Norway

NO: Norway  RCN - Research Council of Norway

The Research Council of Norway (RCN) serves as a common public administrative and allocating agency for all disciplines and segments within the research sector. The Research Council’s task is to make the best research and innovation possible. Its aim is to promote a society where research is created, used, and shared, thus contributing to restructuring and enhanced sustainability. It is the key advisory body to the authorities on research policy issues and carries out tasks commissioned by 15 ministries. Its activities play an important role in the Government’s long-term plan for research and higher education. The council’s total budget in 2021 amounted to approximately NOK 40.8 billion. The Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are the most important contributors to the budget of the Research Council of Norway.

The Research Council’s organisation reflects the spheres of activity of its various stakeholders. It is organised into seven divisions: Society and Health, Industries and Technologies, Resource Industries and the Environment, Science and the Research System, International Cooperation, Organisational Development and Digitalisation, and Communication. The Research Council has approximately 360 employees working to address societal challenges and create jobs for the future.