Process started to establish Norwegian Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research
A new Norwegian scheme “Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research” (CEER) seeks to develop expertise and promote innovation through focus on long-term research in selected areas of environment-friendly energy, transport and CO2 management in close cooperation between prominent research communities and users.
The host institution must be at Norwegian university or research institute, but international research institutions and enterprises may become partners of the centre consortium.
The Research Council of Norway is responsible for selection and follow-up of the centres. Phase 1 is to select candidates in the different areas to be covered by the call. Deadline is 3 September 2008. Phase 2, a full application, must be sent within 26 November 2008 by the candidates selected in Phase 1.
The centres will be established for a period of maximum five plus three years. After four years an evaluation of the centre will be carried out under the auspices of the Research Council. The overall budget of the CEER scheme is expected to be NOK 100 million per year over an eight-year period
The scheme seeks to enhance technology transfer, internationalisation and researcher training.
The centres will be co-financed by a host institution, the centre’s partners and the Research Council. User partners must take active part in the centre’s management and research activities. The centres will be established for a maximum period of eight years (an initial five-year period with the possibility of a three-year extension);
The centres will be selected primarily on the basis of their potential to generate innovation and value creation in thematic priority areas and on the scientific merit of their research.
Energy21; Norway’s national R&D strategy for the energy sector, states that Norway has the natural resources, expertise, and social framework to become a society with almost no greenhouse-gas emissions and a supplier of environmentally friendly power to Europe and a favoured location for internationally leading energy companies in the fields of solar energy, offshore wind power and CO2 management.
Norway plans to develop expertise at the international forefront in the following areas:
- Improved energy efficiency;
- Climate-friendly power (including biopower)
- CO2-neutral heating (including bioheat)
- CO2 capture and storage;
- An energy system to meet the needs of the future;
- Environment-friendly transport.
- Framework for a climate friendly energy policy
For more complete information go to the following link: http://www.forskningsradet.no/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210046562967&pagename=energisenter%2FPage%2FHovedSideEng