ERC conference: We can do better! (08.01.2009)
Why is the Nordic success rate, particularly that of Denmark and Norway, not as good as could be expected in the first rounds of calls from the European Research Council? And what can be done to improve the Nordic results? A report from the NordForsk seminar, held at the Scandic Sergel Plaza Hotel in Stockholm on 2 December 2008, is now available.
Global challenges — Regional opportunities: How can research infrastructure and eScience support Nordic competitiveness? (06.01.2009)
The Nordic conference on research infrastructure, a joint event organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Swedish Ministry of Education and Research, the Swedish Research council and NordForsk, was held 12-13 November 2008 in Stockholm. A report from the conference is now published.
Making research more effective (22.12.2008)
eScience makes research more effective by opening up for new types of collaboration. Researchers who use modern ICT infrastructure to share knowledge with others can achieve more in a shorter amount of time.
NordForsk Application Portal (22.12.2008)
On 5 January 2009 we launched the new Internet-based NordForsk Application Portal. Applications can easily be submitted via the new portal. Follow the link “apply for funding” here on our website.
NordForsk Nordic C. elegans Researcher Network Invited to Nobel Prize Reception for 2008 Chemistry Laureate Professor Martin Chalfie (17.12.2008)
15.12.2008 – PRESS RELEASE
The NordForsk supported Nordic C. elegans Researcher Network was invited to a reception for 2008 Nobel Prize Chemistry Laureate Prof. Martin Chalfie at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm on Thursday, December 11.
The NordForsk supported Nordic C. elegans Researcher Network was invited to a reception for 2008 Nobel Prize Chemistry Laureate Prof. Martin Chalfie at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm on Thursday, December 11.
Ten major new EU research infrastructures in the ESFRI Roadmap Update – three of them proposed by Nordic countries (11.12.2008)
On the 9th of December 2008, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) released an update of the ESFRI-Roadmap from 2006, describing the needs for pan-European Research Infrastructures for the next 10-20 years. 10 new infrastructures have been identified by ESFRI. This followed an intensive consultation process, involving more than 200 experts. Three of the ten new projects were proposed by Nordic countries.
Putting the Arctic on the EU radar (05.12.2008)
The EU Commission published a report last week on the relationship between the Union and the Arctic Region. The ‘Common Concern for the Arctic‘‘ conference hosted by the Nordic Council of Ministers in Ilulissat in September helped place the Arctic firmly on the Union‘s agenda.
Free flow of knowledge in the Baltic Sea Region (05.12.2008)
The fifth freedom was one of the topics on the second day of the Baltic Development Forum. The Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Halldór Ásgrímsson, spoke to the delegates about the free flow of knowledge on Monday 1 December.
Abundance of Nordic climate solutions (05.12.2008)
"If the politicians don‘t tackle the problem of climate change, then revolution may ensue," the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Halldór Ásgrímsson, said in his closing address to Nordic Climate Solutions in Copenhagen.
(E)QUALITY 2009 (21.11.2008)
.jpg){kind=logo}
New NordForsk Policy Brief: An evaluation of the possibilities for increased Nordic cooperation on research infrastructures (13.11.2008)
The report Improving research capabilities – An evaluation of the possibilities for increased Nordic cooperation on research infrastructures, the latest issue in our series NordForsk Policy Briefs, provides an overview of current policies for research infrastructures in the Nordic countries and Europe and evaluates the scope for increased Nordic coordination.
Nordic countries pump half a billion into joint research (30.10.2008)
The Nordic countries will now invest almost half a billion into joint climate, energy and environmental research. "This will open up new business opportunities", states Sweden’s minister of education. The Top Research Initiative will be administered by the following three Nordic organisations: NordForsk, Nordic Innovation Centre (NICe) and Nordic Energy Research.
Nordic Research Gems (29.10.2008)
The new NordForsk publication Nordic Research Gems presents a collection of success stories from Nordic research cooperation. More than 11 000 researchers are currently involved in research activities financed by NordForsk and they are producing some impressive results.
"NordForsk Magasin" (2008-2) (28.10.2008)
The new issue of NordForsk Magasin (2008-2) has research infrastructure as its main theme. The publication is free and can be ordered from NordForsk’s website: Order publications
Innovative Thinking in Nordic Network (17.10.2008)
For three intense days participants from all over the Nordic region got to take part of what metasynthesis means to research. The course is a part of a collaborative effort between the School of Caring Sciences at the University of Borås, and Karlstad University.
