Research infrastructures (RIs) are essential for enabling research in many scientific areas. Strengthening Nordic cooperation on RIs is important for improving the availability and optimising the use of existing RIs in the Nordic region, fostering networks, building competence, increasing capacity and promoting scientific excellence. This funding initiative is partly motivated by the findings and recommendations in the report Nordic research infrastructure collaboration (Sven Stafström, 2023).
Aim of the call and thematic framework
A Nordic Research Infrastructure Hub is a long-term partnership between Nordic universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges, research institutes and/or managers of research infrastructure in a consortium that provides a framework for establishing, enhancing and/or expanding RI cooperation in the Nordic region.
The overall objective is to strengthen international competitiveness and facilitate the development of world-leading Nordic RI environments based on relevant research and research infrastructure priorities. Funding will be provided for high-quality activities that will increase Nordic cooperation on RI by building long-term institutional capacity, promoting excellence, and creating Nordic added value.
The funded Nordic RI hubs are expected to strengthen Nordic cooperation on a specific research infrastructure partnership with the aim of building and expanding Nordic competence within its area. The hub should include activities to increase joint Nordic use of and cross-border access to the RI. Training programmes and access for young researchers are of particular interest.
Activities within a hub should generate added value through, for example, exchange of experience regarding best practice, optimised use of existing RIs, efficient use of technologies and procedures, resources and services, co-operation with industry, as well as RI management. Harmonisation processes at the Nordic level are anticipated. Finally, a Nordic hub could facilitate more coordinated Nordic participation in international research infrastructure activities, such as the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap.
The call aims for Nordic RI hubs that range from initiatives to establishing and building new partnerships with little or no prior Nordic collaboration, to more developed partnerships that will build on and further strengthen existing Nordic networks and collaborations. Proposals from all fields of research are relevant, i.e., from all of the three overall domains of Physical sciences & engineering, Life sciences, and Social sciences and humanities. Collaborations on research infrastructures that are not specific to certain research domains, such as e-Infrastructures, are also relevant to the call.
While prioritising high quality proposals, we seek a portfolio of RI hubs with a good balance between new and established collaborations, and between different fields of research. Proposals will be assessed relative to the planned resources, so that proposals with different budget sizes will compete on fair terms.
Budget
Available Budget: up to NOK 180 million (60 million from NordForsk and 120 million provided by the institutions)
Maximum amount of funding that may be sought: NOK 6 million in total and NOK 1,2 million per year.
Each consortium is obligated to contribute own resources corresponding to twice the amount sought from NordForsk.
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Please note that the details of the call in the pre-announcement may be subject to change, and the final details will be provided in the call text.
