Partners abroad

Budgeting costs

When research institutes or organisations from the university and university college sector abroad are partners, you can budget and expense personnel and indirect costs in one of the following two ways:

1. either based on the organisations' own calculation models, or
2. with actual salary including social security costs, with a surcharge of 25 per cent for indirect costs

Other cost categories are funded in accordance with the specific call text. The Research Council funds research time with partners abroad up to the rates for funding research time in the university and university college sector and in the health trusts. Any difference between actual costs and the Research Council's rates must be covered through own or other funding.

If the foreign research organisation or institute provides R&D services in the project, a price is agreed on a voluntary basis. Costs for the service must then be entered as Purchase of R&D services in the application form.

We allow for the use of this type of cost to a limited extent. It is therefore important that you check whether the call in question allows for the procurement of R&D services.

Cooperation with selected countries - Money Follows Cooperation (MFC)

The Research Council has entered into cooperation agreements with some countries that follow a model called "Money Follows Cooperation", or MFC for short. As mentioned above, the Research Council can cover the costs of partners abroad. The MFC agreements ensure that this transparency goes both ways. This means that Norwegian researchers can participate and be funded by research councils in the partner country when they participate in the role of partner. Read more about how Money Follows Cooperation works.