33 new NordForsk Networks (09.10.2008)
More than 100 applications for network funding were submitted to NordForsk by the deadline 4 April 2008. The proposals were evaluated by two expert panels.
Seminar to gather Nordic stakeholder for exchange of experiences on the ERCs first calls (26.09.2008)
NordForsk will organise a Nordic seminar devoted to a discussion on the European Research Council (ERC) on 2 December 2008 in Stockholm. The seminar will take place from 10 -17 and aims to identify how the Nordic countries can further improve their participation in the ERCs calls.
NordForsk Annual Report 2007 (18.09.2008)
“We look forward with confidence and great expectation”, Director Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist concludes in NordForsk’s Annual Report 2007.
NordForsk’s Annual Report 2007 comprises an interview with NordForsk’s Chair, International Director at the Research Council of Norway, Kari Kveseth; reports on new funding programmes; presentations of new coordination and policy initiatives and news stories from some of the 2007 start-ups.
NordForsk’s Annual Report 2007 comprises an interview with NordForsk’s Chair, International Director at the Research Council of Norway, Kari Kveseth; reports on new funding programmes; presentations of new coordination and policy initiatives and news stories from some of the 2007 start-ups.
First ERC Advanced Grants Competition: 14 Nordic Winners (29.08.2008)
The European Research Council (ERC) has published the first successful candidates in the ERC Advanced Grants competition. 14 Nordic researchers are among the grantees so far. Markku Kulmala, head of one of NordForsk’s Nordic Centres of Excellence on Global Change, is one of three winners from Finland.
”Is there a Nordic model for societal security and safety?” (26.08.2008)
The conference ”Is there a Nordic model for societal security and safety?” will take place on 1-2 September in Oslo, Norway. The Conference will focus on societal issues of high actuality concerning unintended and intended natural and human caused events and disasters, sabotage and acts of terror.
Baltic Support for ESS Scandinavia (26.08.2008)
Estonia has become the fourth country – the first from the Baltic region – to formally support the building of the materials research centre European Spallation Source in Lund. In April 2008, Denmark became the first of the Nordic countries to formalise its support for the Swedish candidacy to become ESS host.
New NordForsk Policy Brief: Bibliometric Exploration of Common Nordic Research Opportunities (25.08.2008)
Nordic Excellence. Based on bibliometric analysis the latest issue in the series NordForsk Policy Briefs identifies areas of Nordic strength in research and suggests joint Nordic funding priorities.
Geology’s Olympics in Oslo (02.08.2008)
Climate change, the environment and future energy supplies were top of the agenda at the 33rd International Geological Congress (IGC), which was held in Oslo 6–14 August 2008. NordForsk sponsored 30 Nordic PhD students with the congress participation fee and organised a poster competition at the congress.
"NordForsk Magasin" 2008-1 (26.06.2008)
NordForsk has recently published a new issue of the magazine NordForsk Magasin (2008-1). The publication is free and can be ordered from NordForsk’s website: Order publications.
Nordic Research on Corporate Social Responsibility (23.06.2008)
An increasing number of enterprises motivate their activities not only based on profit opportunities, but also on ethical and social dimensions. Moreover, a joint Nordic study shows that these so called CSR-entrepreneurs are successful in a business perspective. Nordic researchers collaborate in a research project that looks into the drivers and success factors of these enterprises.
Sweden First Nordic Country to Grant National Support after ERCs Starting Grant Award (23.06.2008)
On 18 June 2008, the Swedish Research Council launched a funding initiative to
support the six unfunded Swedish projects which all passed the European Research Council’s (ERC) quality threshold.
support the six unfunded Swedish projects which all passed the European Research Council’s (ERC) quality threshold.
NCoE-Scientists in Science: Transfer of Learning Traced to Areas of the Brain (16.06.2008)
Practice makes perfect, but a question that still remains a mystery is why it is so difficult to transfer learning from a trained to an untrained task. Scientists collaborating at the Nordic Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Cognitive Control now show that the answer lies in the brain areas activated by each task.
FORSK2015: 21 Priority Areas in Danish Research Policy (13.06.2008)
The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation has published FORSK2015 – a catalogue of 21 proposals for thematic focus areas in Danish research. The report is based on extensive hearings, dialogue processes and analyses and thus provides a solid basis for determening future priorities for Danish thematic research.
