Current reports on policy for research institutes

Current annual reports

Each year, the Research Council publishes annual reports for the research institutes that receives basic allocation. The reports provide a brief presentation of each institute arena with an overview of key figures, important organizational and professional events, the most important publications, in addition to the reporting of the basic allocation. The reports are based on contributions from the institutes themselves and compiled key figures from the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU) on behalf of the Research Council of Norway.

Report on follow-up of public administrative agencies and institutes

The Government's Strategi for en helhetlig instituttpolitikk (Strategy for a holistic institute policy) was launched in February 2020. The Government defines institute policy to apply to the 33 research institutes that receive public basic funding through the Research Council, in addition to 12 institutes outside the public basic funding system. The Research Council was commissioned "to clarify the content of a joint follow-up of the 12 institutes outside the public basic funding system".

1. This report constitutes the delivery for this assignment (pdf in Norwegian only)

The report concludes with a recommendation to establish a common follow-up arena for the 12 institutes, which includes the following four elements:

1. reporting of key numbers and figures
2. reporting on research
3. establishment of meeting places
4. long term follow-up of scientific quality

Report on public basic funding of research institutes

As a follow-up to the Synthesis Report and the Government's Strategy for Holistic Institute Policy (February 2020), the Ministry of Education and Research has asked the Research Council to review the public basic funding system for research institutes established by the Government in 2008.

• Report on state allocation of public basic funding to research institutes (pdf in Norwegian only)

Follow-up on the report on policy for research institutes

The report, entitled En målrettet og effektiv instituttpolitikk [A targeted, effective research institute policy] (Norwegian only), was made available in November 2018 for open review. After the review process, minor changes were made to the report before it was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research in January 2019.

On the basis of the report and the ministries’ efforts to develop a new, cohesive policy for research institutes the Research Council will draw up a new strategy for research institutes.

See the revised report on institute policy (pdf in Norwegian only)

Evaluations of the four institute arenas

• Evaluation of the Norwegian primary research institutes (2018 – English summary, pdf)
• Evaluation of the Norwegian Social Science Research Institutes (2017 - pdf)
• Evaluation of Norwegian Technical Industrial Research Institutes (2015 - pdf)
• Evaluation of Environmental Research Institutes in Norway (pdf in Norwegian only – 2014)