Frequently asked questions about writing an application in the new application system

Login/roles/access

 I can't find the application on My page

The application does not show up on the profile. The most common mistake is that the email address and/or phone number on your profile is not the same as the one stated in the invitation. There may also be differences between the email address or phone number in the invitation, and what is written under My profile on My page. If you have different email addresses or phone numbers, you will not be able to access the application, project or reports.  Also, keep in mind that the phone number you type in the invitation can't contain spaces.

More information about Getting to know the new application form (My page) and Roles in applications and projects (new application system), Correct information is essential when assigning a new role.

Our foreign partners struggle to log in. What do we do?

We see that some users from abroad are unfortunately not notified when they have been added to applications and/or they cannot log in. When you invite people, make sure that the email address and phone number you use are correct. You must also check that this is the same email address and phone number that foreign users want or have the opportunity to use to log in to My page.

A common mistake is that phone numbers are entered with errors in the prefix in number. The country code must only be entered in the country code field. Phone numbers will never begin with "0", "00", "0(0)" or +. It is also important that no spaces are added.

If, for special reasons, it proves difficult to appoint an organisational representative for the partner and you are unable to submit the application because of this, the  organisation representative for the Project Owner organisation may temporarily assume the role of organisational representative for the partner.

In this case, we ask that you inform the partner about it and keep the communication between you. If the application is approved, it is important that you, as soon as possible, get a correct organisational representative for the partner in place. Please contact us if the technical challenges still cannot be solved.

Read Step-by-step description (PDF) on how to log in on My page (new application system) and normal troubleshooting. If you are still stuck, please contact our Answer Service.

What do the partners have to do inside the system to accept the collaboration?

For each collaborating partner you register in the Project Participation – Participating Organisations section, an Organisation representative role is automatically created for this organisation in the Roles section of the project. Therefore, you must first add all the partner organisations.

Then, fill in information about the organisation representative in the invitation under Roles in the project. The organization representative will receive a notification and be asked to confirm that the organization is behind the application by answering a few questions. One of the questions concerns whether or not the organisation is an enterprise (see more information below).

Read more about what it means to answer "yes" to the question of whether or not you are an enterprise in Roles in applications and projects (new application system), see the section Organisation representatives.

What is the deadline that appears on the role invitation to the organisation representative? Can they approve the role after the deadline?

This deadline has no real function. You can accept the role even after this deadline has passed. But it is important that everyone accepts the invitation before the application deadline. If mandatory roles (organisations representative, project manager and possible partner's organisations representative) are not confirmed, you will not be able to submit an application.

More about submitting an application in Get to know the new application form (My page)

More about mandatory roles in Roles in applications and projects (new application system)

Application form in general/work packages 

We have two partners from the same university but can only add one sub-entity per organisation. What do we do?

We do not currently have support for several sub-units of the same organisation in the application form. You must therefore add the sub-unit that is most central. The organisation representative will confirm on behalf of the entire organisation.

How many characters do the photos count? Can I upload as many as I want?
Pictures can be attached as an illustration. Images counts 0 characters and the applicant can enter a maximum of four images. However, we recommend that you carefully consider how many and which images you include, so that the presentation appears clear and relevant to the evaluators. All text must be written in the field with character limitations
Get to know the new application form (My page)

Watch a video about filling out the application form here: Get to know the new application form (My page)

Why is the order of work packages like this? Can I override it?

The order of the list of work packages is chronological and is controlled by the start date of the work packages. If the packages have the same start date, the end date will affect the order. It is not possible to manipulate this order, unless you change the start or end dates of the work packages.

You may want to name your work packages so that they form a logical order (work package 1, work package 2, etc.). In the section called implementation, you can write a little more about the relationships and structure between the work packages if necessary.

Read more about Set up work packages and budget in the new application system (My page)

Where should we describe activities in the work packages?

Will be published soon

Why is the support equal to zero? Has there been an error?

If the representative of a research organisation or apublic sector body has answered "yes" to the question whether they are a company or not and they have entered the size of the company, the calculation of funding will be incorrect. To correct this error, you must invite the organisation representative anew. In the Roles section, hover over "Verified" on the person's card. Then you will have the opportunity to replace the person. Invite the same person (email and phone) anew.

The organisation representative will receive an email to log in anew and to reconfirm their participation. This time, they must answer "no" to the question of whether they are a company. Then the budget will also be correct.

Read more here about how wrong answers to questions about 'enterprise' can be corrected: Set up work packages and budget in the new application system (My page)

Here you can read more about enterprises/undertakings Check when support from the Research Council is state aid

How is own financing calculated in the application form?

We automatically calculate how much support the project can apply for and how this support will be distributed throughout the project period. If there are partners in the project, the distribution between them is also shown.

Video about work packages and budget can be found here Get to know the new application form (My page).

The total funding in the application is correct, but the distribution between the Research Council's funding (Calculated funding) and the applicant's own contribution per partner is incorrect. How can we enter the correct distribution?

We have not yet put in place a function to redistribute/reduce/increase the deductible in the application. If you receive a decision on allocation, you can adjust the shares in the start-up report. The distribution of support and self-financing is therefore not binding in the application.

See set up work packages and budget in the new application system (My page). Video about work packages and budget can be found here Get to know the new application form (My page).

Read about Initial report and project establishment

I want a printed version or PDF of our application. How do I do that?

It is currently not possible to download the application as a PDF. We are aware that this is a desire among many applicants and are working hard to get this in place. For now, you'll need to use the print function in your browser. Alternatively, you can add people who will see the project as the role "project participant" in the application and/or in the approved project.

What is meant by a 10 % participation requirement?

The participation requirement in the call means that the user partners' total costs must amount to at least 10.0 % of the amount applied for from the Research Council. Participation may consist of personnel‑ and indirect costs (e.g. hourly effort) and/or other project costs that are necessary to carry out the project. The costs must be entered in the project budget and be retrievable in the user partners' accounts. This means that costs incurred by user partners must amount to (at least) 10.0 % of the amount of funding the Research Council provides for the entire project.

The terms costs and self-financing have different meanings:  In some projects, we can cover all the costs, and then the participants do not have to finance anything themselves. In those cases, the self-financing is zero. In other projects, we can, for example, pay for half of the costs. The other half must be covered through self-financing. In simple terms, we can  say that costs = our financing + self-financing.

If you apply for NOK 10 million, those of the partners who are user partners must have costs of at least NOK 1 million. According to the state aid regulations, we cannot finance more than 80 % of the costs of companies that take part in the project. This means that in this example, we can finance up to NOK 800,000 of the user partners' costs. The remaining 200,000 must be financed by the companies themselves, i.e. what we call self-financing. User partners from the pu

We have more information, including how to plan yourSimilar types of project costs in the application here Set up work packages and budget in the new application system (My page).

The requirements for an application vary from call to call. Therefore, read the call text and associated information carefully, in addition to the guidance texts in the application form itself. The participation requirement does not apply to all announcements.