NordBib Launches New Call (11.06.2008)
The Nordbib programme opens a new call within the focus area for Content and Accessibility.
Boosting a European Single Labour Market for Researchers (11.06.2008)
In the Communication "Better careers and more mobility: a European Partnership for Researchers ", the European Commission seeks partnership with Member States to make the EU a more attractive place for researchers, and allow researchers to be more mobile between countries, institutions, and between the academic and private sectors.
NordForsk Launches New Funding Scheme to Boost Academia–Industry Collaboration (02.06.2008)
18 June 2008 NordForsk launches a call for Nordic Private Public Partnership (PPP) PhD Projects.
Nordic Diet and Health Conference (30.05.2008)
A nutrition conference in Copenhagen, 1-4 June 2008, will debate whether to revise the Nordic nutrient recommendations. Leading Nordic researchers have been invited to present the results of the latest research. Among the participants are Anne Tjønneland (NCoE HELGA) and Matti Uusitupa (NCoE SysDiet), who coordinates two research centres under NordForsk’s Nordic Centre of Excellence programme on Food, Nutrition & Health (2007-11).
Nordic Summer University 2008 (27.05.2008)
Updated information about Nordic Summer University’s summer session 2008 is now available. The session will be held 20-27 July in Brandbjerg, Denmark.
Valuable Nordic Experience: New Norwegian Strategy for Research Collaboration with the EU (21.05.2008)
14 May 2008, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research presented its new strategy for collaboration with the EU on research and development. – NORIA (The Nordic Research and Innovation Area) provides a valuable platform for Norway’s participation in EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7), for further development towards mutual opening of national R&D programmes and for participation in the ERA (European Research Area), the strategy states.
Strong Nordic Work Forces within Science and Technology (21.05.2008)
The capital regions of Norway and Sweden are those regions among the EU Member States + Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey which had the largest share of HRSTC workers (persons who have both completed tertiary level education and work in a Science & Technology occupation) in 2006.
ESS Host to be Decided in December (14.05.2008)
“I’m sure it will happen by December”, says Colin Carlile, Director of ESS Scandinavia, to Research Europe. Three locations are currently competing to become host for the research infrastructure European Spallation Source (ESS): Lund in Sweden (with support from Denmark), Bilbao in Spain and Debrecen in Hungary. Final decision is expected to be made at a meeting in Versailles in December 2008.
SIGHT 2009 : Finnish Research Evaluation and Policy (14.05.2008)
SIGHT 2009 is the title of an extensive evaluation project to be conducted by the Academy of Finland and experts from a wide array of disciplines. Besides the changes taking place in the international operating environment, SIGHT 2009 is set against the backcloth of the changes in the Finnish research system.
Family Forerunners? - Nordic Demographic Symposium in Finland (08.05.2008)
The 16th Nordic Demographic Symposium "Family Forerunners? Families and Demographic Processes in Northern Europe" will be held 5-7 June 2008 in eastern Helsinki, Finland.
Knowledge Exchange on Knowledge Reforms in the Nordic Region (07.05.2008)
How does international competition affect the Nordic institutions of knowledge? Are these institutions becoming more different or more similar? How do we safeguard a diversity of knowledge and stimulate towards high quality – on our own countries’ terms? These were some of the themes of a seminar on the management of higher education and research in the Nordic countries, which was held in Oslo in April 2008.
Nordic Climate Cluster (07.05.2008)
16 Norwegian and Swedish companies have established The Nordic Climate Cluster (NoCC), which was launched on 7 April 2008. Denmark and Finland are expected to join the cluster at a later date. The NoCC partners aim to create global centres of excellence in environmentally friendly energy and improved environmental technologies through industrial and scientific collaboration.
New Thinking in Historic Uppsala (02.05.2008)
Uppsala University was founded before Columbus discovered America. The top class international research conducted there nowadays has been rewarded with eight Nobel prizes over the years, so it was a suitable venue for the meeting of Nordic ministers for education and research on 29 April, at which they discussed Nordic excellence in research in the era of globalisation. Greater autonomy for universities was also on the agenda.
Nordic Ministers for Research Met in Uppsala (29.04.2008)
Tuesday 29 April 2008 Sweden’s Minister for Higher Education and Research, Lars Leijonborg, hosted a Nordic research minister meeting in Uppsala, Sweden. The ministers discussed research and globalisation and increased autonomy for Nordic universities. On the agenda was also a presentation of NordForsk‘s activites.
