The Board of The Icelandic Research Fund has completed the allocation of grants for new research projects for 2025. A total of 381 valid applications were received by the Research Fund, 64 of which were funded, or almost 17%.
The Icelandic Research Fund (IRF) is the leading competitive research fund in Iceland. The fund grants projects in all areas of science, from grants to doctoral students to grants of excellence. Grants of excellence are awarded for major projects that excel in their field and have international connections.
Grants for new projects amount is close to ISK 1.1 billion this year, but since the projects are generally for three years, the total cost is almost ISK 3.2 billion in the years 2025-2027.
Below is an overview of the breakdown between types of grants. Further analysis is available on the Research Fund's website. The below amounts may change as a result of contract negotiations and may include typos.
A total of 27 applications for excellence grants were received and 2 were funded, or 7,4%.
| Project leader | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Jose Augusto Belchior Alves | University of Iceland's Institute of Research Centres | Generational shifts: The role of juvenile ontogeny in facilitating population responses to environmental change | 63.268.162 |
| Margrét Helga Ögmundsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | The role of ATG7 in balancing metabolic function in pancreatic cancer | 54.965.000 |
A total of 171 applications for project grants were received and 29 were funded, or 17%.
Physical Sciences and Mathematics (23%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Anna Bergljót Gunnarsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Local structure and ionic conduction in amorphous garnets for solid-state batteries | 23.571.250 |
| Alberto Caracciolo | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Petrology and paleomagnetism of the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland: Hazard implications for the ongoing eruptive cycle (PRIORITY ) | 25.844.687 |
| Jón Tómas Guðmundsson | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | The effect of magnetic field and self-sputter yield on the flux parameters of the HiPIMS discharge | 25.353.750 |
| Samuel Warren Scott | Science Institute-University of Iceland | HYCOMA: Hydrothermal Cooling of Magmatic Intrusions | 10.797.500 |
| Gianluca Levi, Hannes Jónsson | Science Institute-University of Iceland | Simulations of electron transfer and atomic motion in photodriven molecular devices for enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency | 23.323.750 |
Engineering and technical science (18%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Magnús Már Halldórsson | Reykjavik University-Department of Computer Science | Comparative Complexity via Coloring | 23.007.000 |
| Christoph Lohrmann | Reykjavik University-Department of Computer Science | On the implementation of ensemble feature selection and its application to stock market prediction | 20.030.000 |
| Hlynur Stefánsson | Reykjavik University-Department of Engineering | Microplastics in Glaciers | 24.633.000 |
| Gabriele Cavallaro, Jón Atli Benediktsson, Magnús Örn Úlfarsson | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Hybrid Quantum-Classical Workflows for Earth Observation: Leveraging Modular Supercomputing and Digital-Analog Quantum Systems | 19.891.250 |
| Atefe Darzi | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | A Short-term Forecasting System for Volcanic and Tectonic Seismicity in Southwest Iceland | 26.085.000 |
| Younes Abghoui | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Tailored for Excellence: Developing Anode Electrodes for Superior Battery Performance | 25.075.000 |
| Birgir Hrafnkelsson | Science Institute-University of Iceland | Sub-daily extreme precipitation in a changing cold climate | 23.952.377 |
Natural and environmental sciences (14%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Kalina Hristova Kapralova | The Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, KELDUR | The genomic underpinnings of miniaturisation | 24.500.000 |
| Arnar Pálsson, Benedikt Hallgrímsson | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Shaping the organism: Genetic and environmental influence on development during rapid evolution | 23.804.250 |
| Egill Erlendsson | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | The birch woods of Iceland: looking back, looking forward | 27.521.750 |
Life sciences (17%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Pétur Orri Heiðarsson | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | The next Phase of pioneer factor Sox2: Exploring the link between phase separation, chromatin opening, and cell reprogramming | 23.590.970 |
| Erna Magnúsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | Chromatin Priming for Primordial Germ Cell Fate by Rhox Transcription Factors | 25.087.500 |
