Priforsk

Clarifications regarding the ongoing UiA PRIFORSK call for proposals

The University Director wishes in this memorandum to clarify certain conditions and matters relating to financial support for UiA PRIFORSK centres in connection with the ongoing call for proposals.

The UiA PRIFORSK call comprises two instruments: UiA PRIFORSK 1 and UiA PRIFORSK 2. The level of support differs between the two instruments.

UiA PRIFORSK 1:

UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres are appointed for a period of five years, with no possibility of extension.

During the five-year funding period, a UiA PRIFORSK 1 centre shall receive NOK 2 million annually in strategic funding, totalling NOK 10 million over the five-year period. This strategic funding shall be divided equally between the University Board and the host faculty (and any other participating faculties). UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres will thus receive NOK 1 million annually in strategic funding from the Board during the five-year period, whilst the other million (annually) must be contributed and covered by the faculty.

In addition to the above-mentioned strategic funding, a UiA PRIFORSK 1 centre shall also receive a total of two recruitment positions during the five-year period. This support shall also be divided equally between the University Board and the host faculty (and any other participating faculties). UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres will thus receive one recruitment position from the Board during the five-year period. The other recruitment position must be contributed and covered by the faculty. The financing of the recruitment position that the faculty must contribute and cover may be prioritised amongst the faculty's other recruitment positions that are not earmarked for other subject areas/centres.

Funds for allocated recruitment positions from the Board to the faculties follow UiA's current rates, which as of 2026 are NOK 936,000 annually, with a duration of three years per position. The rate is normally adjusted for price and wage increases each year. The UiA PRIFORSK centre itself decides whether the recruitment positions shall be used to employ PhD and/or postdoctoral fellows. The annual rate for an allocated recruitment position is the same regardless.

UiA PRIFORSK 2:

UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres are appointed for a period of five years. Such a centre may be extended for up to three years, but this is a question and decision that the University Board will only address towards the end of the five-year funding period.

During the five-year funding period, a UiA PRIFORSK 2 centre shall receive NOK 5 million annually in strategic funding, totalling NOK 25 million over the five-year period. This strategic funding shall be divided equally between the University Board and the host faculty (and any other participating faculties). UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres will thus receive NOK 2.5 million annually in strategic funding from the Board during the five-year period, whilst the remaining NOK 2.5 million (annually) must be contributed and covered by the faculty.

In addition to the above-mentioned strategic funding, a UiA PRIFORSK 2 centre shall also receive a total of four recruitment positions during the five-year period. This support shall also be divided equally between the University Board and the host faculty (and any other participating faculties). UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres will thus receive two recruitment positions from the Board during the five-year period, whilst the other two recruitment positions must be contributed and covered by the faculty. The financing of the recruitment positions that the faculty must contribute and cover may be prioritised amongst the faculty's other recruitment positions that are not earmarked for other subject areas/centres.

Funds for allocated recruitment positions from the Board to the faculties follow UiA's current rates, which as of 2026 are NOK 936,000 annually per position, with a duration of three years per position. The rate is normally adjusted for price and wage increases each year. The UiA PRIFORSK centre itself decides whether the recruitment positions shall be used to employ PhD and/or postdoctoral fellows. The annual rate for an allocated recruitment position is the same regardless.

How can the faculties fulfil their share of the strategic funding for UiA PRIFORSK centres?

The scope of strategic funding for UiA PRIFORSK 1 and 2 centres respectively differs, as described above. The conditions for how the faculties can fulfil their share of the strategic funding are, however, the same across the two UiA PRIFORSK instruments.

Regarding how the faculties can fulfil their share of the strategic funding of NOK 1 million annually for UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres and NOK 2.5 million annually for UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres, the following appears in the call for proposals:

"The faculty may fulfil its share of the strategic funding through:

• Allocated time for research
• Allocated administrative resources
• Internal and/or external cash funding.

How the faculty fulfils its share of the strategic funding shall be made visible in the budget attached to applications from the faculties."

The University Director wishes to clarify that recruitment positions cannot be used to fulfil the faculty's share of the strategic funding. Recruitment positions shall in this context only be used to match the number of recruitment positions that the Board supports each PRIFORSK centre with beyond the strategic funding (see above).

