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Call for applications for the Young CAS Grant  - January 2027 to December 2028

The Young CAS Grant offers the opportunity to assemble your ideal international team, lead a research project, and advance both your research field and career.

Application deadline: 13 May 2026

The Young CAS Grant (YCG) is a collaborative initiative between CAS and the Young Academy of Norway (AYF), with support from The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA). The programme offers residential fellowships designed to empower and support young researchers in their pursuit of career development and network expansion. The applicant will serve as the PI of the project and collaborate with their handpicked international team of researchers, whereby they gain valuable experience as research leaders.

CAS will select two Young CAS projects for January 2027 – December 2028. Each project receives NOK 750 000 to host three workshops and complete a two-month research stay at CAS over the two-year period.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Young CAS Grant, applicants must:

• Have completed a PhD and be below the age of 40 at the application deadline. Extensions will be granted for statutory leaves of absence, compulsory military or civilian service, and continuous full-time and/or part-time sick leave equal to at least eight weeks full-time absence. There are no age limits for other project participants.
• Maintain a full-time academic position at one of our partner institutions at the application deadline and throughout the entire project period. The position does not have to be permanent, and you may change affiliation between partner institutions. Our agreements with our partner institutions ensures that applicants will be granted paid leave by the home institution during the stay at CAS. Your application needs to be supported by your head of department. 
• While project leadership experience is preferred, it is not mandatory.

Are you currently employed in a temporary position? Applicants in temporary positions are also eligible for the Young CAS Grant if their contract covers at least the first year of the programme. Those with uncertain employment for the second year may still apply, but continued funding requires reemployment at one of our partner institutions and submission of a new letter of support at least two months before the second year begins.

Project Focus

Like all CAS projects, Young CAS projects should align with CAS’s mission to further excellent basic, curiosity-driven, research. They should challenge given truths and demonstrate the potential to advance the research frontier of the relevant field(s). Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. However, please note that laboratory-based research cannot be conducted at CAS. Projects involving laboratory work, fieldwork, or data collection are welcomed if they aim to develop the theoretical aspects of the research.

Successful applications should clearly outline how the Young CAS Grant, through its gatherings, research stay and networking opportunities, will contribute to realising the project’s objectives and further the applicant’s career.

About the grant

Each Young CAS PI will receive a grant of up to NOK 750 000 over two years, distributed as follows:

Workshops: Organise three intensive workshops with a budget of up to NOK 250 000

Research stay: Convene a group at CAS for a two-month research stay, with a budget of up to NOK 500 000.

The grant covers travel and accommodation, food expenses and documentable teaching replacement costs associated with the gatherings and the research stay.

For detailed information about what the funding covers, please see the budget template >

The programme is structured as follows:

Year 1 (January 2027 – December 2027)

During year one you will host two workshops, one at CAS and one at your home institution. The workshop at the home institution enables the PI to retain connection to the institution’s research activities. This is in line with our partnership agreement and ensures the program delivers benefits to the broader research community and faculty.

Year 2 (January 2028 – December 2028)

Year two, the PI gathers a group at CAS for a two-month research stay, enabling in-depth research activity. The third and final workshop will be held at CAS, with the possibility of hosting one day and dinner at The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA).

Throughout your project period CAS will offer:

• Assistance in planning and organising the three workshops.
• Three offices with a total of four well-equipped office spaces for the research stay at CAS during the second year.
• Well-equipped seminar rooms with video conferencing equipment. CAS is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators.
• IT and library services during the research stay.
• Pleasant accommodations within walking distance of the Centre for researchers not based in the Oslo area.
   

Project planning and obligations as PI

As PI you must be present to lead the group during the entire two-month research stay at CAS. The PI should avoid being at the Centre alone for more than a few days at a time.

Researchers staying at the Centre for four weeks or more, including the PI, are referred to as fellows. Participants staying for less than four weeks may still be invited if office space permits. These shorter-term participants will serve as affiliated researchers on the project.

The members of your group should preferably consist of researchers from outside your home institution and/or from abroad. Moreover, to ensure continuity, we highly recommend that you invite fellows who can actively partake in the workshops and can stay at CAS for the entire two-month period.

Four office spaces are designated for each project in the Young CAS Programme. The programme supports group-based research and at least three of these spaces should be fully utilised throughout your stay.

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 the European Research Council (ERC).

When planning your workshops and research stay, please note that CAS is closed between 1 July and 14 August. Moreover, during the Easter week and the week between Christmas and New Year\\\\\\\'s Day there is no administrative support present at the Centre.

About the application

The application will be evaluated by a panel of generalists. The project description should count no more than four pages (excluding list of references) and must begin with a section of approximately 400 words addressed to readers outside your specific field of research. The remaining pages may be directed towards specialists in your field. List of references is limited to one page.

The project description must:

• Clearly state the hypotheses and/or research question(s) the project seeks to explore.
• Describe the purpose and objectives of the project, and how it aligns with CAS’s mission.
• Outline the theoretical framework and methodology.
• Provide an overview of the most significant work within the research area and explain how the proposed project will contribute to the research front.
• Detail the expected outcomes to be achieved during the grant period and as a result of the funding.
• Explain the added value of joining the Young CAS Grant Programme.

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 and how the different projects will be coordinated.

Additional documents to be included in the application:

• A plan (one page) for implementing the activities during the project period. The plan should show how you will organise and lead the project to achieve its objectives, and how the workshops and research stay will contribute to their realisation.
  A list of 3-6 researchers you will invite as fellows to your project. The list should include the participants’ academic titles, their area(s) of expertise and their institutional affiliations, as well as a brief reasoning for the composition of the group and how the members contribute to the feasibility of the project. A letter of intent from the participants is not necessary.
• A budget draft with necessary explanations of the expenses. Download budget draft template here >
• A brief ethical self-assessment (no more than half a page) certifying that you are familiar with the relevant ethical guidelines. Please read our guidelines for ethics in research >
• A CV which includes a publication list. No more than four pages in total. Download template here >
• A letter of support for the period of January 2027 to December 2028 from the head of section at your home institution. The letter should describe how the grant will enhance the applicants career opportunities and benefit the research of the department or institute. If you are employed in a temporary position the letter of support should specify the exact period of employment.

Additionally, the letter shall serve as a formal confirmation that:

1. You will keep your salary and be exempt from other obligations during the periods of absence due to your Young CAS Grant activities and
2. 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 should be written in English and saved and uploaded as PDF files. Required templates are available on the application portal.

The applications should be submitted by 23:59 on the specified date. Late submissions cannot be processed as the UNIFOR system closes after the deadline.

The selection process

A selection committee, consisting 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 2026.

The selection is based on scientific quality, the applicant’s merits and the project’s alignment with CAS’ mission and criteria in this call.

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

Inquiries can be directed to senior adviser Rune Flaten >