for assessment. The panel members make their individual assessments of the application and award a mark per criterion. After they have written the individual assessments, the panel meets for discussion, so that the application receives a joint panel assessment. At the meeting, the panel agrees on a joint panel assessment with grades and written assessments for each of the criteria.
The scale of marks goes from 0 to 5, where 5 is the highest. You can find more information on our information page about Scale of marks and assessment criteria.
Thresholds for marks
- We consider applications with an average mark ≥3.0, and no single mark ≤2, to be eligible for funding and will process these further.
- All other applications will be rejected.
Assessment of whether the application satisfies the academic, thematic and/or structural guidelines set out in the call
The administration will assess the extent to which the application meets the requirements and the thematic, academic and/or structural guidelines described in the call.
Portfolio assessment and decisions by the portfolio board
The administration makes a recommendation to the portfolio board. Applications can be recommended for allocation or rejection.
The portfolio board makes the decision on allocation or rejection. The decision is based on a portfolio assessment with the aim of identifying the applications that best meet the objectives, guidelines and priorities of the call as a whole.
Feedback on the application
You will receive feedback in the form of a decision letter. This includes written assessments and grades for each assessment criterion and a written justification for the decision.
Expected response to the application
The Portfolio Board is scheduled to decide which projects will receive funding in November/December 2026.
Messages at time of print 18 April 2026, 10:29 CEST