This article compiles relevant questions and answers regarding The Nordic Energy Research Mobility Programme for 2025. For further inquiries, please contact Senior Adviser Maj Dang Trong or Adviser Ditte Stiler. 

You can also access the presentation from Webinar 1 below.

Webinar 1 presentation 2025

Call for Proposals 2025: The Nordic Energy Research Mobility Programme

Call 2025: Nordic Mobility, Exchange, and Networking

General Q&A

Is co-financing necessary?

No. Co-financing is not necessary.

Can a single partner or company fund the research?

Yes. There are no requirements for the number of financiers among the partners.

Who can sign the letter of commitment?

The letter of commitment should be signed by a person who holds the authority to represent the project owner (the higher-education institution [HEI]) and/or the respective partner.

What is considered a deliverable within the terms of a mobility project?

Deliverables can include reports, articles, and other materials that summarise the outcomes of performed exchanges and events.

What should be included in the letter of commitment when involving an industrial partner as an observer?

In their letter of commitment, the industrial partner must declare that they will contribute scientifically and/or professionally to the project as an observer.

Can master’s students participate in the programme?

No. This programme is for PhD students, post-doctorates, and researchers.

Do ‘researchers’ include senior researchers?

Yes. They include associate professors, professors, and other types of researchers.

Do all the partners need to be affiliated with ongoing research projects?

No. Partners are not required to be affiliated with other research projects. However, the mobility project applied for must be research-based and focus on one of the thematic areas outlined in the ‘Aim of the Call’ section of the call text.

How many partners and observers are appropriate for a consortium project?

The call does not impose a limit on the number of partners or observers involved in the project, nor does it assume that the number of partners or observers will impact the project’s quality.

However, the consortium must include at least three HEI partners from three Nordic countries, and all partners applying for funding must be legally based in a Nordic country.

What is the difference between the ‘project owner’ and the ‘project manager’?

The project manager (the coordinator) is the individual responsible for the professional progress, implementation, and completion of the project on behalf of the project owner, as per Nordic Energy Research’s standard terms and conditions.

The project owner is the institution responsible for ensuring that the project is completed in accordance with the contract, as per Nordic Energy Research’s standard terms and conditions.

Who will evaluate the proposals?

The proposals will be evaluated by three external experts who fulfil Nordic Energy Research’s Guidelines on Impartiality.

Will a successful project receive 100% funding, up to the applied project budget of 4.33 MNOK?

Generally, yes. The aim is to fund three mobility projects with a maximum of 4.33 MNOK per project for the entire project period. There may be instances when the budget must be adjusted.

What is the required career stage of the project manager?

The project manager must be capable of executing the project on behalf of the project owner, an HEI. Therefore, it is expected that the project manager has experience in managing research projects and coordinating mobility, exchange, and/or networking activities.

How much will the CV of the project manager count towards the evaluation?

The project manager’s CV will be considered during the evaluation of the project’s implementation and expertise, as described in the call text for the evaluation criteria, ‘Implementation and expertise’.

What is the limit for a long-term exchange?

A long-term exchange is typically defined as lasting 3–12 months. However, no limit is set for the duration of a long-term exchange for PhD students. It is important to note that the exchange must be completed within the timeframe of the project.

Budget-Related Q&A

The Nordic Energy Research Mobility Programme focuses only on mobility activities such as networking, exchanges, and events. Unlike that of other research programmes, its funding is strictly for these activities and cannot be used to conduct research. It is a prerequisite that the PhD students, post-doctorates, and/or researchers involved all receive salaries or scholarships from the participating partners.

The requested budget should be divided into three categories:

  • Planning and administration costs
  • Mobility costs
  • Communication and dissemination costs

Planning and administration costs

Planning, preparatory measures, and salaries for setting up and managing the mobility project may account for up to 20% of the total applied funding. This should cover planning expenses, regardless of whether the work is done by scientific or administrative staff or an external consultant.

  • Salaries (excluding overheads): Funding sought to cover the resources used by project participants for setting up, planning, and managing a mobility activity.
  • Overheads for salaries: Funding disbursed for overheads in addition to salaries. Applicants must report the applied overhead rates based on the standard rates of the HEIs in the ‘Justification of Resources’ section of the application form.
  • Travel and accommodation: Funding used to cover costs related to travel and accommodation.
  • Other: Costs not covered by the above-mentioned categories.

Mobility costs

Funding for short-term and long-term exchanges and events.

