The call was met with great interest by Nordic higher education institutions, and international expert reviews determined that many of the applications held a very high standard. Of the 63 applications that were assessed, 21 were awarded one of the highest marks (6 or 7). The applications were first reviewed for scientific relevance and quality by international expert panels. Thereafter a Nordic expert group assessed the projects' potential to provide Nordic added value and the commitment and strategic support from their participating institutions.
At its meeting in Stockholm on 13 December 2017 the NordForsk Board selected the following university consortia for funding, based on the recommendation of the Nordic expert group:
- NordPlant - A Climate and Plant Phenomics Hub for Sustainable Agriculture and Forest Production in Future Nordic Climates
Participating institutions: University of Copenhagen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Lund University and UiT The Arctic University of Norway - Nordic POP
Participating institutions: University of Copenhagen, University of Iceland, Chalmers University of Technology, University of Helsinki, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Åbo Akademi University, University of Oslo, Uppsala University, University of Southern Denmark and University of Eastern Finland - Nordic Consortium for CO2 Conversion (NCCO2)
Participating institutions: University of Helsinki, Stockholm University, Aarhus University, University of Iceland, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, University of Oslo, University of Bergen, Uppsala University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology - Reimagining Norden in an Evolving World (ReNEW): An Excellence Hub in Research, Education and Public Outreach
Participating institutions: University of Helsinki, University of Oslo, Aarhus University, Copenhagen Business School, Södertörn University and University of Iceland - HI2OT: Nordic University Hub on Industrial Internet of Things
Participating institutions: Technical University of Denmark, Lund University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Aalto University - Nordic Sound and Music Computing Network
Participating institutions: University of Oslo, Aalborg University, University of Iceland, Aalto University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Funding from NordForsk will comprise one-third of the financing for each consortium. The participating institutions themselves must contribute the remaining two-thirds. Altogether the consortia may have a total budget of NOK 540 million over a six-year period, towards which NordForsk will contribute up to NOK 180 million.
Initially NordForsk will allocate up to NOK 120 million for a three-year period. An evaluation of each consortium will determine whether NordForsk will continue to provide funding for a subsequent three-year period, for a total of up to NOK 60 million.
Disclaimer: This information may include errors and omissions. Only decisions communicated directly to the applicants through e-mail should be considered formal confirmations of allocation of funding. All applicants will receive a letter of decision by e-mail.
