Appendix 1
About the implementation of the agreement, applications, contracts and reporting.
Implementation of agreement
The Norwegian Council for Higher Education/Centre for International University Cooperation (SIU), The Research Council of Norway and the programme committee for Cooperation with the Countries in South Eastern europe, Central and Eastern Europe including Russia (Central and Eastern Europe Programmes)
In collaboration with the Research Council and relevant institutions, the Council for Higher Education/SIU will produce up-to-date overviews of current activities in Russia, including any scholarship programmes, and will keep the institutions and projects informed of new allocations. The Programme Committee for the Central and Eastern Europe programmes will ensure that any possible synergy effects are utilised.
The Council for Higher Education/SIU, together with the Research Council will inform the relevant Norwegian institutions of higher education and research of the programme, its deadlines and procedures. The Programme Committee will ensure necessary participation on the part of Norwegian institutions as well as the academic quality of the cooperation between institutions/organisations/business organisations in Norway and Russia.
Applications and their considerations
Applications under the agreement will be considered on the basis of their relevance to the central objectives for cooperation with the prioritised areas for Russia. The Section for Russia/CIS nations and nuclear safety of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will inform the Programme Committee of grants relevant to educational and research cooperation.
In order to enhance the synergy effect of these projects, emphasis will be placed on cooperation within several sectors of the same geographic and administrative area. Relevant applicants and project managers will be kept informed of other relevant projects for which funds have been granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Emphasis will also be placed on whether or not it is possible to secure partial funding for a project from other sources.
Applicants, applications, application deadlines, contracts and reporting
Applicants for the programme must be Norwegian institutions of higher education and research. These are also the institutions that will be reporting to the Programme Committee.
The applicants are to be submitted on the approved application form and must be completed in English. As it is a Norwegian institution that will always be academically and administratively responsible for the implementation of the projects, applications are to be submitted to the Programme Committee and signed by a Norwegian institution. As a general rule, applications will be drawn up jointly by a Norwegian and a Russian institution.
A cooperation agreement with the Russian institution is to be appended to the application.
There are fixed deadlines for the programme, and these will be announced in research and educational circles. It is not possible to count on consideration being given to applications postmarked after the deadline.
Reporting
Those responsible for operating the project will report to the institution with which they have entered into an agreement. Reports are to be submitted on official report forms within the deadlines used by the Research Council and SIU. The transfer of funds from one calendar year to another will not be approved unless through a proposal for a revised budget which must then be approved by SIU/the Research Council. Annual reports/the final report contains a report on the accounts, one on the results, a progress report and the revised budget, if any, for the current year. SIU/the Research Council may approve budget revisions with in the allocated framework of the projects.
Projects which fail to comply with reporting deadlines cannot count on further funding.
The accounts for the projects are to be audited by the local audit agency at the individual institution as part of the institutions’ accounts. The accounting report is to be certified by the financial unit responsible at the institution.
Applicants, applications, application deadlines, contracts and reporting
Applicants for the programme must be Norwegian institutions of higher education and research. These are also the institutions that will be reporting to the Programme Committee.
The applicants are to be submitted on the approved application form and must be completed in English. As it is a Norwegian institution that will always be academically and administratively responsible for the implementation of the projects, applications are to be submitted to the Programme Committee and signed by a Norwegian institution. As a general rule, applications will be drawn up jointly by a Norwegian and a Russian institution.
A cooperation agreement with the Russian institution is to be appended to the application.
There are fixed deadlines for the programme, and these will be announced in research and educational circles. It is not possible to count on consideration being given to applications postmarked after the deadline.
Reporting
Those responsible for operating the project will report to the institution with which they have entered into an agreement. Reports are to be submitted on official report forms within the deadlines used by the Research Council and SIU. The transfer of funds from one calendar year to another will not be approved unless through a proposal for a revised budget which must then be approved by SIU/the Research Council. Annual reports/the final report contains a report on the accounts, one on the results, a progress report and the revised budget, if any, for the current year. SIU/the Research Council may approve budget revisions with in the allocated framework of the projects.
Projects which fail to comply with reporting deadlines cannot count on further funding.
The accounts for the projects are to be audited by the local audit agency at the individual institution as part of the institutions’ accounts. The accounting report is to be certified by the financial unit responsible at the institution.