| Valborg Guðmundsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | The dynamics of proteomic and DNA methylation signatures during the development of Alzheimer's disease | 25.680.000 |
| Krishna Kumar Damodaran | Science Institute-University of Iceland | Amino acid based rhodium(III) complexes as anticancer drugs | 17.142.500 |
Clinical studies and public health (15%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Urður Njarðvík | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | Emotion Regulation as a Moderator of Two Different Treatments for Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial | 17.617.500 |
| Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir, Thor Aspelund | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | Elucidating determinants and health sequels of cosmetic surgery among women | 23.298.750 |
| Valtýr Stefánsson Thors, Ásgeir Haraldsson | Landspitali University Hospital | The effects of early exposure to antibiotics on immune function in infants | 5.031.250 |
Social and Educational Sciences (14%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Valdimar Sigurðsson, Jacob Lund Orquin | Reykjavik University-Department of Business Administration | The Foundations of Attention Management & its Applications for Health and Sustainability in Marketing | 27.008.500 |
| Sabrina Hansmann-Roth | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | The influence of learning about stimulus variability and uncertainty and their contributions to serial dependence | 24.136.250 |
| Már Wolfgang Mixa | University of Iceland-School of Social Sciences | Money, Savings, and Mobilities between Poland and Iceland | 21.487.000 |
| Sigríður Björk Þormar, Linda Bára Lýðsdóttir | Reykjavík University-Department of Psychology | The mental health effects of volunteering at the scene of a volcanic eruption on Icelandic search and rescue teams |
22.348.150 |
Humanities and the Arts (20%)
| Proj. leader, Pr. investigator(s) | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Árni Daníel Júlíusson | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | The Icelandic deserted medieval settlement project | 22.840.000 |
| Árni Heimir Ingólfsson | The Reykjavík Academy | Modernism in Icelandic Music, 1945–1980. Works, Influence, Politics, Reception | 14.600.000 |
| Margrét Eggertsdóttir, Haukur Þorgeirsson, Katelin Marit Parsons | Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies | Riches to rags: The popularisation of rímur poetry in post-medieval Iceland | 20.206.250 |
A total of 58 applications for Postdoctoral fellowships were received and 10 were funded, or 17,2%.
Physical Sciences and Mathematics (10%)
| Postdoctoral fellow | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Diego Roberto Hidalgo Tecay | Science Institute-University of Iceland | Exploring non-Lorentzian gravity and string dynamics near black holes | 14.162.500 |
Engineering and technical science (10%)
| Postdoctoral fellow | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Farnaz Bayat | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | A new Physics-based Fault System and Seismic Hazard Assessment for North Iceland (NORTHAZ) | 14.165.000 |
Life sciences (33%)
| Postdoctoral fellow | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Nhung Hong Vu | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | How does the germline mutation E318K in MITF predispose to melanoma? | 13.875.000 |
Social and Educational Sciences (30%)
| Postdoctoral fellow | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Ivan Makarov | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | Haptic Harmony | 13.487.500 |
| Nam Hoai Vu Dang | University of Iceland-School of Social Sciences | Valuing Non-market Goods: Geographic and Methodological Extensions of Compensating Income Variation |
13.765.000 |
| Rosemary Erin Haskell | Reykjavík University-Department of Psychology | A data-driven approach to understanding sex-specific responses to early life adversity | 12.528.000 |
Humanities and the Arts (18%)
| Postdoctoral fellow | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Cecilia Rose Collins | Reykjavik University-Department of Engineering | Entangled Strands: Novel Syndemic Disease Perspectives and 3D Imaging of Metabolic Disease in the North Atlantic Past | 14.368.750 |
| Sólveig Ólafsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | “Sheltering from the Storm: Transitioning Vulnerable Individuals from Informal to Formal Care in 20th-Century Iceland” [SFTS] | 14.160.000 |
| Elena Callegari | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | Symphonies of Syntax: Exploring Language through Complex Systems | 14.165.000 |
| Alfonso García Lapeña | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | Evidence, Truthlikeness and Explanation in Science | 14.208.325 |
A total of 125 application for Doctoral fellowships were received and 23 were funded, or 18,4%.