Nordic Portals for Research Communication: www.videnskap.dk Launched (29.04.2008)
On Monday 21 April the research portal videnskab.dk was launched in Denmark, and with this launch, all of the Scandinavian countries established national, Internet-based, dedicated channels for the dissemination of research to a wide audience. In Finland, the portal research.fi operates according to a somewhat alternative profile. All of the portals have strong ties to the national research councils with respect to background and operation.
Danish Support for Sweden’s Candidacy to Become ESS Host (22.04.2008)
The Danish Government has decided to officially and actively support the Swedish candidacy to become host for the international research infrastructure European Spallation Source (ESS). Denmark is the first country to initiate negotiations with one of the three candidates competing to host the ESS: Lund in Sweden, Bilbao in Spain and Debrecen in Hungary.
Suggest Nordic Competence Bank on Climate and Energy (21.04.2008)
At the Nordic Council’s meeting in Stavanger 14-15 April, the Social Democratic Group agreed on a number of initiatives concerning research related issues.
Ambitious research proposal (17.04.2008)
The Nordic prime ministers called for greater effort to be put into building up a strong Nordic knowledge and innovation area when they met in Finland in June 2007. They requested that the Council of Ministers draw up a proposal and put it to the ministers for co-operation.The Steering Group for the Research Excellence Initiative has now submitted an ambitious proposal for a programme covering energy, climate and the environment to the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Halldór Ásgrímsson.
”Nordic Globalization Barometer 2008” (17.04.2008)
Global excellence in science, human capital attraction and cluster development are key areas where Nordic cooperation can make a significant contribution, according to the The Nordic Globalization Barometer 2008. The barometer report was launched 8 April 2008 at the Nordic Prime Ministers’ first Globalisation Forum in Riksgränsen. NordForsk presents some extracts from the report, and provides the complete publication available for download.
Academy of Finland launches new international strategy (16.04.2008)
The Academy of Finland has published its new international strategy. In accordance with the concept of strategic partnerships, the Academy of Finland has defined the primary countries, regions and partners for cooperation. The regions include the Nordic Countries, Europe, the United States and Japan, as well as Russia, China, India and Brazil of the emerging scientific countries. Relevant partners are universities, research institutes, ministries, research funding agencies and business and industry.
Anneli Pauli to DG Research (16.04.2008)
Dr. Anneli Pauli, former Deputy Director General of the JRC, has been appointed Deputy Director General of the European Commission‘s Research Directorate General. Dr Pauli will in particular be responsible for advancing the Commission‘s efforts in creating a European Research area, a field in which she has extensive professional experience. Anneli Pauli was Vice Chair at NordForsk’s board from February 2005 – December 2006.
National Research Funding: The Norwegian Model Spreads in the Nordic Region (09.04.2008)
At present, Denmark, Finland and Sweden are all debating and developing new result indicators for research and corresponding models for research funding. The discussions and approaches strongly relate to the controversial Norwegian model that was implemented in 2006. Forskningpolitikk 1/2008 includes a brief overview of the Norwegian process and presents three commentary articles by national representatives on the ongoing processes in the other Nordic countries.
Prime Ministers Inject New Vigour Into Partnership (09.04.2008)
"The most important aspect of Nordic co-operation is that the countries jointly apply their research and innovation capacity and competitiveness in order to meet global challenges”, said Halldór Ásgrímsson, the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, after the Nordic Globalisation Forum in Riksgränsen.
Research Collaboration on Transport and Climate Change (07.04.2008)
Sweden is Programme Leader for an EU research programme on transport research and climate change which launched a new call 31 March 2008. The programme focuses on evaluation of the impact of climate change on road infrastructure, methods for calculating costs and benefits of adaptation measures and risk management. Denmark, Finland and Norway also participate in the programme.
14 Nordic Researchers to Receive ERC Starting Grants (07.04.2008)
14 Nordic researchers are awarded Starting Grants by the European Research Council (ERC). "We are proud of the Nordic candidates who made it through the hard international competition", says Director General of the Swedish Research Council, Pär Omling.
ERC Starting Grants: National Initiatives Provide Further Funding (03.04.2008)
France, Italy, Switzerland and Spain have launched national initiatives offering the possibility for financial support to finalists of the first ERC Starting Grant competition whose proposals cannot be funded by the ERC due to budgetary limits. ERC President Fotis Kafatos welcomes the national efforts.