The University Director recommends that the faculties fulfil their share of the strategic funding, amongst other things, by allocating sufficient research time to leaders and key members/researchers in the UiA PRIFORSK centres. Experience from previous UiA PRIFORSK centres shows that this is important for succeeding as a UiA PRIFORSK centre and fulfilling the purpose of the scheme. This also relates to the assessment criterion for "Implementation" in the call for proposals, against which each centre will be assessed in the application evaluation.

The University Director also wishes to clarify that the frameworks for strategic funding for UiA PRIFORSK 1 and 2 centres respectively, as described in the call for proposals, are fixed. The faculties are not permitted to negotiate for more or less strategic funding from the Board per centre.

How many UiA PRIFORSK centres is it possible for the University Board to appoint?

The University Director intends to propose that the University Board will be able to contribute up to approximately NOK 12 million annually in strategic funding for UiA PRIFORSK centres over the next five years, excluding the Board's contribution of recruitment positions. This annual financial framework places limitations on how many UiA PRIFORSK 1 and 2 centres can be granted.

However, it is not only the financial framework that imposes limitations. Another entirely central consideration is the quality of the submitted applications, as it is not considered appropriate to propose granting UiA PRIFORSK centres that have received a weak application evaluation, despite available financial frameworks.

A financial framework for strategic funding from the University Board of up to approximately NOK 12 million means that the Board could, for example, grant a maximum of five UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres and three UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres, depending on the quality of the applications.

Target group

UiA PRIFORSK 1: The scheme is aimed at emerging and ambitious research environments from all disciplines and research areas that have shown potential to conduct research of high scientific quality and that demonstrate a clear willingness to participate in national and international competitive arenas for research funding, but that for various reasons have not yet achieved the desired success.

Requirements for the project owner (host faculty)

• One faculty shall serve as project owner (host faculty) in the application.
• Each faculty may submit a maximum of two applications as project owner/host faculty.
• The host faculty's board must approve all applications and confirm that they come from research environments that are within the target group of the scheme. The approval must further contain a confirmation that the research environment has collaborated over time, and that this collaboration will continue regardless of PRIFORSK funding.
• No later than the application deadline, the host faculty shall send a list of approved applications for UiA PRIFORSK 1 to the Director of Research and Innovation.

Requirements for centre director

• You must have an approved doctoral degree before the application deadline. Applicants from the Faculty of Fine Arts are exempt from this requirement if they can document that the centre director has been assessed as having associate professor or professor competence.
• You must be employed at the project owner faculty in at least a 50% position.
• You may be centre director for only one application.
• If you are, or have been, centre director for a PRIFORSK centre that has previously received funding, you cannot be centre director in an application to a new PRIFORSK call.
• You may participate in several PRIFORSK applications, but not as centre director.

Requirements for project participants

There must be at least three named project participants, employed at UiA in at least a 50% position, in the project in addition to the centre director. The project participants must have an approved doctoral degree, and at least two years must have passed from the date of the doctoral defence until the day the application is submitted. This requirement applies to all named project participants. Applicants from the Faculty of Fine Arts are exempt from this requirement if they can document that the project participants have been assessed as having associate professor or professor competence, and at least two years have passed since they were assessed as having associate professor competence.

Assessment criteria

Research quality

• The extent to which the centre is ambitious, innovative and advances the research front
• The quality of the centre's R&D activities

Impact and effects

• Potential impact and effects of the proposed research
• Communication and exploitation

Implementation

• Quality of the project manager (centre director) and project group
• The quality of the centre's organisation and management
• The quality of the centre's plan for strengthening and developing research quality and capacity during the funding period
• The quality and extent of international collaboration
• Gender balance in the centre's project group

Funding

UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres receive annual strategic funding from the University Board and the host faculty (as well as any other participating faculties) for a period of five years.

The annual strategic funding shall amount to NOK 2 million, totalling NOK 10 million over the five-year funding period. In addition, the centre is allocated two recruitment positions during the five-year funding period. The strategic funding and recruitment positions are allocated from the University Board and the host faculty (as well as any other participating faculties) with a 50/50 distribution key. The faculty may fulfil its share of the strategic funding through allocated time for R&D, allocated administrative resources, and internal and/or external cash funding. This must be specified in the budget attached to the applications from the faculties.

