"We're now giving our leading research communities the opportunity to connect with established researchers from abroad. It's important for Norway to be proactive in a challenging situation for academic freedom."
That is what the Norwegian Minister for Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Aasland (Labour Party), says in a press release from the Research Council of Norway (link in Norwegian).
Response to the situation in the USA
Through the Research Council, the government is allocating NOK 100 million (9.6 million USD) to recruit international researchers to Norway. The programme will be open to researchers from all over the world.
The initiative comes as a response to what is happening in the USA, where the American authorities have taken a hard line against universities and research communities.
Annonse
A large number of researchers and staff at research institutions have lost their jobs at state institutions. Several positions are threatened by cuts, and research institutions describe their activities as paralysed due to cuts and threats of cuts, according to Nature.
"Academic freedom is under threat in the USA, and it's an unpredictable situation for many researchers in what has been the world's leading knowledge nation for decades," says Minister Aasland.
Open to researchers worldwide
"We've had close dialogue with Norwegian knowledge communities and my Nordic colleagues about these developments. It's been important for me to identify effective measures we can implement quickly, which is why I've instructed the Research Council to focus on programmes that can be implemented swiftly," says Aasland.
The initiative is not limited to American researchers or those at American universities. It will run over several years, with an initial allocation of 9.6 million USD planned for 2026.
Speaking to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, Mari Sundli Tveit, director general of the Research Council, says that many of those who have been fired in the USA were working in fields such as climate, health, and the Arctic.
"These are areas where it's extremely important for us to ensure continued research activity. Connecting these researchers with Norway is a very, very good idea," says Tveit.
University of Oslo: Europe needs to step up
The Research Council estimates that the funding could support 30 to 50 research positions, distributed among universities and colleges throughout Norway.
Rector Svein Stølen of the University of Oslo welcomes the new initiative. He tells NRK that this could help attract top researchers from other countries, which could have a significant impact on Norwegian and European research.
"We're seeing challenges in the USA, and China is advancing. It's important that Europe steps up in response," says Stølen.
Annonse
The call for applications will open in May and will initially be tied to the Research Council's centre schemes, particularly those promoting excellence and innovation in fields such as climate, health, energy, and artificial intelligence, according to Mari Sundli Tveit.
