Application deadline:  9 June 2023

The Young CAS Grant is a collaborative effort between CAS, the Young Academy of Norway (AYF) and The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA). The programme offers residential fellowship with the aim of supporting outstanding young researchers in project development and network building. By funding and supporting their research projects, our Young CAS PIs gain valuable experience as research leaders. They can invite colleagues from all over the world to join them at CAS and participate in group-based, independent fundamental research.

CAS provides funding, office spaces and administrative support. Read more about CAS here >

To be eligible to apply, the research should be blue-sky, curiosity-driven, challenge given truths, and have the potential to advance the research front in the relevant field(s).  Researchers in all fields can apply, but note that laboratory-based research cannot be conducted at CAS. However, projects involving laboratory work, fieldwork, and data collection are welcome if the aim is to develop the theoretical aspects of the research.

A successful application will clearly describe how the Young CAS Grant, with its gatherings and networking opportunities, will help realize the objectives of the project and benefit the applicant’s career.

CAS will select two Young CAS projects for the period of January 2024 to December 2025. The Applicant will serve as the PI of the project.

Read about former and current Young CAS projects here >

For any queries or further information, please contact adviser Julie Ellinor F. Dalseth.
 

Who may apply?

To be eligible to apply you must:

• Have completed a PhD and be below the age of 40 at the application deadline. Extensions will be granted for leaves of absence, compulsory military or civilian service, or sick leave. There are no age limits for other project participants.
• Be employed in a full-time academic position* at one of CAS’ partner institutions during the entire period from January 2024 to December 2025. The position does not have to be permanent, and you may change affiliation as long as it is from one partner institution to another.

Project leadership experience is preferred, but not required.

*An academic position entails research and/or teaching at the college or university level.
 

Are you currently employed in a temporary position?

If you are currently employed in a temporary position, you can still apply for the Young CAS Grant even though you may not know where you will be employed during the programme’s second year (January 2025 – December 2025).

However, funding for the second year will require you to be hired by one of our partner institutions when the second year begins. In that case, you must also provide a letter of support from your head of section at the new institution.
 

What does CAS offer?

• Assistance when planning and organising the three workshops in year one.
• Five well-equipped office spaces for the research stay at CAS in year two, either for single or double occupancy.
• Well-equipped seminar rooms with video conferencing equipment.
• IT and library services during the research stay.
• Pleasant accommodations within walking distance of the Centre for researchers not based in the Oslo area.

Two-year programme

A Young CAS PI will receive a grant of up to NOK 750 000 over two years.

During the first year, the PI will arrange three intensive workshops.

Budget: up to NOK 250 000.

In the second year, the PI will convene a group from their network at CAS in Oslo, to work  together on the candidate’s project for a period of two months.

Budget: up to NOK 500 000.

CAS will provide administrative support to the PI throughout the two years. The Young Academy of Norway (AYF) can contribute to gatherings with discussions, advice on outreach and communications, and strategies for further project developments. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters offers its elegant venues for the final day of the last gathering and contributes to the reception.

Further details about materials and activities that may be covered by the budget are described in the ‘What can the budget cover?’ section below.
 

Detailed two-year programme

This is how the programme is structured:

Year 1 (January 2024 – December 2024):

• The first gathering will last for four to five days in August or September 2023 and will be held on CAS premises at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo.
• The second gathering will last between three and five days and will preferably be held at the PI’s home institution in January or February 2024.
• For the third and final gathering in autumn 2024, the PI will return to CAS for three to five days. This gathering will culminate with an open meeting and reception hosted in the beautiful conference room of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. DNVA will also contribute financially to the reception.

Year 2 (January 2025 – December 2025):

The research stay in year 2 is designed to resemble an ordinary CAS project. The Young CAS PI will gather a core group of collaborators at CAS for two months of continuous work on the research project. The research stay provides a unique opportunity for specialisation and continuity.

The core group should consist of four to five participants (including the PI) at all times during the two months. The core group should preferably consist of scholars who have participated in one or more gatherings during the first year.

Each participant should stay for at least four weeks in total but may split their stay in two. The PI must be present to lead the group for the whole two-month period.
 

What can the funding cover?

