About the Nordic Working Group for Oceans and Coastal Areas

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Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 08:07

The working group focuses on sustainable use of natural marine resources and to combat pollution in the marine and coastal environment.

Source: https://www.norden.org/en/information/about-nordic-working-group-oceans-and-coastal-areas

Funding Details

Funder: Nordic Council of Ministers — Nordic Working Group for Oceans and Coastal Areas (NHK)
Funding Goal: To support Nordic countries in activities that collate data and establish the scientific basis for initiatives focused on sustainable use of natural marine resources and combating pollution in the marine and coastal environment.
Funding Amount: Approximately 3 million DKK (~€400,000) total annual budget, distributed across 5–8 projects per year (roughly €50,000–80,000 per project)
How to Apply: NHK announces annual priority themes and invites project proposals. Applications are assessed by experts at the Nordic countries' authorities for marine and coastal environment management. Assessment criteria include quality of the application, a well-thought-out dissemination plan, and relevance to NHK's priority themes and Nordic Council of Ministers cooperation goals. Proposals should be submitted through norden.org when calls are open.
Target Region: Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and Baltic states
Last Checked: 2026-03-12 03:30

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Project consortium must include representatives from at least 3 Nordic countries, or 2 Nordic + 1 Baltic country
Project must demonstrate clear Nordic benefit

Project Scope

Project objectives must align with NHK's annually prioritized themes
Project must relate to sustainable marine resource use, marine pollution, or coastal environment protection

Required Documents

Application must include a well-thought-out dissemination/mediation plan

Constraints

Granted projects must normally be published in the Nordic Council of Ministers' publication series
Application is assessed by experts at Nordic countries' marine and coastal management authorities

Summary

The Nordic Working Group for Oceans and Coastal Areas (NHK) is a working group under the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate (MR-MK). It focuses on the sustainable use of natural marine resources and combating pollution in the marine and coastal environment across the Nordic region. The group funds collaborative research and policy-oriented projects that contribute to ecosystem-based ocean management, limiting the release of toxins, microplastics and nutrients, and building knowledge about climate impacts on coasts and oceans. On an average year, NHK allocates approximately 3 million DKK (roughly €400,000) to fund 5-8 projects. Project proposals must involve representatives from at least three Nordic countries, or two Nordic countries and one Baltic country. Projects must demonstrate clear Nordic benefit and align with NHK's annually prioritized themes. Applications are assessed by experts at the Nordic countries' marine and coastal management authorities, with emphasis on quality, relevance, and a well-thought-out dissemination plan. Priority topics include harmonization of environmental monitoring methods (e.g., eDNA), ocean literacy, effects of alien species, coastal restoration, impacts of bottom trawling on carbon storage, ocean acidification effects, and area-based marine management. Granted projects must typically be published in the Nordic Council of Ministers' publication series. The working group announces specific annual priority themes and invites project proposals accordingly.

Historical Context

The NHK has had a formal mandate since at least 2019-2024. It operates as an ongoing working group under the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate (MR-MK), with annual calls for project proposals on prioritized themes. The program has been running for multiple years with consistent annual funding cycles.

Sources

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