INTPART

The programme will create a framework for expanding cooperation between research groups considered to be at the international forefront today or that are believed to have the potential to become world leaders in their fields in the future.

The programme will help to increase the extent and enhance the quality and relevance of scientific cooperation with selected countries, in particular byestablishing strong ties between higher education and research cooperation. Cooperation with the business and public sectors is encouraged when relevant.

The INTPART scheme was established as a follow-up to the Long-Term Plan for Research and Higher Education and efforts to develop more world-leading academic environments in Norway. The scheme is alsodirectly related to the follow up the Panorama Strategy – Strategy for cooperation on research and higher education with Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the USA (2021–2027).

Partnerships with Russian partners are for the time being not supported.

INTPART is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and jointly administered by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir).

The overall aim of the INTPART program is to develop more world-leading academic environments in Norway.

The INTPART program has the following secondary goals:

• Long-term international partnerships that enhance the quality of higher education and research in Norway.
• Strong links between higher education and research within the frameworks of the partnerships.
• Cooperation with the business and public sectors to enhance quality and relevance within the frameworks of the partnerships, where relevant.

Examples of activities that are eligible for funding:

• Additional expenses relating to short-term or long-term reciprocal mobility stays by students, researchers, managers and administrative staff;
• Development and implementation of workshops, seminars and conferences for the purpose of strengthening international cooperation;
• Development and implementation of intensive courses, field courses, summer schools etc.;
• Cooperation on curriculum development and development of joint courses, educational programmes and/or degree programmes;
• Joint researcher schools and international educational programmes based on research collaboration and institutionalised within the framework of the partnerships;
• Planning and development of research cooperation;
• Guest lectures and joint teaching and supervision of students and doctoral candidates;
• Cooperation with the business and public sectors;
• Development of digital forms of collaboration
• Other activities that encompass international research and educational cooperation.

Who can apply

Norwegian universities, university colleges and research institutes may apply for funding for partnerships with Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, China, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.

Only approved Norwegian research organisations may apply for funding.See the Research Council’s definition and list of approved research organisations.

Who can participate in the project?

Requirements relating to the Project Owner

The organisation listed as the Project Owner in the application form must have approved your submission of the grant application. Applications related to Norwegian Innovation Clusters must be approved by the cluster's board of directors.

The Project Owner must have degree-conferring programmes at master's and/or PhD level, or have documented collaboration with a Norwegian research organisation with such programmes for the INTPART project. General collaboration agreements are not approved.

At the time of the application deadline, the Project Owner must be a host institution or formal partner in peer-reviewed projects with ongoing funding through one of the following schemes:

• Norwegian Centres of Excellence (SFF);
• Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME);
• Centres of Excellence in Higher Education (SFU);
• Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFI);
• Centres for Clinical Treatment Research scheme (FKB); 
• The Norwegian Artistic Research Programme (NARP); 
• Research Centres for Petroleum Activities (PETROSENTER);
• Norwegian InnovationClusters;
• Collaborative and Knowledge-building Project, funded by the Research Council;
• Researcher project, funded by the Research Council;
• Researcher projects and centre schemes funded by NordForsk or the Nordic Council of Ministers;
• Researcher projects funded by the EU Framework Programme;
• Research projects funded by research programmes under the EEA and Norway Grants

Information about the project being funded, including the scheme it is funded under, project number and other project identification, must be entered in its own template.

Maximum number of applications per research organisation

The Project Owner may submit a maximum number of grant applications based on the size of the institution:

• more than 1,500 R&D personnel: 20 applications;
• 500–1,500 R&D personnel: 10 applications;
• 100–500 R&D personnel: 5 applications;
• fewer than 100 R&D personnel: 3 applications.

Exceptions to the number restriction: Formalised institutional cooperation that has lasted more than three years, and where several Norwegian higher education institutions constitute a consortium that cooperates with one or more outstanding equivalent institutions in the priority countries, will be exempt from the number restriction

The Project Owner must submit a list of the applications approved by the institution. The list must be submitted regardless of how many applications within the approved framework the institution chooses to submit. We will not process applications that are not listed in such a list. Send the list by e-mail to intpart@forskningsradet.no by the application deadline.

Requirements relating to the project manager

The project manager should have experience with collaborative projects, nationally and internationally. This also applies to responsible persons at the partner organisations.

Key personnel in the INTPART project must refer to significant roles in the ongoing project on which the INTPART grant is based. It will usually mean being a project manager, work package manager, team leader or the like. Otherwise, see separate form for this. 

Employment requirements

The project manager must be employed by the Project Owner.

Requirements relating to partners

The INTPART project shall have a partner who is a university, university college or other research institution in the partner country, with a named local contact person.

Other types of organisations nationally and in partner countries, including Norwegian Innovation Clusters, companies, and other enterprises, may be partners in INTPART. Such partners cannot be supported directly over the INTPART project, but may be subcontractors. See The Research Council of Norways website for more information about subcontractors.