NORFACE - New Opportunities for Research Funding Co-operation in Europe - is a partnership between twelve research councils to increase co-operation in research and research policy in Europe. The twelve partners involved are the research councils for the social sciences from Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Canada and Austria participate in NORFACE as associate partners. This partnership is built on a history of less formal co-operation and joint activities between the Nordic and UK research councils. NORFACE formalises this existing working relationship and provides a framework and a vision for a durable multi-national strategic partnership in research funding and practice.
NORFACE is an ambitious programme of communication, enquiry, sharing of experience and action. Over the five project years, the partners will engage in a range of initiatives designed to deliver new levels of co-operative research policy and practice.
The plan of work follows a logical progression from putting governance and good management of the NORFACE network in place, to information exchange, analysis, research co-operation, strategic thinking and, finally, co-operation on two pilot programmes and the launch of a full scale transnational research programme.
NORFACE receives core funding from the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, under ERA-NET scheme.