Call for papers: Research Policy Conference on Nordic Societal Security and Safety (01.04.2008)
Are there common denominators for Nordic societies that influence the ways we go about societal security and safety? Are we facing the same challenges? Do we have the same perception of the threats to environment, infrastructure, people and the way we organise our societies in the Nordic region? These are some of the questions to be addressed at a Nordic research conference organised by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) 1-2 September 2008.
Prospect of Nordic Heat Waves (28.03.2008)
The Nordic countries will experience more prolonged heat waves and spells of rain in the future, according to a new report prepared by the climate research institute CICERO and the COWI international consulting group on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Strong Nordic Delegation at “State of the Planet” 2008 (27.03.2008)
Six Norwegians and one Swede are among the speakers at the State of the Planet Conference in New York 27–28 March 2008. The Nordic delegation comprises representatives from the research communities, the industry and the political arena.
Global challenges - Nordic opportunities (26.03.2008)
Nordic Prime Ministers to meet in Riksgränsen, 8-9 April. What is required in order to maintain Nordic competitiveness? How can we make ourselves more visible and make the Region even more attractive to overseas collaboration partners?
Sweden Needs New Research and Innovation Authority (25.03.2008)
"Close down the present four Swedish national research and innovation authorities –including the Swedish Research Council (VR) – and establish a new authority", says Madeleine Sandström, head of the report group appointed by the Swedish Government to evaluate the national research and innovation funding system in Sweden. The final report was published 19 March 2008.
Glaciologists Awarded Descartes Prize (18.03.2008)
The research project EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) is one of this year’s winners of the Descartes Prize for Research. Scientists from ten European nations are participating in the project, including researchers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Excellent Research Requires Excellent Leadership (18.03.2008)
Two prime recommendations may sum up the main conclusions of the NCoE-symposium 12-13 March in Oslo: “Focus on strong leadership” and “Make plans for the exit strategy from day one”.
Norwegian Research Minister Opened NORIA Symposium (14.03.2008)
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – the Norwegian Minister for Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland, quoted Albert Einstein at a NORIA-symposium on the Nordic Centres of Excellence (NCoE) concept 12 March 2008. Aasland addressed the challenges imposed by globalisation, and pointed to the NCoE-programme as a relevant and useful instrument that makes our region well prepared for globalisation.
Nordic Project Aids Policy Makers Interpreting R&D Statistics (13.03.2008)
R&D statistics are easily misinterpreted. Comparative analysis between different countries based on published R&D figures are particularly difficult to carry out, since differences in the countries’ industry structures and knowledge sectors complicate the comparison considerably. The Nordic Project NIND aims to enhance the competence level of Nordic policy makers in collecting, using and interpreting statistics relevant for research and innovation in the region. The project has published four reports so far.
Small States‘ Policies on Research Infrastructure: A Swedish Case Study (10.03.2008)
Should small states try to develop their own infrastructures for expensive research fields, or should they instead maximize their participation in international research facilities? SISTER (Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research) has published a report that looks into broad questions regarding research policy and infrastructure strategies by analysing the evolution of the extraordinary Swedish national research facility, MAX-lab.
Parallel Tendencies in Nordic University Politics (07.03.2008)
University mergers and the establishment of elite universities are topical issues in all the Nordic countries at present. Denmark carried out extensive university reforms a couple of years back. Representatives from Finland, Norway and Sweden discussed the ongoing processes in their respective countries at a seminar in Stockholm in February 2008.
Safe storage for seeds of the world (05.03.2008)
Plant species from the Nordic Region, and all over the rest of the world, are now safely ensconced in the bowels of the earth under the Norwegian mountains. The new storage facility on the Svalbard Islands, with the capacity to store millions of seed samples, was inaugurated 26 Feburary. Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen) is responsible for the day-to-day operations.
Co-operation Ministers Focus on Visibility and Competitiveness (05.03.2008)
Friday 29 February 2008 the Nordic Co-operation Ministers passed a resolution on the strategic direction for the Nordic Council of Ministers in the period ahead. The ministers agreed upon the need to further develop the research and innovation area, enhance the education area, analyse the consequences of climate change on the Nordic natural resources and profile the Nordic region as a centre for creative industries. Additionally, cooperation within the energy field will be strengthened.
Avoid political interference in research (03.03.2008)
The Swedish Minister of research and education Lars Leijonborg recently presented the priorities of the upcoming Swedish research bill. – Political interference in research should be avoided, and limited to high-level management only, he says. He promises a strengthening of research in the fields of climate and medicine, two areas that have also been singled out as priority areas within the Nordic research cooperation in the coming years.
