Upcoming calls for proposals

1. Calls for Ground-breaking research

• NFR - Researcher Project with International Mobility (International Mobility): 0-7 years after PhD, with research stay(s) abroad 

This call is aimed at researchers at postdoctoral level who wish to spend 1-2 years at one or two foreign research organisations, combined with 1-2 years in Norway. The goal of this call is career development and independence for the researcher, and to bring new knowledge to Norwegian research environments.

• NFR - Radical Research Ideas for Early Career Scientists (Radical Research Ideas): 2–7 years after PhD, short project to find out if your most riveting research idea is viable 

This call is the first step in phased funding and is aimed at researchers who want to test particularly bold research ideas (with project duration of 4-12months). The ideas must be so bold that the risk of failure is too high to justify starting a large project, but where the research could have a significant impact on the field if the project is successful. Project managers for successful research idea projects may later apply for larger FRIPRO projects and be prioritized there. 

• NFR - Researcher Project for Early Career Scientists (Early Career Scientists): 2–7 years after PhD, to gain experience in leading a research project

This call is aimed at researchers at an early stage in their careers, who have demonstrated the potential to conduct research of high scientific quality and who want to gain experience in leading a research project.

•  NFR - Researcher Projects for Experienced Scientists (Experienced Scientists): 6+ years after PhD. This call is aimed at experienced scientists who have demonstrated the ability to conduct research of high scientific quality.

• Funding scale: NOK 4 000 000-12 000 000
• Project duration: 36-96 months

•  NFR - Top Researchers: 6+ years after PhD for the project manager and 2+ years after the PhD for at least one other project participant. A large project with the goal of making the research community world-leading in its field. 

• Funding scale: NOK 15 000 000-40 000 000
• Project duration: 48-96 months

2. Mobility grant for NFR funded Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows

The scheme applies to doctoral and post-doctoral research fellows who are wholly or partly (at least 50%) funded by the Research Council and affiliated with an ongoing project for a minimum of 36 months. The research stay abroad can be a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months, and the stay must be completed at least 3 months before the end of the grant period. 

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1. UiB idé - deadline 2026-02-14

Are you a student with an idea of a product or service which can improve people's lives? Or a researcher who wants your research findings to become useful for people?

UiB idé gives employees and students the opportunity to verify good innovation ideas that need to be developed and tested before they can be taken further. The maximum grant amount is NOK 500,000 for researcher projects and NOK 100,000 for student projects. 

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2. UArctic - deadline 2026-02-27

The UArctic call is now open for applications for networking projects in Arctic research and education, for engagement between Norwegian UArctic member institutions and other UArctic member institutions for UArctic activities.

Who can apply? The main applicant must come from a UArctic member university in Norway.

Funding scale: Up to NOK 400,000 per project (Total call: NOK 2.5 million)

Focus area:

• Arctic research & education

• International collaboration

• UArctic Thematic Networks / Institutes

Activities eligible for funding:

• Establishment and development of a UArctic Thematic Network or a UArctic Institute

• Development of joint courses or joint degree programs on topics with northern relevance at bachelor’s, master’s or PhD level

• Development of flexible education, especially online-based programs or courses

• Networking activities related to research activities conducted by the UArctic Thematic Networks. A full list of the Thematic Networks can be found on the UArctic website.

• Education or research activities focusing on Indigenous issues.

Eligible costs:

• Meeting and workshop expenses (e.g. venue, meals, accommodation and travels of the participants)

• Teaching fees or payments and per diems. Please note that you cannot cover the permanent salaries for scientific/academic or technical/administrative staff.

• Costs for online conference platforms and tools

• Consumables related to research work

• Overhead costs cannot be covered

• Applicants should document funding of at least 25% of the total budget from in kind and/or other sources.

More details of this call can be found here.

1. Belmont Forum Ocean 2 - deadline for pre-proposals 2026-03-05

This is the Belmont Forum's second call for proposals on the marine and coastal environment research; and in this call the Research Council of Norway contributes with NOK 17 million to Norwegian research organisations. The purpose of the call is to enhance our knowledge about the oceans and foster international, transdisciplinary research to address global environmental challenges facing our oceans. All Norwegian sea areas are included in the call, included the polar oceans.

The Belmont Forum’s OCEAN 2 Collaborative Research Action (CRA) supports transdisciplinary research addressing global ocean challenges and contributes to the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Projects are expected to last 36 months and involve research consortia with participants from a minimum of three of the countries participating in the call. See specific information for Norwegian partners in the national annex for Norway in the call on the Belmont Forum website.

Proposals should focus on at least one of three key areas:

• Biodiversity Conservation and Nature-Based Solutions

• Ocean-Biodiversity-Climate Integration

• Nature Futures, Ocean Governance, and Ethics for Sustainability.

How to apply? https://belmontforum.org/archives/open-opportunity/ocean-2/ 

Main deadline for full proposal: 2026-09-17, only invited applicants after submission of sketches can submit a full application by the main deadline.

1. Peder Sather Grant - deadline 2026-04-13

The Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study supports projects carried out by researchers at UC Berkeley in collaboration with researchers from eight Norwegian universities. Funds are made available to support activities such as workshops, mini-conferences, virtual intellectual exchanges, the undertaking of exploratory and pilot studies, activities such as PhD student exchanges, longer-term stays for Principal Investigators, the collection and analysis of data, and other core research activities.

• Funding scale: between $10K and $25K
• Project duration: 2 academic years 
• Application process, guidelines and FAQs can be found here.

2. MSCA Staff Exchanges (SE) - deadline 2026-04-16

It funds short-term (1-12 months) international and inter-sectoral exchanges of staff members involved in research and innovation activities of participating organisations. 

Who can apply? 
MSCA SE is open to international consortiums of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations. They need to include:

• at least three organisations in three different countries, two of which need to be located in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country 
• above this minimum, the participation of organisations from any country is possible
• if all participating organisations are from the same sector (academic or non-academic), at least one must be from a non-associated Third Country

Individual staff members are selected by their sending organisations to take part in the planned exchanges. Staff funded by Staff Exchanges:

• can be researchers at any career stage, from PhD candidates to postdoctoral researchers, as well as administrative, technical or managerial staff involved in research and innovation activities
• can be of any nationality
• must be engaged in, or linked to, research and innovation activities at their sending organisation for at least one month prior to the secondment
• should return to their sending organisation after the secondment, to pass on their knowledge and foster collaboration

What will the funding cover? Seconded staff receives: 

• a top-up allowance (for travel, accommodation, subsistence costs), which is on top of the salary paid by their organisation
• a special needs allowance, if applicable
• In addition, funding is provided for research, training and networking activities
• management and indirect costs

How to apply?!