New Cooperation Agreement

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New Cooperation Agreement between UMB, UiO and UMN was signed in Washington D.C. on 18 October 2010.

November 2010 - The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), the University in Oslo (UiO) and the University of Minnesota (UMN), U.S.A., will be expanding collaboration activities within research and education under a new tri-partite agreement for strategic cooperation signed in Washington D.C. on 18 October.

Prorektor Ruth Haug (UMB), Dr Robert Elde, Dean of College of Biological Sciences (UMN) og prorektor Doris Jorde (UiO) har nettopp underskrevet en samarbeidsavtale. Photo: Joanna Boddens-Hosang

The two Norwegian universities already have bilateral cooperation agreements with UMN in place since 2006.

The new agreement covers all fields, including the areas originally emphasized under the UMN-UMB cooperation. Transatlantic research teams, consisting of scientific staff and Master and PhD students from the three institutions, will work to address contemporary problems in focused areas.

Under the new agreement, the University of Oslo grants US$ 250,000 to "The Norwegian Centennial Graduate Fellowship Fund" in order to strengthen the integration of Master and PhD students in the transatlantic research cooperation.

In addition, UiO will contribute US$ 125,000 annually for four years to be used by a Coordination Group, which, along with an Executive Committee, will oversee the collaborations under the new agreement.

Joint activities since 2006 between UMB and UMN fall under the Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair (NCC). Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Royal Norwegian Embassy to the USA, the Norwegian Research Council and the University of Minnesota and its Foundation, the NCC’s goal is to support transatlantic research teams of scientists and students at UMN, UMB and other universities in Norway.

Research is conducted by ten teams in the fields of sustainable bioenergy, biobased products, and functional genomics (particularly in relation to food security) as well as in other areas. An Endowment Fund earning up to $70,000 per year supports scholarships and encourages collaboration between researchers.

The ten Transatlantic Research Teams include Bachelor-, Master-, PhD- and PostDoc-students. NCC is described in detail on www.umb.no/umn-umb.

UiO has entered into this agreement with a special focus on two of its new interfaculty research areas, Environmental Change and Sustainable Energy (MILEN), and Molecular Life Science (MLS). Several joint initiatives by researchers at UiO and UMN are being explored.

"UMN has benefited significantly from the Norwegian Centennial Chair programme and the many cooperative relationships with both UMB and UiO. Therefore it is natural, but also very exciting, to establish a more formal, three-way strategic partnership to support new faculty and student research teams working on critical problems in an expanded set of areas," says Robert Elde, Dean of the College of Biological Sciences, UMN, and one of the architects of the Centennial Chair program.

"We look forward to enhanced cooperation with both Norwegian partners as we take this important step together in promoting transatlantic research and educational linkages between the US and Norway."

The new agreement will last an initial four years and will be reviewed after three years. A joint website will be set up to inform about progress under the cooperation.

For further information:
UMN: Dr Claudia Schmidt-Danner, NCC Co-Chair (schmi232umn.edu)
UMB: Ragnhild Solheim, NCC Co-Chair (ragnhild.solheimumb.no) or Joanna Boddens-Hosang, Senior Advisor (joanboumb.no)
UiO: Solveig Aas, Senior Advisor (solveig.aasadmin.uio.no)

Updated: 09.03.12
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