Nordic Region Hosts International Conference on Research Communication (28.02.2008)
PCSTs (International Network on Public Communication of Science and Technology) 10th international conference Bridges to the future is held in the Øresund region 23-27 June 2008. The conference is organised in collaboration with The Swedish Research Council (VR). The (preliminary) conference programme includes sessions where the conference participants will have the opportunity to be involved in communication assignments and dilemmas which by their nature are controversial and with an ethical edge. PCST and VR welcome you to an untraditional research communication conference, in Scandinavia.
NordForsk Launches Hearing on Private Public Partnership PhD Programme (28.02.2008)
NordForsk is planning a Nordic Private Public Partnership (PPP) PhD mobility programme. Potential industry partners and academic communities in the region are invited to engage in a preliminary hearing on the concept.
OECD Meeting on Global and National Research Policies in Oslo (26.02.2008)
EU’s Commisioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, gives an introductory speech at an OECD meeting on research and innovation in Oslo 3-4 March 2008. On the agenda are the challenges related to recruitment, infrastructure, financing instruments and evaluations, imposed by the ongoing globalisation process. The meeting will look into the OECD countries’ policy development in these fields, and discuss OECD’s role.
New Policy Brief: The Nordic Region as a Global Health Lab (25.02.2008)
– The Nordic region has the potential to become a global role model in developing innovative, research-based solutions for preventing chronic diseases, concludes the new publication in the series NordForsk Policy Briefs The Nordic region as a global health lab. Order the publication here.
On Performance-Based Funding of Research and Higher Education (20.02.2008)
The primary objectives of performance-based funding of research and higher education are improved efficiency, accountability and quality. A new report investigates the relationships between the state and higher education institutions by looking into the state funding policies in five countries with performance-based funding, among these are Finland and Denmark.
Norwegian Minister and Swedish Astronaut Open International Observatory on Svalbard (18.02.2008)
– The new observatory will be an important contributor to the future international research cooperation, says the Norwegian Minister for Research, Tora Aasland. Joined by the Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang she opens the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) on Svalbard 18 February 2008.
Transforming Knowledge into Innovation: European Innovation Scoreboard 2007 (15.02.2008)
Denmark, Finland and Sweden continue to have a very strong performance as world “innovation leaders”, according to the 2007 European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS). For the first time, the report also assesses innovation efficiency – the countries’ performances in transforming knowledge inputs into innovation outputs.
Nordic funding for workshops within cultural and social science research (14.02.2008)
Funding can be applied from the Joint Committee for Nordic Research Councils for the Humanities and the Social Sciences (NOS-HS) for arranging Nordic exploratory workshops in the fields of cultural and social science research.
Strategic Investments in Danish University Research (13.02.2008)
The Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has established a new initiative to strengthen research at Danish Universities. – This is a very interesting initiative, says Jarle Aarbakke, board member of The Nordic Universities Association. The initiative Investment Capital for University Research is entitled UNIK.
Focus on Climate Research Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region (08.02.2008)
Climate and energy issues are the focus of a new working party consisting of MPs from the Baltic Sea Region. Ann-Kristina Johansson, who represents the Nordic Council on the group, calls for closer co-operation on research and exchange of information about effective political instruments capable of making an impact on energy generation and consumption.
12 Main Challenges for Danish Knowledge Policy (06.02.2008)
The Danish Future panel recommends strategic investments in internationalisation, higher education, and knowledge sharing, and warns against detail-oriented management in Danish knowledge policy. The panel was established by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation in May 2007, and has recently published the report “12 Challenges for Danish Knowledge Policy” (in Danish only).
New NORBAL statistics: Slight Decrease in Awarded Doctoral Degrees (05.02.2008)
6 625 doctoral degrees were awarded in the Nordic and Baltic countries in 2006. This is a decrease by 160 doctoral degrees compared to 2005 figures. The online presentation of statistics on Nordic/Baltic doctoral degrees (1990-) is now available in new design with improved functionalities: NORBAL.
International Citation Indices : Nordic Developments (01.02.2008)
The research policy news bulletin Research Europe reports on the Indicator report 2007 with special regards to the development in citations. Despite low spending on R&D, Norwegian researchers have outperformed their neighbours in international citations indices in recent years.
