NordForsk: Funding for Nordic research collaboration

Kaisa Vaahtera

Copenhagen, 25.6.2015

NOVA Startegy Seminar

Background of Nordic collaboration

• Five countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

• Three autonomous areas: Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland

• 8 time zones, 26 million people, many official languages, 10th largest economy globally

Helsinki Agreement 1962

Nordic Council of Ministers 1971

Nordisk forskerutdanningsakademi (NorFA) 1990s

NORIA, Nordic Research and Innovation Area (White Paper, 2003, G. Björkstrand)

NordForsk 2005

Galdhøpiggen

2469

Kebnekaise

2102

Hvannadalshnjúkur

2110

Gunnbjørn Fjeld

3700

Halti

1328

Nordic Council of Ministers

The purpose is to work toward joint Nordic solutions that have tangible

positive effects – Nordic synergies – for the citizens of the individual Nordic

countries.

•10 individual Nordic Councils of Ministers:

In Brief – Development of Nordic Research Collaboration

Tradition – Informal research collaboration

Societal preconditions - Governance structure and national research funding systems

Policy - Cooperation through FPs/ERA, Science Europe, ministerial collaboration and exchange of information

Research funding agencies level - Joint committees of the Nordic research councils (NOS-M, NOS-N, NOS-HS, NordHORCS)

Nordic institutional level - NordForsk as institutionalised collaboration (NCM)

NordForsk

• Platform for joint Nordic research and research policy development in the Nordic countries

• Established by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2005

• Aim is to facilitate cooperation in all fields of research when this adds value to work being conducted nationally

• Main stakeholders are the national research financing bodies in the five Nordic Countries

• Basic funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers and additional funding by stakeholders, especially the Research Councils in the different countries (“The 2/3 principle”).

NordForsk Strategy 2015 - 2018

VisionA Nordic region that is globally leading in research and innovation, with NordForsk continuously contributing to this.

GoalTo enhance the quality, impact and cost-efficiency of Nordic research and research infrastructure collaboration.

Principles in all activities

 •Conducting analysis of key issues on the Nordic science policy agendas•Requiring co-funding from at least three Nordic countries to

start a large research and/or infrastructure programme •Establishing open calls for proposals with international peer

review of applications•Conducting ex-post assessment of research and research

infrastructure collaboration•Ensuring open access•Ensuring transparency •Improving gender equality•Providing support for mobility, higher education, international cooperation, research integrity and research-driven innovation in large programmes•Promoting Nordic research cooperation in a European and

international context

Nordic cross-border research cooperation

Strengthening integrated cross-sectorial research with the aim to tackle societal challenges and ensure sustainable development

•Health and Welfare•Societal Security•Responsible development of the Arctic•Adaptation to climate change•Green Growth / Bioeconomy

Creating critical mass in potentially excellent research areas•eScience•Neutron research•Gender in the Nordic Research and Innovation Area•Nordic languages, language communication and culture

Nordic research infrastructure cooperation

Increasing cross-border access to and joint use of existing research infrastructures in the Nordic region and globally

•Nordic eInfrastructure Collaboration (NeIC)•Nordic Biobank Network•Nordic Trial Alliance (NTA)

Supporting the establishment of new Nordic research infrastructure cooperation

•Facilitation of Nordic register-based research- cooperation between statistical bureaus- development of technical solutions by NeIC- Nordic register pilots

Impact of Nordic research and research infrastructure cooperation

•Providing Nordic policy-makers and users with new evidence-informed/tested knowledge

•Improving knowledge about new results of Nordic research and research infrastructure cooperation on the science and society

arenas by increased visibility

•Creating opportunities for research-driven innovation

Funding principles

• Thematic research/infrastructure programmes

• The Nordic financiers contribute to common pot of the programmes (usually funded 1/3 by NordForsk basic budget and 2/3 by national research financiers)

• Main applicant to be based in co-funding Nordic country, partners from at least three Nordic countires

• International cooperation encouraged in all programmes

• All programmes open for participation of individual researchers from other regions (researcher mobility; guest researchers)

• All programmes open to research teams and institutions from other regions, provided that these document their contribution to the project budget

Nordic Centre of Excellence

”Nordic Centres of Excellence are established to strengthen cooperation between outstanding researchers, research groups and research institutions within areas of priority for the Nordic countries. Nordic Centres of Excellence add value to research done in the countries and increase the impact of Nordic research in Europe and worldwide.”

• Work based on a single research agenda, joint management, coordinated researcher training, communication, and research infrastructure collaboration.

• Normally 5 years, more than 2,5 M€ Nordic funding

• Standard procedure: Mid-term and final evaluation, regular meetings, communication, interaction with a Scientific Advisory Board etc.

Some ongoing/planned joint Nordic programs and initiatives

• Bio-Economy

• Education for Tomorrow

• Gender in the Nordic Research and Innovation Area

• Green Growth

• Health and Wellbeing

• Joint Nordic Initiative on Arctic Research

• JPI Climate

• Neutron research

• Nordic eScience Globalisation Initiative (NeGI)

• Nordic Infrastructure Collaboration

• Societal Security

• Top-level research initiative

Nordic Green Growth programme

• “ Green Growth – Understanding Societal Challenges”, in the framework of climate change and energy challenges.

•Joint programme between NordForsk, Nordic Innovation and Nordic Energy Research

• Multidisciplinary programme combining natural sciences, technical sciences, social sciences and the humanities, aiming to provide new knowledge and education on how the Nordic countries can jointly advance long-term green growth in the region through research and innovation.

Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ)

• Established in 1965 as a coordinating body for the research councils and other funders within the agricultural sector in Nordic countries

• Promotes and provides support for Nordic cooperation on research and innovation in the agriculture and food sector, including research on reindeer husbandry

• Emphasis on cross-sectorial cooperation

•Objectives:•To encourage cooperation and networks•To contribute to development of national, Nordic and European policy•To promote Nordic interests in the European research arena.

• Related Nordic bodies under the Nordic Council of Ministers:•Nordic Forest Research Co-operation Committee (SNS)•Nordic Committee for Veterinary Scientific Coopration (NKVet)•Nordic Association of Agricultural Scientists (NJF)

NKJ Calls for Funding

Call for networking activities in 2016-2017 within agriculture and food research

•The aim of the call is to:–increase North European regional synergy in the field–establish better contact between research communities in the Nordic

countries–strengthen North European agriculture and food research and networking

• Deadline for applications September 15• Network grants are for maximum 2 years.• The budget of the call is at least 1 000 000 NOK.• The maximum applied amount per one network should be approx. 250 000 NOK • A minimum of 50% self-financing component

NKJ Calls for Funding

Support for organising conferences, seminars and workshops

–Biannual call–Next call after summer 2015

Joint call for funding for research networks between the NKJ and the SNS

–Plans for a joint call in early 2016.

•More information: http://nkj.nordforsk.org/en

Thank you for your attention!

www.nordforsk.org