Physical Sciences and Mathematics (19%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Reed Patrick Acton | Reykjavik University-Department of Computer Science | Moving from objects to transformations to account for the finer structures of permutations | 8.979.000 |
| Diana Brum Da Silveira Gibert Alvarez | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | The RSRR Lineament, Vents and Grabens: Magmatism, Volcanism and Tectonics at the Eurasian Margin of the Axial Rift Zone in North Iceland | 9.990.000 |
| Ira Volkova | Science Institute-University of Iceland | Copolymers composed of CO2 and biodegradable waste | 9.999.900 |
Engineering and technical science (17%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Vasiliki Kyriakou | Reykjavik University-Department of Computer Science | Effects of Restrictive Non-Determinism on the Expressiveness and Relative Complexity of Bounded Memory Automata | 8.979.000 |
| Antonio Vazquez Prudencio | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Refining processes in molten aluminum studied using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy | 10.000.000 |
| Bahadir Turkyilmaz | Reykjavik University-Department of Engineering | Temperature Characteristics and Lagrangian Dispersion in Mixed Convective Turbulence |
8.979.000 |
| Seyed Javad Fattahi | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Site Response Analysis in SISZ: Advancing from Lab Testing to Automated Tuning of Constitutive Soil Models | 9.990.000 |
Natural and environmental sciences (15%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Lieke Ponsioen | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | The fishy mysteries of Thingvallavatn: Unravelling salmonid habitat utilisation using acoustic telemetry, remote sensing, and machine learning | 9.990.000 |
| Marco Mancini | University of Iceland-School of Engineering and Natural Sciences | Ants in geothermal areas in Iceland. Distribution, ecology, population genetics and colonization history of Hypoponera eduardi and Hypoponera ergatandria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) | 9.990.000 |
Life sciences (18%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Sana Gadiwalla | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | Transcriptional control of neuronal plasticity in olfaction | 9.780.000 |
| Milan Pieter Paul De Putter | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | RHOX5 and RHOX6 in epigenetic regulation of germ line competence | 9.999.900 |
Clinical studies and public health (22%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Unnur Jakobsdóttir Smári | University of Iceland-School of Health Sciences | ADHD in women – mental health and comorbidities across the lifespan | 9.780.000 |
| Oddný Brattberg Gunnarsdóttir | \N | The Icelandic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Project: A recall-by-genotype study on MYBPC3 founder mutation carriers | 7.321.560 |
Social and Educational Sciences (16%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Sæberg Sigurðsson | University of Iceland-School of Education | School Practices in Vocational Education and Training in Iceland – Challenges in an Ever-Changing Landscape |
9.999.990 |
| Helena Rakel Hannesdóttir | Reykjavik University-Department of Law | Protection of the Marine Environment from Climate-Related Pollution under the Law of the Sea | 8.979.000 |
| Gabriela Marzena Galecka | University of Iceland-School of Social Sciences | Roads to the North: the importance of the migration experience for the life course in the narratives of highly educated migrants in the Nordic countries | 9.990.000 |
| Sóllilja Bjarnadóttir | University of Iceland-School of Social Sciences | Societal and Climate Change? Public Attitudes Towards Climate Policies and Just Transition | 9.900.000 |
| Sara Þöll Finnbogadóttir | University of Iceland-School of Social Sciences | How to get young people to vote: Individual factors and mobilising initiatives that affect the voting behaviour of young people in Iceland. | 9.990.000 |
Humanities and the Arts (25%)
| Doctoral student | Institution | Title | ISK (Y1) |
| Cecily Fleur Plant Warrilow | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | “Us” and the “Other”; How the slave trade altered the formation of state, nation, and nationalism in Viking Age and early Medieval Iceland | 7.625.000 |
| Bjarki Ármannsson | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | Language Acquisition and Performance of Large Language Models in Icelandic | 9.990.000 |
| Giulia Zorzan | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | Colours in the earliest Icelandic manuscripts | 9.405.000 |
| Rebekka Þráinsdóttir | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | Russian Literature in Iceland. A Critical Inquiry into translation and Reception | 9.615.375 |
| Robert Carl Cluness | University of Iceland-School of Humanities | On Esoteric Innovation in UK Subcultures at the End of the 20th Century | 9.875.000 |
The above information may include typos.
Amounts may change as a result of contract negotiations.
