R&D funding: Norway’s research catastrophe

A year after drastic changes to Norway’s beleaguered council, the country’s research community remains pessimistic

It has been just over a year since the Norwegian government shocked the country’s research community by firing the entire board of the Forskningsrådet, the Research Council of Norway, over what it called “a grave financial situation”.

The council plays a pivotal role in the country’s research, dishing out government funding, advising authorities on policy issues and carrying out a variety of other tasks for the 15 Norwegian ministries. But in May 2022, the council seemed to be in trouble.