Transport 2050 - Centres for Transport Research
Important dates
01 Nov 2024
Open for applications
15 Jan 2025
Application deadline
June 2025
Expected funding decision
01 Jul 2025
Earliest permitted project start
01 Oct 2025
Latest permitted project start
30 Sep 2033
Latest permitted project completion date
Important dates
Purpose
Norway must become a low-emission society by 2050 and the transport sector must plan for major changes in the years to come. With major societal changes towards 2050, there is a need for more knowledge about how the transport system as a whole should be developed and how the transport sector will be affected by different types of shocks and changes in framework conditions. With this initiative, we want transport research that is more directly aimed at the authorities' need for a scientific basis for planning and prioritisation. The research activities must be interdisciplinary, and the possibility of using the research results in practical policy formulation and the exercise of authority is emphasised.
About the call for proposals
Norway must become a low-emission society by 2050, and the transport sector must plan for major changes in the years to come. With major societal changes up to 2050, there is a need for more knowledge about how the transport system as a whole should be developed and how the transport sector will be affected by different types of shocks and changes in framework conditions. With this initiative, we want transport research that is more directly aimed at the authorities' and the public transport companies' need for a scientific basis for planning and prioritisation. The research activities must be interdisciplinary, and the possibility of using the research results in practical policy formulation and the exercise of authority is emphasised.
Transport 2050 will respond to long-term needs and challenges in the transport sector. Funding is available for high-quality fundamental or applied research.
Thematic delimitation and budget for the centres:
Centre 1: Development of methods, models and basis for analysis
A transition to a low-emission society in 2050 requires the development of methods, models and a basis for analysis. Among other things, various forms of assessment of future transport demand and needs should be developed, such as backcasting and scenario methodology, so that the authorities can plan for a transport system that is consistent with the 2050 climate target. The fulfilment of Norway's nature obligations, and how the transport system should be developed in the face of other societal challenges, may also be relevant to develop a methodology for. The R&D activities will generally be based on relevant recommendations of methods and analysis tools, such as the Technical Calculation Committee for Climate Change (our translation) (Teknisk beregningsutvalg for klima, in Norwegian only). The work should be applicable in the decision-making basis for policy formulation, and will provide a theoretical and empirical contribution to method development work carried out by the transport companies. In this context, there is also a need for knowledge about the importance of technological development, changes in the distribution of means of transport and changes in transport activity up to 2050. The centre should also take into account developments related to issues such as digitalisation, automation, technological development, electrification, artificial intelligence and increased computing power.
An annual budget of up to NOK 8.8 million per year will be set aside for the centre, and up to NOK 70.4 million in total over eight years. 20 per cent of the annual allocation to the centre will be reserved for carrying out specific assignments from the Ministry of Transport . These can be studies, analyses or knowledge summaries with specific deadlines, e.g. in connection with the work on the National Transport Plan. The assignments must be in line with the centre's main purpose. The final decision is made by the Ministry based on proposals from the centre and an input process. If the quota is not filled, the funds will go into the rest of the centre's operations.
Centre 2: Climate change adaptation and vulnerability management
The centre will show how society should adapt to a harsher climate and more extreme weather in 2050. This requires analysing what measures governments and public transport operators should take to reduce the negative effects of these changes. Research will also be conducted on vulnerabilities that arise in society when the transport sector becomes digital and electric, for example what consequences electrification of the transport sector may have for total defence. The centre will also analyse measures that the authorities and transport companies can implement to reduce vulnerabilities.
An annual budget of up to NOK 7.6 million per year will be planned for the centre, and up to NOK 60.8 million in total over eight years. 10 per cent of the annual allocation to the centre will be reserved for carrying out specific assignments from the Ministry of Transport on the basis of the same assumptions as described above under the discussion of centre 1.
Centre 3: Development of the transport system within a stricter framework for nature, the environment and land use
Increasing natural and environmental challenges and tighter frameworks for land use place stricter demands on how the transport sector can be developed in order to achieve an efficient, environmentally friendly and safe transport system throughout the country in 2050. There is a need for more knowledge about how the transport sector can be developed within this framework, either by avoiding, shifting or improving (the ASI principle). It is important to have knowledge about how the transport system affects nature, the environment and land use, and the effect of introduced measures, including regulations and national land-use guidelines. Furthermore, there is a need to develop methods and systematics that enable transport companies and authorities to better assess and manage their impact on nature, the environment and land use. This involves developing measures that can ensure the necessary development of the transport system, without creating unacceptable negative consequences for nature, the environment and land use.
