Research Project Guide

Before applying

1. From project sketch to anchoring

   Talk to your department or R&D leader early on the research project outline.

   6 points to discuss before you start: 

   1. Whether the project outline is in line with the department / center's strategy and the need for new insights into your research field. Your R&D project should build on, or challenge the knowledge already known by, the research front in your field.
   2. Whether you can use your R&D time to work on the project
   3. What kind of ethical research issues the project entails
   4. Data management: whether storing the research data will create special challenges in terms of sensitivity, person-identifying factors, selection, collaboration with external parties and more. If you stumble here, you risk that you as a researcher and OsloMet as an institution is fined, are sentenced and the loss of partners due to poor reputation.
   5. How do you plan to fund project expenses
   6. If you are planning to apply for external funding; discuss where to apply and with which partners.

   Approval of R&D projects 

   Allocation of R&D time

   Approval of R&D projects is in most cases in connection with the allocation of R&D time.

   The allocation of R&D time may be based on application and / or results, and is usually approved by the head of department or other unit manager, see the form for approval of self-financing and use of R&D time. In addition, contact your faculty / institute / center for more information on how R&D time allocation and approval of R&D projects take place at your place of work. 

   • R&D time at The Faculty of Health Science 
   • R&D time at the Faculty of Education and International Studies 
   • R&D time at The Faculty of Social Sciences
   • R&D time at The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design

   Application for external financing 

   Your faculty / center and any institute must formally approve that you apply for external funding before you can apply.

   See routine for progress when applying for external funding for R&D projects (in Norwegian only, 22,8 KB, .doc). 

   Please note that your faculty / center may have its own routines / approval form.

   • External funding at the Faculty of Health Sciences (HV)
   • External funding at the Faculty of Teacher education and international studies (LUI)
   • External funding at the Faculty of Social Sciences (SAM)
   • External funding at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD)

   It is also important to place both responsibilities and tasks from management to the individual project staff, see Roles and responsibilities in R&D projects.

   Application for research term 

   If you wish to apply for a research term for, among other things, the possibility of continuous research, see your faculty / center's website.

   • Research term at the Faculty of Health Sciences 
   • Faculty of Social Sciences

   Support for EU applications and literature search 

   • You can get support for developing EU applications by contacting the EU team.

   • The University Library (UB) offers free guidance to researchers who conduct literature searches themselves. In addition, UB's resource group for literature searches performs systematic literature searches and, among other things, delivers lists of identified references in the desired format for payment. 

2. Checklist for R&D projects
   • The R&D Projects Checklist (.pdf - in Norwegian only) is a printable form with important points to keep in mind during startup, operation and termination.
   • Checklist: Processing of personal information in a student project (word - in Norwegian only) is a form with important points that you as supervisor can use to check if the student knows his / her duties and that he / she uses the information correctly.

   • Is there something you are researching that could involve a threat - risk? See about Espionage on sikresiden.no.

3. Privacy, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, data plans and data processing

   See website about Privacy and information security for researchers

4. Veileder til Forskningsdatabasen

   Veileder til Forskningsdatabasen

5. Project groups, training and access

   Remember that the quality and integrity of research data depends on the project staff being given adequate training and proper access to research data that is stored electronically.

6. Insurance and research projects

   Automatic insurance

   All research participants at OsloMet are insured through Norwegian Patient Injury Compensation (NPE). It is an independent governmental agency subject to the Ministry of Health and Care Services. The NPE scheme also covers damage caused by medical research activities, see sections 24 and 50 of the Health Research Act, and will normally be sufficient insurance for all medical trials.

   OsloMet is legally and financially responsible for its own activities, also in insurance cases, through the principle of state self-insurance (see section 4.3.2.6 p. 101).

   Clinical trial

   The project manager is obliged to take out insurance in the Medicines Liability Association during clinical trials (unless the project is covered by the pharmaceutical company's insurance), cf. the Product Liability Act. Contact unedv@bahr.no.

   Special insurance

   If the research project is not covered by the Product Liability Act or the Patient Injury Compensation Scheme (NPE), special insurance must be taken out. This insurance should not only be a liability insurance, but also cover damage regardless of negligence.

   Voluntary insurance

   On a voluntary basis, private insurances can be taken out that apply to the research activities of researchers, e.g. through the Norwegian Psychological Association (NPF).

   Reporting obligation to the Norwegian Health Authority

   In case of serious, as well as undesirable and unexpected events in clinical research projects, there is a duty to report to the Norwegian Health Authority, cf. Chapter 5 of the Health Research Act. This duty to report comes in addition to the usual duty to report internally and externally.

   See Oslo University Hospital's (OUS) research handbook, sections 14. 5 and 14.6, p. 128 (oslo-universitetssykehus.no).

7. Intellectual property rights / exploitation of research results
   • Enter into necessary agreements and clarify intellectual property rights (IPR) (in Norwegian only)
   • Who will own the data for a research project if you leave OsloMet?
   • Are you considering utilizing the research results commercially?

8. Research funding
   • Research funding
   • Support for the development of EU applications
   • Budgeting of research projects. In addition, ask your R&D advisor at your faculty / center if there are any relevant templates.

9. Register project
   • Registration of a project in Cristin
   • Register the project in Clinical trials

10. Criteria for establishing a research group

    In order to establish a research group, you must meet the criteria for establishment at your faculty / center.

    • Establish a research group at the Faculty of Health Sciences
    • Contact the R&D section at the Faculty of Education and International Studies
    • Contact the R&D section at the Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Contact the R&D section at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design

11. Definitions and abbreviations for R&D
    • Definitions and abbreviations for R&D

12. Legislation, English glossary and publication committee
    • Laws relevant to student and research projects
    • UHR English glossary for the UH sector
    • Publishing Committee, UHR (in Norwegian)