The Nordic Centre of Excellence Programme on Welfare Research
2006-2011

On September 8th, a Nordic Centre of Excellence (NCoE) Programme on Welfare Research is launched as a start of a joint effort to enhance the scientific quality and international visibility of Nordic research within this field. Co-funded by NordForsk and national research councils from four Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), the NCoE Programme will run from 2006 to 2011. The total annual funding will be up to 15 million NOK (approx. 1.9 million EURO) available for a five-year support of 1-3 virtual research centres, the NCoEs.

The main objective of the NCoE Programme is to create Nordic strength by promoting scientific excellence and enhancing intra-Nordic research collaboration, co-operation and mobility of researchers. An NCoE is a well-structured and well-managed network of existing research teams from at least three different Nordic countries forming a virtual centre with joint objectives. Research teams from the Baltic countries and North-Western Russia may participate, but the lead applicant must be located in one of the co-funding Nordic countries.

Welfare Research is a field where the Nordic countries are known to excel. Significant added value may therefore be expected from close collaboration of strong complementary research groups.

Participating individual research teams are expected to show very high or excellent scientific quality. The NCoE Programme funding is intended to supplement national research funding and may only be allocated to costs for visiting professors and post-docs, fellowships for PhD students, researcher training, staff mobility, and to cover extra management and co-ordination costs.

How to apply
The application scheme for this one-step application process is to be filled in and handed in to the NordForsk Secretariat in Oslo no later than 16.00hrs C.E.T., October 16th 2006. The applications shall be e-mailed (electronic version) to soknad@nordforsk. org and also postmarked (application manually signed) by this deadline.

A Programme Memorandum describes the process and outlines the area of research…detalii click [sursa]