Call for proposals for small projects - OsloMet's thematic research initiatives

Small projects may, for example, be pilots/pre-projects for the preparation of larger project applications, knowledge summaries or analyses of existing data, analyses of the status and challenges in the field, and/or the establishment of networks and meeting places for the development of collaborative projects.  

The funds can be used for buyouts of OsloMet employees, salaries for research assistants at OsloMet, travel, meetings and other activities. The funds cannot be used to finance salaries/buyouts of employees of partners. 

The small projects can range from NOK 300,000-1,000,000.  Projects should start as soon as possible and no later than December 2026. The projects will typically have a duration of 1-2 years and must be completed by the end of 2028. The application must include a work plan and timeline. 

The project manager must be in a permanent teaching and/or research position at OsloMet (minimum 50%) and have associate professor-level competence. It is possible to participate in multiple applications, but a person can only be project manager for one project. 

Collaboration across the university is important for the initiative, and participation from researchers from more than one unit (faculty/centre) at OsloMet will be emphasised. For projects over NOK 500,000, participation from more than one faculty/centre is a requirement. 

All activities involving contributions from external partners and/or data collection via services/actors from partners must be clarified with these parties prior to submission and documented in the application. 

An important purpose of the initiatives will be to lead to larger externally funded projects or centres. Applications must therefore describe how the proposed project may contribute to this in the short or longer term. 

Another important purpose of the initiatives is to ensure that OsloMet is a research university combining high research quality with strong societal relevance. Project applications must therefore demonstrate high academic quality, and show how the project addresses actual knowledge needs in the relevant field of practice, and/or with an external non-academic partner(s).

The application must be approved by the Head of Department prior to submission. 

Fill out the online form (nettskjema.no) and upload an application (Word/PDF) inside the form. The application can be up to five pages (excluding attachments) and may be written in Norwegian or English.  

The project description must include: 

• Description of the project’s purpose (and research question) 
• Rationale for the project based on existing research and knowledge needs in the practice field/among external partners 
• Description of the project group (no CVs required) 
• Planned activities and expected results 
• Budget and timeline 

In the application form, you will also be asked to answer:  

• For all projects: Confirmation that the application has been approved by the responsible manager (head of department/head of studies/head of academic group or equivalent) and that the manager approves any buy-out. The name of the manager must be stated. 
• For projects with external partners: A description of how the project is anchored with the partners. 
• For projects with an IT component (e.g. purchase of licenses or installation of new equipment): Statement of licenses/equipment that will be involved 
• For projects with an AI component: An account of which tools are intended to be used and for what.  

In the budget, OsloMet's hourly rates shall be used. Faculties, SPS, and FA shall use the A and C columns in the university's hourly rate table. SVA shall use the A, B, and C columns in the university's hourly rate table. For projects that span multiple years, a budget should be made with an expected wage growth of 3.7% for 2027 and an additional 3.7% for 2028. 

Result of the call and applications awards will be published by the end of June 2026. 

External reviewers will be used in the assessment of all applications. The steering group for the initiative will make the final decisions. The evaluation criteria are: 

• Academic quality 
• Relevance to the topic as described in the call 
• Probability that the small project can lead to external financing 
• Relevance for the practice field or involvement of external non-academic partners 
• For applications under NOK 500,000: Under otherwise equal conditions, priority will be given to applications that include participants from several faculties/centres at OsloMet. For applications over 500,000, this is a requirement 
• Feasibility 

The projects are expected to start directly after allocation, and no later than December 2026. Funded projects will become part of the initiative's portfolio and must present the project at events organized by the initiative. All projects must submit a short final report upon completion. 

Questions about the call for proposals of an academic nature should be directed to the academic leader of the call in question:  

• Durable democracy: Kristin Skare Orgeret (oslomet.no) 
• Inclusion of more children and young people: Christer Hyggen (oslomet.no) 
• The health and care services of the future: Minna Pikkarainen (oslomet.no) 
• Green transition: Arvind Keprate (oslomet.no) 

Questions about the call for proposals of a practical nature should be directed to: The R&D department at forskningsfinansiering@oslomet.no 

Democratic values are under pressure in large parts of the world. In many countries, we see that democratic structures we thought were strong are being worn down. The proportion of fully-fledged democracies has been reduced significantly in recent years, and fundamental freedoms are being restricted in several countries. The democratic discourse is affected in several areas by misinformation and fake news. Technological infrastructure, geopolitical developments, social inequality and economic and political polarisation pose new challenges. At the same time, democracy, knowledge and trust are important elements in a society that is resilient to possible future crises and possible complex threats.  

Important elements of this initiative will be the connections between democracy, the public sphere, trust, knowledge and society's resilience – how this is challenged, and how we further develop a sustainable democracy.  

The thematic research initiative will contribute to strengthening knowledge development in areas where OsloMet is already strong, such as democracy, the public sphere and trust in various areas of society. At the same time, this could be further developed by also emphasising the importance of knowledge institutions and the importance of democracy for society's resilience.  

The proportion of elderly people is increasing. The need for health and care services will increase, at the same time as there will be fewer workers to meet the need. For the welfare society to be sustainable over time, we must organise ourselves smarter, develop and use technology wisely, and we must use available resources more efficiently. This requires significant development of knowledge, and it requires close collaboration between academia and the fields of practice to put the knowledge to use. 

This initiative will focus on how health and care services can be organised and delivered in the best possible way – and how technology can be developed and used. Although questions about the welfare state in itself will not be the focus of this initiative, this will be touched on indirectly by the fact that good answers to the health and care services of the future are crucial for the welfare state to be sustainable over time.  

A thematic research initiative on the health and care services of the future will fit very well into the profile of Campus Romerike at Lillestrøm "Health, organisation and technology". It will be able to build on and bring together the work that has been done in the individual academic communities, within the intelligent health initiative, and several other initiatives at OsloMet. 

Exclusion among children and young people is a major societal challenge. It affects many individuals and it has major effects on the societal level. A concerted effort is needed with participation across disciplines and sectors to include more children and young people. This is the starting point for the Government's establishment of a targeted social mission with the aim of including more children and young people in education, working life and society. This is also the basis for a thematic research initiative on this at OsloMet.  

A thematic research initiative will generate the knowledge needed to include more children and young people. Examples of key research areas at OsloMet are research on education, working life, leisure, health and social services, local communities, upbringing, diversity, exclusion and marginalisation.  

Research has pointed to a lack of collaboration across sectors as one of the major challenges with inclusion work. Collaboration across disciplines and professions, and with actors in the field of practice, will be crucial for this initiative.  

Such a thematic research initiative in this area will affect many of OsloMet's academic communities and it will build on the work done in OsloMet's Children and Young People's Initiative (2023-2025).  

The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our time. Global warming continues, and the natural and resource base is threatened both in Norway and internationally. Sustainable development requires a significant green transition of society and business. We need increased insight into how we can change the economy, production and consumption patterns, how we can better organise the city, and how we reduce emissions on land and at sea. We need the development of new and better technology, and more sustainable products and infrastructure. 

OsloMet has several relevant academic communities in the area. For example, research is conducted at OsloMet on energy-efficient buildings and energy efficiency, sustainable product design, environmental journalism, energy-efficient data processing, circular economy, food safety, the importance of aesthetics, development in the Oslo Fjord, and much more.   

A thematic research initiative on the green transition at OsloMet could build on this existing research activity, and at the same time link more of it together. A green transition requires interdisciplinary collaboration. A thematic research initiative in this area could be an important step in strengthening and driving interdisciplinary further development of research at OsloMet that makes important contributions to the green transition.