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How does the ‘Money Follows Cooperation’ model work?

Money Follows Cooperation makes it possible for Norwegian researchers to receive funding from foreign research councils when they participate in research and innovation projects in other countries.

Mutual broadening of access to national funding schemes

The MFC-agreements are bilateral agreements which mutually open up national funding schemes to foreign researchers from the partner country. This allows research funding organizations to fund projects which are partly implemented in a foreign country. MFC simplifies cross-border funding since it omits the need to have a separate scheme or call for international projects. The goal is to encourage and facilitate collaboration between Norwegian and foreign researchers, and to reach a proportional level of funding between the partner countries. 

More about the model

Norwegian researchers can participate in an application sent to a research council we have a MFC-collaboration with. If the application succeeds, the foreign research council will also fund the Norwegian part of the project. The Norwegian part will be funded in line with the foreign research council's rules and regulations. Accordingly, international collaborators in applications to the Research Council of Norway (RCN) will be funded in line with our national rules and regulations.

No specific bilateral calls for proposals

The MFC model normally omits bilateral calls but open up national calls for international cooperation. The application process is therefore dependent on which national call you're applying to. 

Questions relating to the RCN's calls should be directed to the contact persons of the given call. 

RCN has signed MFC agreements with the following research councils: 

The application process of these research councils can be found at each council's respective website. 

Messages at time of print 8 December 2024, 04:38 CET

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