Director warns competition has become a battlefield Norunn S. Myklebust, director of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) since 2007, says the current institute policy and research system function poorly for Nina, describing funding competition as “hard‑fought” and uneven, which hampers needed collaboration [1].
Research policy is chaotic across ministries Myklebust criticises a fragmented system where multiple ministries and directorates each operate with their own institute policies, creating a “messy” environment that impedes coordinated research efforts [1].
Core state funding has dropped to roughly 10 % She notes that the statutory core grant to NINA is now “barely 10 %,” making it difficult to fulfill the institute’s long‑term competence‑building mission and forcing heavy reliance on project contracts [1].
Procurement rules turn research tasks into consultant contracts According to Myklebust, tender processes often label genuine research assignments as consultancy jobs, limiting dialogue between buyers and researchers and tightening the procurement regime [1].
Calls for funding calls that require collaboration She proposes that the Research Council issue calls with explicit requirements for cooperation between institutes and universities, or vice‑versa, to stimulate joint work rather than isolated competition [1].
Offers Nina for an independent sector analysis Myklebust urges the Ministry of Education and Research to commission an independent review of work division, framework conditions, and competition between public and private institutes, offering NINA’s resources for the study [1].