Application Support at the Faculty of Humanities

As early as possible

• Contact us to clarify the support you require. We can set up a progress plan and assist you up until the application deadline.  
• Our research advisors can help evaluate whether the project’s idea aligns with the requirements. 
• You must also inform us if you plan to participate as a partner in an application submitted from another department or faculty.  
• BOA-HF is responsible for coordinating tasks between the Division of Research and Innovation (FIA), the Faculty, the Department, and external consulting companies.  

Preparation of the application budget

• The budget is developed in collaboration with the applicant, financial advisor, and research advisor.  
• The budget and application must always be approved by the Head of Department/Center before submission.   

The Application Portal

• Create an e-application in the application portal of the funder and give access to the Head of the Department/Center and Kirsten Moen (boa-hf@uib.no). BOA-HF will assist in quality checking the application.

In collaboration with the Faculty of Social Science, the Faculty of Humanities has developed an ‘NFR Timeline’ for researchers considering or planning to apply for a FRIPRO or thematic research project call from the Research Council of Norway (NFR). This timeline consists of several workshops designed to assist in the development of the application, ensuring it can be finalized and submitted by Spring 2025. The workshops are open to academic staff at all career stages.

If your project has received funding, it is important to inform the Department/Center and BOA-HF.

Start-up meetings

Together with the Department/Center, the Section for Research and Communication will set up a start-up meeting for new projects. For some projects, a pre-start-up meeting may be necessary, ideally when the project has been granted funding.  

During the start-up meeting, representatives from the Department/Center, Section for Economy, Section for HR, and Section for Research and Communication will participate. We will examine the project and determine the different roles. We will assist with: 

• A plan for financial follow-up and reporting to the funding source. 
• A plan for prospective employment.  
• A review of potential partnership agreements, data management plans, and routines for internal monitoring. 
• Other clarifications such as the admission of PhD candidates, planned events, etc.  

Contracts, agreements, and collaboration

In all research collaborations in which UiB participates in, either as project owner or partner, contracts and collaboration agreements must be entered into. A research contract secures the rights of the parties involved.

• Coordinator projects: The contract is between the project owner/coordinator and the external funding source.  
• Cooperation project: A cooperation agreement is between the project owner/coordinator and the partners.  

UiB is the project owner in coordinator projects.  All agreements are prepared by the faculty’s Section for Research and Communication and validated by lawyers from the Division of Research and Innovation (FIA). All the contracts are initialed by the Head of Department/Center and signed by FIA. If you are a partner in a research project, the cooperation agreement is initialed by the Head of Department/Center and signed by FIA.  

You will receive help with contract negotiations, but here are some important points to bear in mind: 

• What is the relationship between the ownership of the project background and the ownership of results? 
• What will you do with the project results? 
• Have provisions been made with regards to publications? 
• Will the project involve IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)? 

Project management

FIA has created an overview of the different project phases including project management  

Ground-breaking research calls - Open-ended deadline
Thi is an open, national competetive arena that promotes free, basic and excellent research. There are no thematic restrictions; the project ideas come from the researchers themselves. The Research Council has three calls for ground-breaking research. The applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, which means you can apply at any time. You can only be the project leader for one application at a time.

Three-year Researcher Project with International Mobility (FRIPRO)
For researchers who are at the start of their research career. The project coordinator must have submitted their doctoral thesis before submitting their first application. In addition, it must be less than seven years since the doctoral defence. The project lasts for 3 years, in which project coordinator will be abroad the first two years, and in Norway the third year.

Radical Research Ideas for Early Career Scientists 
For researchers at the start of their career who want to test particularly bold research ideas. The ideas must be so bold that the risk of failure is too high to justify starting a large project, but where the research could have a significant impact on the field if the project is successful. Project managers for successful research idea projects may later apply for larger FRIPRO projects and be prioritized there. All researchers with 2 to 7 years of experience following an approved doctorate may apply. The project lasts for 4 to 12 months.

Researcher Project for Early Career Scientists (FRIPRO)
For researchers at an early stage in their careers who have shown potential to conduct high-quality scientific research. All researchers with 2 to 7 years of experience following an approved doctorate may apply. The project lasts for 3 to 4 years. You can apply for funding to cover expenses for yourself, other researchers and operating costs. 

Researcher Project for Experienced Scientists (FRIPRO)
For researchers that have achieved an approved doctorate a minimum of 6 years prior to the application deadline or an approved associate professor qualification. The call is reserved for researchers who are experts in their research field. The project lasts for 3 to 8 years. You can apply for funding to cover expenses for yourself, other researchers and operating costs. 

Top Researchers – Researcher Projects to Develop World Leading Research Communities
For researchers with at least 6 years after receiving their PhD or being approved with associate professor competence in cooperation with at least one other researcher with at least 2 years of experience after receiving their PhD or being approved with associate professor competence. This call aims to give good, Norwegian research environments the opportunity to develop into being world-leading within their fields. The funds will be allocated to projects where collaboration between two or more named researchers is a prerequisite for achieving the project's research objectives.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
A 1 to 3 years scholarship for outstanding researchers with a doctorate and international mobility. Researchers of any nationality may apply.
Deadline: 10^th September 2025 (annual call)

ERC Starting Grant
A grant of up to 1.5€ million for 5 years.
For talented researchers of any nationality, early in their career, with 2 to 7 years of experience following their completed PhD, who have produced excellent work, are ready to work independently, have potential to be a research coordinator, and have a scientific track record that shows great potential. 
Deadline: tentative 15^th October 2025 (annual call)

Horizon Europe / ERC Consolidator Grant
A grant of up to 2€ million for a 5 years.
For researchers of any nationality with 7 to 12 years of experience following their completed PhD, who wish to consolidate their independence by establishing a research team and continue to develop a successful career in Europe. You may also apply if you recently established an independent, outstanding research team and you wish to strengthen the team.  
Deadline: tentative 14^th January 2026 (annual call)

Horisont Europa / ERC Advanced Grant
A grant of up to 2.5€ million for 5 years. 
For experienced senior researchers of any nationality with a scientific track record which shows groundbreaking research throughout their career, also during the last 10 years.
Deadline: tentative 28^th August 2025 (annual call) 

Horizon Europe / ERC Synergy Grant
A grant of 100€ million for 6 years.
For research projects that aim to tackle ambitious research questions that may only be answered through coordinated work by a small group of 2 to 4 research coordinators.  
Deadline: tentative November 2025