The 2023 NAR Brain Power Award

Every day, NARs 25.000 members use their brain power to improve and develop our society. They represent an important diversity of knowledge, and their skills and endeavours are important at a local, regional, national og global level. With NARs Brain Power Award, we want to recognize their efforts, and showcase the importance of their daily contributions. 

The award can be granted based on all forms of knowledge work. It can be a research project, an exhibition, an innovation, a teaching programme, an innovative dissemination og knowledge or another outstanding contribution to society. The important thing is that the nominee has made a particularly significant contribution to society through his/her work.

The award money is a total of NOK 200 000, which will be allocated to one or more winners. The winner(s) will also receive a diploma designed for this specific purpose by the artist Lars Fiske. The winner(s) will be announced at our annual Research Policy Conference, Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The winner(s) will also be presented on NARs website. 

GUIDELINES FOR NOMINATIONS TO NARs BRAIN POWER AWARD: 

The deadline for nominating candidates is September 8th.

Who can be nominated? 

• All members of NAR may be nominated, regardless of their job position or place of work. 
• You are welcome to nominate both yourself and others.
• The award will as a main rule go to an individual recipient, but a group of colleagues collaborating on a joint project might also be nominated and rewarded. 
• NARs Brain Power award is personal and there are no specific requirements for how the award money should be spent. 

How to nominate? 

The nomination should be submitted using a written text of up to 1000 words: 

• The text must include the nominees name and workplace, and most importantly in writing justify why the proposed candidate is being nominated for the award.
• The description is substantial for the assessment of the candidate. 
• The text may be submitted in a Scandinavian language or English. Texts may also be submitted in Sami, if Norwegian or English translation is included. 
• Attachments will not be taken into account. 
• The nomination must be in writing. Audio-visual contributions such as audio tracks, media coverage/reports, broadcast interviews etc. will not be considered.

Criteria for receiving the award: 

• The candidate has given a substantial contribution in research and/or knowledge work. 
• The candidate has through his or her knowledge-promoting efforts had a positive impact in the professional community. 
• The candidate shows a particular ability for commitment and contributes to innovation within his or her field. 
• The candidate excels with versatility and/or innovative thinking in communication and forms of expression. 

How to select candidates?

A committee consisting of four members will select five candidates as possible winners of the award. The list of candidates will be presented to the NARs executive board which makes the final decision at their board meeting November 2.

Selection committee: 

• Kristin Dæhli (chair), former union representative at NTNU, NAR vice president (2019–2021)
• Hans Jørgen Gåsemyr, senior researcher, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
• Elisabeth S. Koren, director, Norwegian Maritime Museum
• Aksel Kjær Vidnes, editor forskning.no

Nominations should be submitted to [email protected] by Friday, September 8, 2023.