News and noteworthy

Renewing Transatlantic Partnership

May 2020 - A third round of 2-year seed grant solicitation received again overwhelming response by researchers, requesting $2.25 mio. in funding. Six transatlantic teams were selected to begin their research projects in the summer of 2020 amidst the pandemic. Despite major pandemic imposed disruptions of research activities, research teams making excellent progress towards completing their projects.

July 2019 - The University of Minnesota, University of Oslo and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences have renewed their agreement on the Norwegian Centennial Chair program for another four years. For more than a decade this program has successfully built a network of connections and collaborations between researchers across the atlantic throgun this program. Researchers have collaborated on topics ranging from bioenergy, genomics and to agricultural and health related research. Participating units at the University of Minnesota include the College of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, Veterinary School, Medical School and the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching for Life Sciences

June 2018 - The Norwegian Chair program supported the organization of a Summer Institute hosted by the University of Oslo with participating faculty from the University of Minnesota, University of Oslo and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Topics covered during the weeklong Summer Institute included scientific teaching, active learning, student assessment, institutional transformation and creating a framework for constructing teachable units. 

Seven new transatlantic research teams selected to receive two-year grants to establish new, and continue existing collaborations

May 2018 - A second round of two-year grant solicitation for transatlantic collaborations again led to an overwhelming response by researchers, requesting more than $2,000,000 in funding. Seven transatlantic teams were selected to begin their research projects in the Summer of 2018.

Six new transatlantic research teams selected to receive two-year grants to establish new, and continue existing collaborations

June 2016 - Following the renewal of the trilateral agreement researchers from Norway and Minnesota submitted collaborative proposals again requesting close to $1,000,000 in funding in an overwhelming response to a new two-year grant solicitation for transatlantic collaborations announced by the Norwegian Chair Program. As in the past round, six "transatlantic dream teams" were selected to initiate new research projects starting in the Fall of 2016. 


University renews ties with Norwegian counterparts

October 2015: Agreement to support Norwegian Centennial Chair ensures continued research collaboration between U of M and two Norwegian universities.

The University of Minnesota renewed its research and education ties with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the University of Oslo earlier this summer. The agreement to continue support of the Norwegian Centennial Chair extends transatlantic collaboration between the three institutions through 2018.

The Norwegian Centennial Chair was established in 2006 to promote cooperation in research and education between the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the University of Oslo (since 2010) and the University of Minnesota by strengthening existing collaborations and facilitating new ones in specific research areas.

The new agreement will support a broader portfolio of topics in science and engineering, and in the health sciences, that are of common, strategic interest to all three partner universities.

So far, the program has facilitated dozens of transatlantic exchanges between undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and faculty through travel awards and fellowships. It has also yielded a handful of research collaborations.

The program has proven to be a successful model for initiating new international collaborations. Seed funding for competitive research projects in common strategic areas between the partner institutions has proved critical for the development of sustainable, high-impact collaborations expected to continue beyond the initial seed-grant period.

A number of joint publications and the initiation of six transatlantic research teams made up of U of M faculty from four colleges and their Norwegian counterparts have already been formed. Projects focus on a range of research questions including the use of optical remote sensing technology to inventory tree distribution in forests, the development of a new animal model for cancer research and the structural basis for iron and manganese uptake into cells.

The Norwegian Centennial Chair is supported by colleges and units across the University including the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Science and Engineering, the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, the Medical School, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Office for the Vice President of Research. The agreement to continue the partnership was finalized by the rectors of the University of Oslo and Norwegian Life Science University in May.

The program supports research collaborations in a range of areas including robotics and advanced manufacturing, food safety and security, sustainable energy systems, informatics and computation in biomedical research, and other priority areas for the universities.

The renewal will provide seed funding for new research collaborations. Proposals will be solicited for transatlantic workshops to foster networking and the development of new joint research programs for future seed funding to kick-start new collaborations.


NOCC program announces funding opportunities for workshops

December 2014 –  Researchers and Educators from NMBU, UiO and UMN are invited to submit proposals for the development of transatlantic workshops. More details under Opportunities in education and Opportunities in research on this webpage.


UMN Delegation visits NMBU and UiO

August 2014 – A delegation from the University of Minnesota visited UiO and NMBU in Norway to learn about the strategic priorities identified by each university for the coming years and to discuss the NOCC program. Members of the delegation, including President Eric Kaler, College of Biological Sciences Interim Dean Tom Hays and former Dean Robert Elde, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine Trevor Ames, College of Science and Engineering Associate Dean of Research Mos Kaveh, Associate Vice President and Dean of International Programs Meridith McQuaid, Global Program and Strategy Alliance Chief of Staff Molly Portz, NOCC steering committee member Ivar Sorensen and Norwegian Centennial Chair Claudia Schmidt-Dannert, were briefed by academic leaders and faculty from UiO and NMBU on their research and educational programs. The UM representatives from the different Colleges presented their programs and strategic plans. UiO and NMBU PI’s of the transatlantic research teams funded by the NOCC program gave overviews of their current research projects.


Six transatlantic research teams selected to receive two-year grants to establish new collaborations

June 2012 - Researchers from Norway and Minnesota submitted collaborative proposals requesting close to $1,000,000 in funding in an overwhelming response to a two-year grant solicitation for new transatlantic collaborations announced by the Norwegian Chair Program. Six "transatlantic dream teams" were selected to initiate new research projects staring in the Fall of 2012. more