Researcher Project for Young Talents

Funding will go to the most ground-breaking research and the research with the highest scientific merit regardless of discipline or topic. We will fund the best projects in both basic and applied research that contribute to strengthening our national contingency knowledge. The funds should especially promote scientific quality at the forefront of international research and bold and innovative research.

Ranking of applications
Only applications that are awarded an overall assessment mark of 6 or 7, and 6 or 7 for the Excellence assessment criterion, are eligible for funding. We emphasise the ranking of applications in the panels.

Funds subject to special guidelines
In the topic ground-breaking research (FRIPRO) under the three calls Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal, Researcher Project for Young Research Talents and Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility, funds are included from the Storting’s climate settlement and the technology boost in The Long-term Plan for Research and Higher Education:

NOK 24 million to renewable energy and carbon capture and storage
If your application is relevant to these funds, you must write the word ‘Energy’ in the field ‘Other relevant programmes/activities/projects’ in the application form.

NOK 25 million to basic ICT research for digital transformation
If your application is relevant to these funds you must write the word ‘ICT’ in the field ‘Other relevant programmes/activities/projects’ in the application form.

Administrative procedures
Applications for Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal that are relevant to funds subject to special guidelines, will initially be assessed on a par with other applications for Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal for ground-breaking research, within the ceiling of the NOK 390 million described above. Applications that qualify will be awarded funds from there. After that, the portfolio boards will allocate funds subject to special guidelines for relevant projects.

A total of NOK 85 million is available for this topic, distributed between three priority areas and three calls for proposals. Applications for each priority area will compete across the calls. Applicants are to select a call based on whether it is necessary or useful to have partners from outside academia.

Marine ecosystems – thematic open calls
The research area Marine ecosystems aims to increase understanding of ecosystems' structure, function, variation and change in order to achieve sustainable and long-term management of Norwegian coastal and marine areas. The research area is described in more detail in the MARINFORSK Work Programme.

Pollution and other effects on ecosystems – Mineral extraction on the sea floor and onshore
Onshore and offshore mineral extraction leads to occupation of areas and deposition of minerals processing waste and various chemicals into the marine environment. More knowledge is needed about the spread of minerals processing waste and associated chemicals, and their impact on marine ecosystems as a whole and on individual species, populations and societies.

To be relevant, the project must be related to at least one of the following areas:

• development of empirical data and reliable models for calculating chemical, physical and biological processes in and around marine waste deposits from onshore mining and the impact of these processes on the marine environments. Focus should be placed on both the operational and restitution phase of extraction.
• more knowledge on how mineral extraction on the sea floor and any associated minerals processing waste deposits in coastal areas and at sea affect the marine ecosystem.

Management and societal perspectives – Knowledge-based management of marine resources, ecosystems and ecosystem services
Achieving sustainable utilisation of marine resources requires knowledge-based and ecosystem-based management with an integrated approach. Within this thematic priority area, we seek more knowledge about which factors serve to facilitate or impede the management of‏ marine ecosystems and marine ecosystem services. This may encompass studies of policy, economics, national and international legislation, strategies, policy instruments, agreements, barriers and opportunities, attitudes and behaviour, gender perspectives and the capacity of society to design and implement change. These are all multi- and interdisciplinary challenges that require insight from the natural sciences and social sciences, as well as the humanities.

Applications related to research needs in the following focus areas are relevant:

1. Marine ecosystem services
2. Management of marine and coastal waters
3. Management challenges in light of climate and environmental change

Research needs are described in more detail in the MARINFORSK Work Programme.

Relevance
The attachment ‘Relevance to the topic’ is mandatory if you select marine research, and it must be clearly stated which of the three research areas above the application targets. You may select more than one area. The template can be found at the end of the call.

When we award a mark for the application’s relevance, we will also place special consideration on recruitment positions (PhD or post-doctoral fellows).

