Preparatory Grants

What is the objective?

The aim is to make it easier for researchers working at Icelandic universities, research institutes or companies to apply for international funding, especially international programs in which Iceland pays a participation fee. The boards of the Research Fund and the Technology Development Fund provide up to 50 m.kr. in the year 2021 to strengthen the preparation of international scientific and research collaboration with Icelandic participation.

Priority is given to applications for the preparation of applications in Horizon Europe, but it is possible to support other collaborations if sufficient funds are available.

Who can apply?

• Institutions
• Companies
• Researchers involved in preparing proposals for an international research funds to which Iceland pays participation fees.
• Priority is given to those applying for the Horizon Europe EU Research and Innovation Program.

What is funded?

• Travel grant (300 thousand)
• Travel subsidies are based on fares on general airfare as well as per diems according to the Ministry of Finance's advertisement at any given time. The maximum grant is ISK 300,000.
• Application grant 1, awarded to parties participating in international research or innovation projects (500 thousand).
• Grants for participation in international collaborative projects up to a maximum of 500,000 and are based on the criteria that a consultant has been hired to write an proposal or an employee of an institution has spent considerable time writing a proposal.
• Application grant 2, awarded to parties coordinating and leading a proposal for a large international research or innovation project (1 million).
• Grant for the preparation of international collaborative projects with Icelandic project management (coordination) up to a maximum of ISK 1 million. Note that the Icelandic party must lead the entire project, not just the Icelandic part, and the scope of the project must be significant.

Note that the allocation rules have been changed so that you can only apply for either application grant 1 or 2 and not both as previously possible.

Eligibility conditions

Preparatory grants are paid after the proposal has been submitted to the International Fund and Rannís has received the following documents:

• Confirmation of receipt of application from the relevant research fund
• Copy of the proposal to the relevant fund (where the name of the applicant is stated)
• Confirmation of travel expenses

Please note:

• No single institution can be allocated more than 20% of the total funding available or 10 m. kr. Due to the size of the University of Iceland it is divided into 5 institutions / divisions in accordance with the division of the University of Iceland, and each division of the University of Iceland can therefore not receive more than 20% of the total pot.
• If applications for preparatory grants exceed ISK 50 million, despite cuts based on the 20% rule, there will be a flat cut for all applications until ISK 50 million mark is reached.
• In the case of a two-stage application, a grant is only awarded once.
• In the case of more than one Icelandic applicants are part of a project proposal, the Icelandic participants with the largest share of the European project shall apply for the preparatory grant.