The centre should have a planned start date from January 2027.

How to apply

• Project description of a maximum of 11 pages. The project description shall follow a fixed template.
• CV for the project manager (centre director) of a maximum of 4 pages, according to the prescribed template.
• CV for 3–6 project participants, of a maximum of 4 pages, according to the prescribed template.
• Funding plan showing the centre's total funding, both funding from the host faculty and from the University Board for five years. The budget shall also specify R&D time included as funding as well as funding in the form of monetary amounts.
• If staff from other faculties participate in the application, a simple letter of support from the participating faculty shall be attached, explaining the financial commitments and confirming that the participating faculty will be able to fulfil all commitments.
• The application and all attachments shall be written in English.

Evaluation and selection

When the application is received, the Director of Research and Innovation will conduct an administrative assessment to check that all formal requirements are met. Applications that do not satisfy the formal requirements will be rejected.

Applications that meet the formal requirements will then be evaluated by an independent international expert with expertise and experience in evaluating applications to national and international funding sources, regardless of discipline (generalist evaluation).

When the evaluation of the applications is completed, the University Director, in consultation with the Rector, will prepare a recommendation to the University Board with a proposal for which applications should be granted. The recommendation will particularly take into account a) grades and feedback given in the external evaluation of the applications, b) distribution of applications across research areas and faculties, and c) gender balance. The University Board makes the final decision on which applications shall be granted.

Follow-up and extension

The host faculty is responsible for the follow-up of UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres, and it is expected that the host faculty and the centre director have regular dialogue during the centre period to ensure that the centre develops in accordance with the plans set out in the application. Each centre shall submit an annual report to the University Board through the faculties' annual reporting (quality reports).

It is not possible for UiA PRIFORSK 1 centres to apply for an extension after the end of the five-year funding period within the same scheme. The goal and expectation is that the centre shall stand on its own feet and be able to fund itself through external projects when the five-year funding period has ended.

Purpose

The purpose of the UiA PRIFORSK 2 instrument is to support established and strong research environments in further consolidating their position as internationally excellent and competitive research environments, and to provide them with the ideal conditions for succeeding in the competition for the Research Council's centre schemes or equivalent national and international schemes. The UiA PRIFORSK 2 instrument shall particularly contribute to enabling the selected research environments to expand their project portfolio, strengthen researcher training and the development of research talent, and further develop international networks.

Target group

The scheme is aimed at mature and robust research environments from all disciplines and research areas that are particularly well positioned for success in the Research Council's centre schemes, or equivalent national and international schemes. The research environment must have a documented ability to succeed in major competitive arenas for research funding, including the Research Council and Horizon Europe. In addition to a distinguished centre director, the research environment must also include several other distinguished and experienced researchers, and these must be able to demonstrate good leadership in training and supervision of early-career researchers.

Requirements for the project owner (host faculty)

• One faculty shall serve as project owner (host faculty) in the application.
• Each faculty may submit a maximum of one application as project owner/host faculty.
• The host faculty's board must approve the application and confirm that it comes from a research environment that is within the target group of the scheme. The approval must further contain a confirmation that the research environment has collaborated over time, and that this collaboration will continue regardless of PRIFORSK funding.
• No later than the application deadline, the host faculty shall send confirmation of the approved application for UiA PRIFORSK 2 to the Director of Research and Innovation.

Requirements for centre director

• You must have an approved doctoral degree before the application deadline. Applicants from the Faculty of Fine Arts are exempt from this requirement if they can document that the centre director has been assessed as having associate professor or professor competence.
• You must be employed at the project owner faculty in at least a 50% position.
• You may be centre director for only one application.
• If you are, or have been, centre director for a PRIFORSK centre that has previously received funding, you cannot be centre director in an application to a new PRIFORSK call.
• You may participate in several PRIFORSK applications, but not as centre director.

Requirements for project participants

• There must be at least three named project participants, employed at UiA in at least a 50% position, in the project in addition to the centre director.
• The project participants must have an approved doctoral degree, and at least two years must have passed from the date of the doctoral defence until the day the application is submitted. This requirement applies to all named project participants. Applicants from the Faculty of Fine Arts are exempt from this requirement if they can document that the project participants have been assessed as having associate professor or professor competence, and at least two years have passed since they were assessed as having associate professor competence.