A total of NOK 80 million is available for this topic, distributed between three priority areas and three calls for proposals (application types). Applications for each priority area will compete across the calls. Applicants must select a call based on whether it is necessary or useful to have partners from outside academia.

Fish health and fish welfare – thematic open call
Projects within this research area can encompass all aquaculture species, and all research that contributes to increased knowledge about and understanding of aquaculture organisms’ health and welfare are relevant. The research area is described in more detail in the HAVBRUK Work Programme.

Relevance
It must be clearly stated which of the priority areas the application targets. The attachment ‘Relevance to the topic’ is mandatory if you select the topic aquaculture research. The template can be found at the end of the call.

When we award a mark for the application’s relevance, we will also place special consideration on:

• relevant international collaboration;
• recruitment positions (PhD or post-doctoral fellows).

Funding must contribute to increasing basic knowledge of space and Earth, and to the development of a new generation of space researchers. The funding must also contribute to the utilisation of Norwegian space activity in research, particularly in relation to Norway’s participation in the European Space Agency (ESA), European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) and Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT).

Projects eligible for funding within this topic must fall under at least one of the following three thematic areas:

• solar-terrestrial physics with an emphasis on understanding fundamental processes of the sun and the solar atmosphere and on how solar wind and solar activity affect Earth's upper atmosphere and the global environment;
• the structure and development of the Universe, with an emphasis on understanding fundamental astrophysical processes;
• Earth observations from satellites with emphasis on climate monitoring, resource mapping, pollution from petroleum activities, monitoring and management of Arctic areas.

The areas are described in more detail in the ROMFORSKNING Work Programme.

When we award a mark for the application’s relevance, we will also place special consideration on:

• relevance to research-related utilisation of Norwegian space activity, particularly related to ESA, EISCAT and/or NOT;
• recruitment positions (PhD and/or post-doctoral).

The attachment ‘Relevance to the topic’ is mandatory if you select this topic. The template can be found at the end of the call.

Funding is available for research on and for the educational sector. The goal is to generate knowledge of high quality and relevance to policy development, administration and the field of practice, and contribute to knowledge-based development.

To be eligible for funding, projects must be relevant to at least one of the following four priority areas:

• A: Learning processes, assessment forms and learning outcomes;
• B: Praxis, professional practice and competence-development;
• C: Governance, management, organisation and achievement of results;
• D: Education, society and working life.

The priority areas are described in more detail in section 2.2 of the Education and Competence portfolio plan. The final paragraph in priority area B in the portfolio plan concerns research competence in selected programmes of professional study, and is not relevant to this call. 

The call is open for projects that look at more than one of the priority areas in conjunction with one another.

We seek research for and on the whole educational sector and all levels of the educational system, from early childhood education and care institutions and primary schools through higher education and learning in and outside working life. Projects that examine transitions between the levels of the educational system and the transition from education to working life are also of interest.

When awarding a mark for the project’s relevance, we will also place special consideration on:

• active collaboration with at least one other Norwegian research organisation;
• active international collaboration;
• recruitment positions;
• inter- or multidisciplinary cooperation.

The attachment ‘Relevance to the topic’ is mandatory if you select this topic. The template can be found at the end of the call.

Funding is available for research that provides knowledge about and addresses societal challenges within one or more of the thematic areas described in the attachment to the portfolio plan on Welfare, Working Life and Migration:

• welfare, living conditions and inequality;
• achieving an adaptable, inclusive and health-promoting working life;
• active citizenship, migration and the role of institutions.

To be relevant to this call, migration research must be linked to integration, welfare and working life.

When we award a mark for the application’s relevance, we will also emphasise:

• the use of different methods to measure the outcomes of measures and instruments aimed at increasing inclusion in working life and society and reducing inequality and exclusion;
• multi- and interdisciplinarity, where perspectives of law, the health disciplines, technology and/or the humanities are included;
• active national and international cooperation.

The attachment ‘Relevance to the topic’ is mandatory if you select this topic. The template can be found at the end of the call.