FRIPRO — Free Investigator-Driven Research

FRIPRO — Researcher Project for Early Career Scientists

Funds early-career Norwegian scientists through in-depth development opportunities at national research organisations.

The FRIPRO Researcher Project for Early Career Scientists is the second-largest FRIPRO subcall by total budget, with NOK 510,000,000 allocated to fund investigator-initiated projects across all scientific disciplines. Awards range from NOK 4,000,000 to NOK 10,000,000 per project over 36 to 48 months. The call is open-ended and accepts applications on a rolling basis year-round through the Research Council of Norway's online portal. Only approved Norwegian research organisations may submit applications; companies are excluded as partners and may participate only as paid subcontractors.

Eligibility centres on the project manager's career stage: the principal investigator must qualify as an early-career researcher under the definition set out in the full call text. The call imposes a one-year waiting period between a project manager's successive submission attempts, limiting reapplication frequency. All standard FRIPRO assessment thresholds apply: applications must score six or seven on every criterion to enter the funding queue. The programme-wide success rate across FRIPRO in 2024 was 21 percent. There are no thematic restrictions — the call is bottom-up, meaning applicants propose their own research questions across any scientific domain, from natural sciences to humanities.

Competitive applications demonstrate scientific excellence and originality, articulate a clear research plan executable within the 36-to-48-month duration, and establish the project manager's credentials as an emerging independent researcher. Budget justification must comply with Research Council of Norway cost eligibility rules, and the host institution must formally endorse the submission. Early-career researchers at Norwegian universities or approved institutes should consult their grants office about internal deadlines, as institutions typically run internal review processes before submitting to the Research Council. Full call documentation is available at forskningsradet.no.