Assessment criteria

Research quality

• The extent to which the centre is ambitious, innovative and advances the research front
• The quality of the centre's R&D activities

Impact and effects

• Potential impact and effects of the proposed research
• Communication and exploitation

Implementation

• Quality of the project manager (centre director) and project group
• The quality of the centre's organisation and management
• The quality of the centre's plan for strengthening and developing research quality and capacity during the funding period
• The quality and extent of international collaboration
• Gender balance in the centre's project group

Funding

UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres receive annual strategic funding from the University Board and the host faculty (as well as any other participating faculties) for a period of five years.

The annual strategic funding shall amount to NOK 5 million, totalling NOK 25 million over the five-year funding period. In addition, the centre is allocated four recruitment positions during the five-year funding period. The strategic funding and recruitment positions are allocated from the University Board and the host faculty (as well as any other participating faculties) with a 50/50 distribution key. The faculty may fulfil its share of the strategic funding through allocated time for R&D, allocated administrative resources, and internal and/or external cash funding. This must be specified in the budget attached to the applications from the faculties.

The centre should have a planned start date from January 2027.

How to apply

• Project description of a maximum of 11 pages. The project description shall follow a fixed template.
• CV for the project manager (centre director) of a maximum of 4 pages, according to the prescribed template.
• CV for 3–6 project participants, of a maximum of 4 pages, according to the prescribed template.
• Funding plan showing the centre's total funding, both funding from the host faculty and the University Board and any additional funding for five years. The budget shall also specify R&D time included as funding, as well as funding in the form of monetary amounts.
• If staff from other faculties participate in the application, a simple letter of support from the participating faculty shall be attached, explaining the financial commitments and confirming that the participating faculty will be able to fulfil all commitments.
• The application and all attachments shall be written in English.

Evaluation and selection

When the application is received, the Director of Research and Innovation will conduct an administrative assessment to check that all formal requirements are met. Applications that do not satisfy the formal requirements will be rejected.

Applications that meet the formal requirements will then be evaluated by an independent international subject expert (subject expert evaluation) and an independent international expert with expertise and experience in evaluating applications to national and international funding sources, regardless of discipline (generalist evaluation).

When the evaluation of the applications is completed, the University Director, in consultation with the Rector, will prepare a recommendation to the University Board with a proposal for which applications should be granted. The recommendation will particularly take into account a) grades and feedback given in the external evaluations of the applications, b) distribution of applications across research areas and faculties, and c) gender balance. The University Board makes the final decision on which applications shall be granted.

Follow-up and extension

The host faculty is responsible for the follow-up of UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres, and it is expected that the host faculty and the centre director have regular dialogue during the centre period to ensure that the centre develops in accordance with the plans set out in the application. Each centre shall submit an annual report to the University Board through the faculties' annual reporting (quality reports).

UiA PRIFORSK 2 centres shall be evaluated at an appropriate time before the five-year funding period expires. The evaluation shall provide a basis for decisions on any further financial support for the centre and provide advice and recommendations to the centre regarding further development.

On the basis of the evaluation, the University Board may decide to extend its financial support to the centre for up to three years, provided that the host faculty and any other involved faculties support such an extension. In assessing whether a centre should be extended, the following three assessment criteria will be applied:

The extent to which the centre has demonstrated the ability to achieve its original objectives and to develop and strengthen research quality and capacity during its period as a prioritised research centre

The extent to which the centre has an internationally competitive level of quality in its research

The extent to which the centre has convincing strategies and plans for further development and demonstrates clear potential to be in a position to apply for the Research Council's centre schemes, or equivalent national and international schemes

If a centre is granted extended funding, the annual strategic funding shall as a general rule correspond to the level of support in the ordinary funding period, i.e. NOK 5 million annually in cash funding with a 50/50 distribution between the University Board and the host faculty. The allocation of recruitment positions in an extended funding period will be assessed separately. The goal and expectation is that the centre shall stand on its own feet and be able to fund itself through external projects when the five-year funding period has ended.

Applicants to PRIFORSK 2 may propose up to 3 independent subject experts to evaluate the application.