We now know who will be part of the Research Council's portfolio boards from 1 January 2024. The 115 members represent a wide range of academic and strategic expertise, institutions, sectors and experience from all parts of the research and innovation system.
"I am very pleased that we now have all the new portfolio boards in place. Everything is in place for the portfolio boards to be able to follow up the overall objectives of research and innovation policy within their areas of responsibility," says Birger Vikøren, Deputy Chair of the Research Council.
Birger Vikøren led the case for new portfolio boards when chairman Gunnar Bovim stepped back in this case due to impartiality.
Great interest in board memberships
In order to get proposals for new board members, an open invitation was issued to submit proposals with a deadline of October 15. There was great interest, and more than a thousand submissions were submitted, with a total of over 800 unique names.
Three-quarters of the members now appointed are drawn from the external proposals. Achieving both renewal and some continuity has been a priority. Therefore, some of the current members are taking another term.
"There has been great interest in taking on board positions. This is such good news for the future work of the portfolio boards," says Vikøren.
Representing good balance
The portfolio board members are personally appointed as members of a board of directors and do not represent their institutions, organisations, companies, etc. Not all considerations can be addressed within the individual board, but overall it is important to have a good balance in order to safeguard different perspectives and dimensions.
"Overall, the new portfolio boards represent a good balance in professional and system expertise and good diversification across geography and sector," says Mari Sundli Tveit, Executive Director of the Research Council.
A more strategic role
The portfolio boards will now have a clearer responsibility to advise and report to the Board, other portfolio boards and management, and they will advise on professional, thematic and structural developments and future investment needs.
As previously, the portfolio boards have investment responsibility within their area of responsibility and are responsible for making decisions on the Research Council's allocation of funding. The investment decisions are viewed in the context of the Research Council's overall investments in the portfolio area, and other national and international R&D funding to Norwegian research institutions, companies and public actors in this area.
No new portfolio board for Sámi society and culture will be appointed at this time, as the current board was appointed in 2022 and has a term of office until the end of 2025. It is also important that Sámi perspectives are safeguarded in the other boards, and the Sámi Parliament has been consulted on this.
English names for our Portfolio Boards
- The Research System (Forskningssystemet)
- Democracy and Global Development (Demokrati og global utvikling)
- Ground-breaking Research (Banebrytende forskning)
- Energy and Transportation (Energi og transport)
- Health (Helse)
- Innovation (Innovasjon)
- Climate and the Environment (Klima og miljø)
- Food and Bioresources (Mat og bioressurser)
- Enabling Technologies (Muliggjørende teknologier)
- Welfare and Education (Velferd og utdanning)
- Sámi society and culture (Samisk samfunn og kultur)
Please go to the Norwegian page for the complete list of members for all the new portfolio boards, you'll find the link on the top of this page (press "Norsk").