Icelandic Research Fund (Rannis)
Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-10 14:05
Competitive research fund administered by Rannis that directly supports marine research projects. Frequently co-funds initiatives involving the University of Iceland and MFRI. Supports projects on fish stock assessment, marine parasitology, stock discrimination, and marine ecosystem research. Example grants include blue whiting stock structure research and marine parasitology studies.
Source: https://en.rannis.is/funding/research/icelandic-research-fund
Funding Details
- Funder
- Rannís – The Icelandic Centre for Research
- Funding Goal
- Funds defined research projects and research-based postgraduate studies in Iceland across all scientific disciplines, including environmental, marine, and natural sciences
- Funding Amount
- Budget determined annually by the Icelandic government
- Deadline
- Annual, typically June (2025 deadline was June 13) (periodic)
- How to Apply
- Applications must be written in English and submitted through the Rannis online system. Five grant types: Project Grants, Startup Grants, Grants of Excellence, Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Doctoral Student Grants. Details in the IRF Handbook.
- Target Region
- Iceland
- Contact
- rannsoknasjodur@rannis.is
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 14:11
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The Icelandic Research Fund (IRF), administered by Rannís (The Icelandic Centre for Research), is Iceland's primary open competitive research fund providing grants for scientific research and research-based postgraduate studies. The fund operates under the Act on Public Support for Scientific Research No. 3 of 2003, with its annual budget determined by the Icelandic government. The fund's thematic scope is broad and discipline-agnostic, covering natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, humanities, technology, and environmental sciences. Marine research — including fish stock assessment, marine parasitology, ecosystem dynamics, and climate impacts on ocean systems — is among the eligible subject areas, as are environmental sciences and sustainable resource management. Eligible activities include defined research projects at any scientific level, research-based doctoral studies, postdoctoral research fellowships, and startup research initiatives. Five grant types are available: Project Grants, Startup Grants, Grants of Excellence, Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Doctoral Student Grants. Geographically, the fund is restricted to Iceland — applicants must be affiliated with Icelandic universities, research institutions, or companies. There are no geographic restrictions on the subject matter of research. Eligible applicants are researchers, research groups, and postgraduate students at Icelandic universities, research institutions, and companies. Principal Investigators must hold completed graduate degrees and have demonstrable experience in project management. Doctoral student grants are excepted from the experience requirement. The fund does not specify co-funding requirements or minimum/maximum award sizes — budgets vary by grant type and are evaluated on a competitive basis. Applications must be written in English and are assessed by expert panels according to scientific quality, applicant competence, and available resources.
Historical Context
The fund operates under the Act on Public Support for Scientific Research No. 3 of 2003. Annual competitive fund with budget determined each year. Has previously co-funded marine research projects including blue whiting stock structure research and marine parasitology studies in collaboration with MFRI and University of Iceland.
Why it was added
Primary Icelandic competitive research fund directly supporting marine science projects