  • Long-term exchange (>=3 months): Funding for PhD students only.
  • Short-term exchange (<3 months): Funding for postdoctoral and researchers only.

We recommend the following 2025 rates for PhD students, post-doctorates, and researchers staying abroad:

  • Single: NOK 24,000 per month
  • Family: NOK 41,000 per month
  • Events: Funding covers rents, allowances for speakers, food, materials, and other costs related to hosting an event. Funding may also cover direct costs related to travel, accommodation, and subsistence for project participants in relation to the events.
  • Other: Costs not covered by the above-mentioned categories.

Communication and dissemination

Funding for communication and dissemination activities, including a budget for attending the annual mobility workshop.

  • Participation in the annual mobility workshop: Funding for project participants to attend the annual mobility workshop. Note that participation is mandatory for all participants.
  • Salaries (excluding overheads): Funding to cover the resources used by administrative or scientific staff for communication and dissemination of the project.
  • Overheads for salaries: Funding for overheads in addition to salaries, specifically for communication and dissemination. Applicants must report the applied overhead rates based on their HEI in the ‘Justification of Resources’ section of the application form.
  • Travel and accommodation for dissemination: Funding for attending external events.
  • Other: Costs not covered by the above-mentioned categories.

Is visitors’ participation in external events covered by the project?

Yes. Applicants are eligible to apply for funding to attend external events.

Is it only the project manager who can be assigned a budget for planning and administration?

No. Any project partner can receive funding for planning and administration. Note that planning and administration costs must not exceed 20% of the total funding applied for.

Are industrial partners entitled to receive funding?

Yes, though the EU’s General Block Exemption Regulation for State Aid must be fulfilled.

Is it permissible to allocate the budget evenly across the years?

Yes, if it can be justified.

Do the mobility costs include salaries paid during the exchange?

No. Funding for mobility costs must only cover the additional expenses incurred during an exchange. This includes accommodation, commuting, and other costs associated with staying abroad.

Is self-funding mandatory?

No. Self-funding is not mandatory, but PhD students, post-doctorates, and/or researchers must have existing funding through salaries or scholarships.

The Annual Mobility Workshop (Mandatory)

When is the Annual Mobility Workshop?

The workshop will take place at the end of October each year. In 2025, it will be held on 29–30 October in Helsinki, Finland.

Is participation required for all project participants?

Yes. It is mandatory for all project participants to participate in the annual mobility workshop.

Is it a physical or an online workshop?

The workshop will take place physically. Online participation is not an option.

Individual Exchange Support

Can the application come from a group of researchers at the same institution, or do applications need to be individual?

Applicants must apply individually. However, individuals are welcome to submit applications similar to those of their colleagues if the connections between the applications are clearly outlined.

Does the funding include a salary?

No. Funding does not cover salaries.

Are PhD students and researchers hosted in the same Nordic country but at different universities eligible?

No, an application will only be eligible for funding if the exchange is to be performed at a host institution located in another Nordic country.

Event Support

Does the applicant need to have confirmation from invited speakers before applying for funding for an event?

No. Applicants are not required to show confirmation of participation from invited speakers when they apply for funding.

Who should sign the ‘Letter of Intent’?

The letter of intent must be signed by both the event manager and the event owner. The signature on behalf of the event owner must be provided by someone authorised to represent the respective department, institute, or other relevant entity at the university.

Participation From Countries Outside the Nordic Region

Can a PhD student from a country outside the Nordic region participate in the programme?

Funding from the programme is only available to PhD students and researchers who are employed by, receive a stipend from, or are affiliated with a research-performing organisation based in a Nordic country.

Will research visits to institutions located outside the Nordic countries be eligible for funding?

Funding from this programme cannot be used to finance visits to institutions based outside the Nordic countries.

Does the programme allow the applicant to collaborate with experts from non-Nordic countries, and are travel expenses for these experts covered?

It is permissible to bring together experts from outside the Nordic region, but funding may not cover their travel and accommodation costs.

It is also permissible to provide a fixed honorarium/fee to speakers—including those from outside the Nordic region. The size of the honorarium/fee must be justified.

Other

What is the definition of a ‘researcher’? Does it cover postdoctoral researchers as well as faculty members (assistants, associates, and full professors)?

The definition of a researcher includes postdocs, as well as assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors.

Are researchers affiliated with non-profit research institutes eligible for funding?

Yes. Researchers from non-profit research institutes are eligible for funding.