An annual budget of up to NOK 7.6 million per year will be planned for the centre, and up to NOK 60.8 million in total over eight years. 10 per cent of the annual allocation to the centre will be reserved for carrying out specific assignments from the Ministry of Transport on the basis of the same assumptions as described above under the discussion of centre 1.
Other requirements and guidelines
In the portfolio assessment of which centres are to be allocated, we will prioritise that the Transport 2050 centres collectively cover the three priority research topics and that there is an institutional spread of the centres. Projects with a cross-sectoral focus will be prioritised over projects that are limited to one mode of transport (air, sea, road and rail).
We assume that academic communities within the same field collaborate to prepare a joint application for one centre. However, the academic communities do not necessarily have to be geographically co-located. The academic and administrative responsibility must be clearly anchored with the host institution.
In order to facilitate the use of research results by the public sector, a high degree of real involvement of partners in the centre is required.
Through the research centre, you must work actively to share findings and results from the research. This includes a close dialogue with the Ministry of Transport.
It is also a requirement that representatives from the centres participate in a possible joint meeting arena for Transport 2050, if there is a need to have a single point of contact for reporting, sharing information and discussing the application of the knowledge from the centres.
Applicants must familiarise themselves with the call for proposals and the Requirements and guidelines for business or community-oriented centres (pdf).
The call is available in both Norwegian and English. The text of the Norwegian call for proposals is legally binding.
The final launch of Transport 2050 requires the Storting’s approval of the state budget.
Who is eligible to apply?
Approved Norwegian research organisations can apply in effective collaboration with partners from other research organisations, the business sector and the public sector.
See the list of approved research organisations and definition of the public sector.
Public actors and any private companies must participate as partners, referred to as user partners.
Who can participate in the project?
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
- The Project Owner organisation must be an approved research organisation.
- The research organisation listed as the Project Owner in the application form must have approved the submission of the application.
- The Project Owner submits the application on behalf of all partners.
Requirements relating to the project manager
- The project manager (centre director) must document experience from managing large, complex projects.
- The project manager (centre director) must be employed by the Project Owner or by one of the partners.
Requirements relating to partners
- The research in the centre will be carried out by research organisations in effective collaboration with relevant actors in the public sector and Norwegian business and industry. See a more detailed description of collaboration and roles in the document Requirements and guidelines for industrial or community-oriented research centres.
- The application must be strategically supported by all partners.
- The centre must have three or more partners that are not research organisations, of which at least one must be a public transport company. These are referred to as user partners.
- The centre may also have foreign user partners. It must be documented how any foreign user partners will contribute to achieving the centre's goals. Foreign actors must be assessed against the Export Control Act.
- All user partners must participate actively in research and must have a significant ability to use research results in the development of their activities.
- All partners must actively contribute to the planning, follow-up and dissemination of results from the centre and to ensure that new knowledge is used.
- The centre will have a board where the majority of the members and the chairman of the board come from the user partners.
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 partners in the project. These costs must be entered in the cost plan under the cost type to which they belong.
We do not award state aid under this call.
You can receive support for the following costs:
- payroll and indirect expenses (including research fellowship positions) at the research organisations and public actors participating in the centre. Support will be used to cover the actual activities necessary to carry out the activity. For doctoral scholarships, the support is limited to three full-time equivalents. For postdoctoral fellowships, the support is limited to four full-time equivalents. To ensure the long-term effect of the centre on Norwegian knowledge preparedness, the creation of new, permanent research positions may be part of the research organisations' plans. Such research positions, which are intended to contribute directly to the centre's activities, can be funded within the centre's allocation for a period of up to three years.
- other operating costs, 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 entered as "other operating expenses" must be specified in the application.
- equipment, which includes operating and depreciation costs for scientific equipment necessary to carry out the project
The cost type Procurement of R&D services must not be used.
You can find detailed and important information about what to enter in the project budget on the website.
Stays abroad for doctoral and post-doctoral research fellows must be covered within the framework of the centre's support. The research centre is therefore not covered by the Research Council's special scheme for support for stays abroad for doctoral and post-doctoral research fellows.
Scope of support
Funding is available for up to NOK 70.4 million for centre 1 and NOK 60.8 million for centres 2 and 3 under this call. There is no requirement for self-funding from the research organisations. The payments will follow the allocations from the Ministry, with a maximum annual limit of NOK 8.8 million for Centre 1 and NOK 7.6 million for Centres 2 and 3.