Excellent Nordic-Russian Research Collaboration (29.01.2008)
In order to strengthen Nordic-Russian cooperation in the knowledge sector, the Nordic Council of Ministers is establishing a joint Nordic-Russian programme on research and education in cooperation with relevant Russian authorities. NordForsk initiates Preparatory Actions through a call to intensify NCoE research collaboration with Northwest Russia.
Time ripe for Nordic voice in EU (25.01.2008)
The time is ripe for a more systematic Nordic policy in an EU context, especially within research and innovation, Director of the Nordic Council, Jan-Erik Enestam, wrote in a contribution to the newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Hufvudstadsbladet 25 January 2008.
Indicator Report 2007 (25.01.2008)
The Norwegian Indicator Report 2007 was recently published by NIFU STEP, in cooperation with The Research Council of Norway and Statistics Norway. NordForsk presents some Nordic perspectives and excerpts from the report, and provides a link to the full text version of the publication.
Global Warming Threatens the Baltic Sea (23.01.2008)
Algae growth in the Baltic Sea is accelerating and the seal population is falling. These are just two of consequences of global warming faced by the Baltic Sea, according to a new Finnish/Swedish research report.
NordForsk Publishes Policy Brief on Urban Research (21.01.2008)
Future global challenges are closely linked to the urbanisation process and to the development of the urban regions of the world. The NordForsk Policy Brief Urban development : Nordic strengths and challenges under the heading of a new global agenda gives an overview of the current state of play of Nordic urban research and sets out relevant themes for future Nordic research cooperation in the field. Order the publication here.
Joint Nordic Initiative: Excellence in Research on Globalisation (18.01.2008)
Education, training and research activities account for over a quarter of the Nordic Council of Ministers‘ total budget of approximately DKK 850 million. In the light of the decision by the Nordic Prime Ministers to prioritise facing up to the challenges posed by globalisation, it is a sector unlikely to become any less important in the future , as a result of which the Council of Ministers has set up an excellence in research project. NordForsk will act as Secretariat to the group in close co-operation with the Nordic Innovation Centre and Nordic Energy Research. (18.01.2008)
NORIA-nets Starting 2008 (15.01.2008)
As a means of enhancing co-operation between Nordic national research and innovation financiers and managers, NordForsk launched the pilot coordination programme, NORIA-net, 15 May 2007. NordForsk has now processed the applications and contracts have been signed with four NORIA-net projects, while three more projects have been selected for further negotiations.
Swedish Study: Research & Industry – Rationales for Interaction (11.01.2008)
Cooperation outcomes for product and process development are the main drivers for university-industry collaboration. But firms also work with university researchers to gain access to academic networks; and almost 50 % of the respondents in a Swedish exploratory study on “Firms’ Rationale for Interacting with Research Universities” state that the branding and marketing effect of formalised interaction with research universities is an important side-rationale for interaction. SISTER, Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research, has recently published the results and analysis of the Swedish study.
The Research Council of Norway Proposes Three Major Priority Areas (08.01.2008)
The Research Council of Norway has identified three fields of research in need of special attention. The priority areas, (1) energy/the environment, (2) research infrastructure and (3) industry-oriented user-driven research, are described in the document Strategic Priorities for 2009, recently published by the Research Council.
Three Priority Areas for the Swedish Research Council (08.01.2008)
– We want to enhance Swedish researchers’ involvement in research programmes at European, Nordic and International levels, Björn von Sydow, Chair of the Swedish Research Council, says. International collaboration, basic research on global change and climate/energy issues as well as national and international research infrastructure investments are defined as priority areas in the Council’s research strategy 2009–12.
The ERC Awards its First Grants (07.01.2008)
Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway are all represented among the home/host countries of the 300 up-and-coming research leaders to receive Starting Independent Investigator grants from the European Research Council (ERC) 2008.
ORDER PUBLICATIONS
Read more >>NEWSLETTER: News from NordForsk
Read more >>
Copyright © NordForsk. All rights reserved.
NordForsk, Stensberggata 25, NO-0170 Oslo
Phone +47 476 14 400 Fax + 47 22 56 55 65 nordforsk@nordforsk.org
Organisation number 971 274 255
Permanent illustration photos: Scanpix
NordForsk, Stensberggata 25, NO-0170 Oslo
Phone +47 476 14 400 Fax + 47 22 56 55 65 nordforsk@nordforsk.org
Organisation number 971 274 255
Permanent illustration photos: Scanpix