• Travel and accommodation expensesassociated with the project’s gatherings and research stay at CAS.*
• Food expenses:
  - Daily lunches for you and the project participants during the three gatherings and the research stay.
  - Participants staying in a hotel can have their dinner expenses covered, but the amount must be agreed upon in advance. CAS adheres to the government’s fixed rates for dinner outings.*
• Buyouts that cover documentable teaching replacement costs which incur due to a participant’s stay at CAS in the second year. The budget must include estimated costs for buyouts, including the name of the scholar, and the period for the buyout. As the PI, you will keep your salary from your home institution and will, therefore, not need any buyout.

*As a Young CAS PI based outside of the Oslo area, your accommodation expenses during the two-month research stay will be covered by CAS. Hence, this cost does not need to be included in the project budget. CAS will book apartments for participants (who are not based in the Oslo area) staying for a longer period than 10 days. The current monthly rate for 1 bedroom is NOK 22,000. Researchers staying for a shorter period will be accommodated in hotels which currently cost NOK 1600/night for a single room.

**CAS does not provide a per diem allowance. Moreover, only food meals purchased in restaurants can be reimbursed, as we cannot refund grocery shopping.

The budget draft must include information about the number of participants and an overview of the costs associated with travel, accommodations, and meals for each gathering in year 1 and the research stay in year 2. The potential buyouts during the research stay must also be included. Please provide necessary explanations of the expenses.

CAS will cover the cost of venues for the workshops, except for the second workshop held at the PI’s home institution. CAS will also provide office spaces and seminar rooms for the research stay in year 2. Thus, these costs should not be included in your budget draft.

 

The application must include:

• A description (3-4 pages) of the research project which must include clear hypotheses/research questions and objectives. The project will be evaluated by a panel of generalists and must be written so that researchers from other subject areas can assess it. The focus should be on what will be accomplished during the fellowship. If you or members of your research group already serve as PIs of other projects with external funding, explain how these can complement the Young CAS project, how the different projects will be coordinated, and how CAS funding would provide added value.
• A plan (1 page) for implementing the work during the project period. The plan should show how you will organize and lead the project to achieve its objectives, and how the workshops and research stay will contribute to their realization. The plan should also explain how the stay will benefit your professional development and research. Neither the workshops nor the research stay should be used to write applications. However, it will be considered an advantage if the project can be developed with the aim of applying for funding from other research funding bodies such as the Research Council of Norway and Horizon Europe.
• A list of 3-5 researchers who will belong to the ‘core group’. The list should include the participants’ academic titles and institutional affiliations. However, a letter of intent from the participants is not necessary.
• A budget draft following the above guidelines. Please use the budget template.
• A brief ethical self-assessment (no more than half a page) certifying that you are familiar with the relevant ethical guidelines. Please read CAS’ guidelines for ethics in research.
• A CV including a publication list. The CV should not exceed four pages. Please use the CV template.
• A letter of support for the period of January 2024 to December 2025 from the head of section at your home institution. As noted above, you can still apply even if you do not know where you will be employed during the second year of the programme.

The letter of support shall serve as a formal confirmation that:

• You will keep your salary and be exempt from other obligations during the periods of absence due to your Young CAS Grant activities
• Your home institution will host the second gathering during the first year.

If the research requires pre-approval from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, the Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics, or a similar body, this must be obtained before the start of the project. In the application, you must confirm that the necessary pre-approval will be obtained.
 

How to apply?

The application must be submitted electronically in UNIFOR’s electronic application system. All documents must be written in English and must be saved and uploaded as PDF files. Required templates are available in the application portal.

The application deadline is 9 June 2023
 

The selection process

A selection committee comprised of representatives from CAS, the board of directors, and the Young Academy of Norway (AYF) will present a shortlist to the CAS board of directors, which will ultimately select the two Young CAS Grants in September 2023.

The ranking will be based on the scientific quality of the project, as well as on the applicant’s merits and experience. The project must also align with CAS’ mission and the criteria in this call.

Applications that do not meet the formal criteria will be rejected.

Questions can be directed to adviser Julie Ellinor F. Dalseth.
 

About the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS)

The Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) is an independent foundation located at The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Drammensveien 78, 0271 Oslo.

We support research groups within and across the fields of natural science, social science, and humanities, and all our projects are initiated and chosen by the scholars themselves. CAS hosts established leading researchers through our CAS Research Grant and talented early career researchers through the Young CAS Grant.

A stay at CAS yields an intellectually stimulating experience in an international, interdisciplinary research environment.

The Young CAS Grant was created in partnership with the Young Academy of Norway (AYF) in 2019/2020 to expand CAS’ reach to early-career researchers. The grant is supported by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and CAS’ partner institutions.