Research Council of Norway

The Research Council of Norway
Norges forskningsråd
RCN
RCN logo
Agency overview
Formed1993
JurisdictionGovernment of Norway
HeadquartersOslo
Employees360 (2023)
Agency executive
Parent agencyNorwegian Ministry of Education and Research
Websitehttps://www.forskningsradet.no/en/

The Research Council (also the Research Council of Norway; Norwegian: Norges forskningsråd) is a Norwegian government agency that funds research and innovation projects. On behalf of the Government, the Research Council invests NOK 11,7 billion (2022) annually.

The Research Council is responsible for promoting basic and applied research and innovation. This is done by managing research funding and by advising the authorities on research policy, among other things through proposals for the research budget in the National Budget.

The Research Council works to promote international research and innovation cooperation, and has a number of schemes to mobilise Norwegian applicants for the EU Research and Innovation Programme. Other tasks include creating meeting places for researchers, trade and industry, public administration, public actors and other users of research.

The Research Council was established in 1993 through the merging of five different previously created research councils. The Research Council has approximately 360 employees (2023). It has local representatives in nine different regions of Norway. Since 23 June 2014, the Research Council's main office is located just outside of Oslo