An evaluation will be carried out midway through the project period to assess whether the centres comply with the mission statement for each individual centre and the main purpose of Transport 2050. Based on assessments of the centre during the project period, the Research Council may stipulate new conditions in the contract for the centre's activities during the last three years of the project period. The centres' activities may ultimately be discontinued after five years if the evaluation finds that the centres do not comply with the mission statement.
Of the annual framework, up to 10-20% of the sum is reserved for specific assignments. See "About the announcement" for specifications of the various centres.
The Ministry of Transport and the Research Council of Norway may participate as observers in the Board's meetings.
Calculation of support
User partners that are public actors can receive support. When the user partner is from the municipal sector, the maximum support from the Research Council is limited to 75% of the total approved project costs. For user partners from government agencies, the maximum support is limited to 50% of the total approved project costs. Private companies and public enterprises that carry out activities of an industrial or commercial nature can participate in the project, but cannot receive funding from us.
Prerequisites for the award of funding
Projects must start between 01.07.2025 and 01.10.2025, and you must apply for funding from the Research Council for 2025. The latest permitted project completion date is 30.09.2033.
We do not award state aid under this call. We assume that the research is carried out in effective collaboration as defined in the state aid rules:
"Cooperation between at least two independent parties to exchange knowledge or technology or to achieve a common goal on the basis of division of labour, where the parties jointly define the scope of the collaborative project, contribute to its implementation and share risks and results. One or more parties can bear all the costs of the project and thus exempt other parties from financial risk. Commissioned research and the provision of research services are not considered to be a form of collaboration."
The following guidelines apply:
- Support for a research organisation goes to the organisation's non-economic activity. It therefore does not constitute state aid. The Research Council assumes that the necessary accounting separation is in place.
- Companies are not eligible to receive funding to cover project costs. Business actors and others who are to be regarded as enterprises in the sense of state aid law will thus not be reimbursed for any of their costs in connection with participation in the centre.
- Rights to project results shall be regulated so that companies participating in the centre do not receive indirect funding from participating research partners. The regulation of the rights must therefore be in line with the ESA's guidelines on aid for research, development and innovation, point 29. This means that rights to IPR from the project must be allocated to the various partners in a way that fully reflects their work packages, contributions and respective interests.
The Research Council's prerequisites for awards can also be found in our general terms and conditions for R&D projects on the information page What the contract involves.
In addition, you must be aware of the following if you should receive an award from us:
- 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.
- Grant recipients in research organisations and the public sector (Project Owners and 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 Project Owner organisation decides which archiving solution(s) will be used for storing research data that emerges from the project. This must be specified in the project's data management plan.
Reporting and disbursement of support
We pay the support in arrears. For more information about funding, see the document "Requirements and guidelines for business or community-oriented centres" which you can find under "About the call". All reporting must be done electronically.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
Energy and transportation
Practical information
Requirements for this application type
You can change and submit the application several times until the application deadline. We recommend that you submit your application as soon as you have completed the application form and uploaded the required attachments. When the application deadline expires, it is the version of the application that was submitted most recently that we process.
- The application and all attachments must be written in English.
- All attachments must be in PDF format.
- Mandatory attachments must be included.
- The requirements relating to the Project Owner's research organisation must be met.
- Requirements for partners must be met.
- A maximum of ten CVs can be submitted.
Mandatory attachments
- Project description of max 20 pages plus 1 page with references. Use the default template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- CV for the project manager (centre director) and for the most important people/work package leaders in the project, each of a maximum of 4 pages. Use the default template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- Declaration of intent from the Project Owner. A letter of intent from the management of the Project Owner organisation (1-2 pages) stating that it will assume the obligations entailed by a contract with the Research Council must be attached. The declaration must also explain how the centre is included in the host institution's academic strategy. Use the default template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- Letter of intent from all registered partners (1-2 pages). Use the default template that you can download at the bottom of the page. The declarations of each partner shall have the following content:
- The partner must confirm their intention to participate actively as a partner in the centre and describe how this will be done in practice.
- The partner must justify their interest in participating in the centre. In what way will the centre's activities benefit the partner and create opportunities that would not be there without the centre?
- The partner must summarize its contribution to the centre in the form of knowledge, expertise and any funding, facilities and own efforts over the lifetime of the centre.
Optional attachments
- Proposals for up to five peers who can be assumed to be impartial to assess the application.
All attachments to the application must be submitted with the application. We do not accept attachments submitted after the application deadline unless we have requested additional documentation.
We will not consider documents and websites linked to in the application, or attachments other than those specified above. Be careful to upload the correct attachment type, as there are no technical restrictions on what kind of templates it is possible to upload in the application form.
Assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed in light of the purpose of the call and the following criteria:
Excellence
• Scientific creativity and originality.
• The extent to which hypotheses and research questions are innovative and courageous.
• The extent to which the centre has the potential to generate new knowledge that advances the research front, including significant development/renewal of theories, methods, experiments or empirical knowledge.
The quality of the centre's R&D activities
• The quality of research questions, hypotheses and the centre's objectives, and the extent to which they are clearly described.
• The extent to which the theoretical approach, research design and choice of methods are credible and appropriate, and interdisciplinary perspectives are sufficiently considered.
• The extent to which research conducted at the centre takes sufficient consideration of social responsibility, ethical issues and gender dimensions.
• The extent to which the centre satisfactorily addresses users/stakeholders’ knowledge.
Impact
• The extent to which the centre’s planned results can contribute to addressing important scientific challenges, both now and going forward.
• The extent to which the centre’s planned results can address important challenges in the sector(s), both now and going forward.
• The extent to which competence building and the centre's planned results will form the basis for value creation in the Norwegian business and/or public sector.
• The extent to which the centre’s planned results are relevant to the UN Sustainable Development Goals or have the potential to address other important societal challenges, both now and going forward.
• The extent to which the potential impacts are clearly formulated and credible.
Communication and utilisation
• The extent to which the appropriate open science practices are implemented as an integral part of the proposed project to ensure open sharing and wide distribution of research outputs.
• The quality and scope of communication and involvement activities targeting relevant stakeholders/users.
• The extent to which partners are involved in the work of utilising the centre's results.
Implementation
• The extent to which the project manager (centre director) has relevant expertise and experience and is qualified to lead an initiative of this scale.
• The extent to which the project participants complement one another, and the project group has the necessary expertise to effectively implement the centre initiative.
The quality of the centre’s organisation and management
• The extent to which organising the research activities as a centre rather than separate projects gives added value.
• The extent to which the centre will be efficiently organised, including whether the resources allocated to the different work packages are sufficient and in accordance with the centre’s objectives and deliveries.
• The extent to which the centre's tasks are distributed in a way that ensures all project participants have a clear role and sufficient resources to fulfil that role.
• The extent to which the management and governance of the centre are expediently organised, including risk and innovation management.
• The extent to which the partners contribute to the management and implementation of the centre.
The quality and extent of international cooperation
• The extent to which the scope and quality of international collaborative activities are in keeping with the centre's objectives.
Gender balance in the centre’s project group
• If the gender balance in the centre's management team (centre manager and research managers) is poor, the extent to which there is an expedient plan in place for the centre to support the development of researcher talents of the under-represented gender to qualify for senior-level positions.
Relevance to the call for proposals
Administrative procedures
We will assess your application as it has been submitted.
Once the applications have been received, the Research Council will first check that all formal requirements have been met. Applications that do not satisfy the formal requirements will be rejected.
In addition, applications that are outside the thematic limitations set out in the call will be rejected. Decisions on this are made by the individual portfolio boards.
Where the requirements are met, we will make the application, with all mandatory attachments, available in an online portal for experts who individually assess the criteria "research quality", "impact and effect" and "implementation". The referees will then meet in thematic panels where they will reach a consensus assessment of the application for each of the three criteria.
If the referee panel assesses all criteria for a mark of 5 or higher, the application will be eligible for funding and the application will also be assessed on the basis of the criterion "Relevance to the call" by Research Council case officers. The results of the assessment of the four criteria mentioned above are summarised in an overall mark as an overall expression of the quality of the application.
Applications that have achieved an overall mark of 5, 6 or 7 will be assessed against a set of portfolio criteria to ensure that the portfolio of centres covers the three priority research topics, as well as the guidelines set out by the Research Council's Board and the Portfolio Board for Energy and Transport.
The portfolio assessment takes into account:
- that the three priority research topics for Transport 2050 are covered. We will not fund more than one centre per research topic.
- the marks awarded in the assessment of the applications.
- a good distribution of research institutions as Project Owners.
- whether the planned research activities have a long-term and cross-sectoral focus rather than being limited to one mode of transport (air, sea, road or rail).
- whether the planned research activities are relevant to the transport policy goals stated in the National Transport Plan (in Norwegian).
- any changes in the ministries' financial or technical guidelines for the allocation.
- whether any foreign partners are in line with the export control act.
The portfolio board for energy and transport will provisionally have a decision meeting in June 2025. We will publish the results of the application processing after this meeting.
See also: How we process applications.