Call for Proposals: Research Projects under Nordic-Baltic Initiative for Migration and Integration

This call is announced as a collaborative effort between the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte), Research Council of Norway, Estonian Research Council, Research Council of Lithuania, and NordForsk.

The objective of the call is to jointly fund research projects of highest international quality and societal relevance with clear added value from multilateral collaboration. Migration and integration are complex and constantly evolving phenomena that require continued research in order to understand and effectively address the challenges and opportunities that arise from the influx of migrants.

With a better understanding of the factors that influence the integration process, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective policies and programmes that support the integration of migrants into the host society. Additionally, research on migration and integration can help to dispel myths and stereotypes about migrants and their impact on society, and instead provide a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the realities of migration and its consequences.

Themes

The call will address the following themes:

• Integration processes and patterns  
  • Research within this theme may focus on factors that contribute to successful integration outcomes, key barriers faced during integration, variations in experiences across different countries and contexts, differences among various groups of migrants and their reasons to migrate, and the impact of transnational connections and activities on the integration process.
• Social cohesion and inequalities
  • Research within this theme may focus on factors that shape the interactions between migrants and host communities, including beliefs, cultural and religious traditions, language, social positions and resources as well as values ​​and norms. It may also focus on the impact of government policies, public education, local-level factors, as well as on individual factors, social cohesion and inequalities, and the long-term consequences of immigration in relation to these matters.
• Politics and governance of migration and integration
  • Research within this theme may focus on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of policies aimed at managing migration and the integration of migrants into their host society. It could also examine how public attitudes and perceptions influence these policies, as well as the role of international agreements and organizations, such as the EU, in shaping migration and integration policies in Europe.

Financial Framework

• Applicants are invited to apply for funding to establish a Nordic or Nordic-Baltic research project with a budget of maximum NOK 10.4 million and a duration of 3-4 years. Project funding will be available for the period Q1 2025 – Q1 2029. Please note that project start-up must be in Q1 2025 (January–March). The intention is to provide funding for 6 research projects under this call.
• The total funding available under the call is approximately NOK 62.4 million. The Nordic funding allocated to the call is approximately NOK 58.1 million in total through a Nordic common pot. The Estonian funding allocated to the call is EUR 300,000 – 600,000 (2 projects; 150,000/300,000 euros per project). The Lithuanian funding allocated to the call is EUR 300,000.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding, the following conditions must be met:

• All proposals must be written in English.
• The research consortium funded by this call must include research performing organisations in at least three Nordic countries, or two Nordic countries and Estonia and/or Lithuania. Nordic countries are defined here as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland Islands. Research institutions outside Estonia, Lithuania and the Nordic countries may participate in the project with their own funding.
• The host institution (Project Owner) for the research project must be established research performing organization based in one of the countries co-funding the call: Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Lithuania.
• If the project owner is a research performing organization in Estonia or Lithuania, the project must also have a co-host institution in Sweden or Norway which NordForsk enters into contract with concerning the Nordic part of the budget. A contact person must be appointed from the co-host institution and will serve as NordForsk’s administrative contact point. This implies that the Nordic part of the project budget will be transferred to the Nordic co-host institution who will be responsible for distributing the allocated funds to the Nordic co-operation partners in the project consortium.
• The project leader (and the Nordic contact person) must be a qualified researcher employed by their host institutions (Project Owners).
• A researcher may only serve as project leader (ie coordinator of the transnational project) for one application under this call. However, research institutions may be affiliated with more than one application.
• Researchers and research groups must be based at a research performing organisation.
• The proposal must include a signed Letter of Commitment from each partner institution. Letters of Commitment must be signed by a person authorized to take on financial commitments on behalf of the institution for the entire duration of the project.
• Estonian and Lithuanian applicants and project participants must comply with national rules.

For more information, visit NordForsk.