Icelandic Research Fund (Rannis)

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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: Rannis - The Icelandic Centre for Research
Funding Goal: Support scientific research and research-based postgraduate studies in Iceland across all fields of science and scholarship. The fund supports defined research projects promoting scientific research in Iceland, training of young researchers, and five types of grants: Project Grants, Startup Grants, Grants of Excellence, Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Doctoral Student Grants.
Funding Amount: Annual budget determined by the Icelandic Finance Act; specific amounts per grant type not specified on main page.
Deadline: 2026-06-15 (periodic)
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted electronically through the Rannis application system (sjodir.rannis.is). No other forms of submission accepted. Current open call deadline: June 15, 2026 at 15:00. Contact: rannsoknasjodur@rannis.is
Target Region: Iceland (all scientific fields; projects must be conducted at Icelandic universities or research institutions)
Contact: rannsoknasjodur@rannis.is
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 07:34

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Principal Investigator must have completed graduate studies at an accredited university (except Doctoral grants)
Must be affiliated with an Icelandic university, research institution, or company
Doctoral Student Grants: applicant is the doctoral student themselves, not the supervisor

Project Scope

Project must be conducted in Iceland

Required Documents

Applications must be submitted electronically via Rannis application system only
Refer to the IRF Handbook for full requirements and eligible costs

Constraints

Funding rate and amount determined by annual Finance Act
Annual competitive cycle; deadline typically June each year

Summary

The Icelandic Research Fund (Rannsóknasjóður) is an open competitive research fund administered by Rannis (The Icelandic Centre for Research) and managed under the Icelandic Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education. Its primary role is to support scientific research and research-based postgraduate education across all fields of science and scholarship in Iceland. The fund offers five grant types: Project Grants (supporting research projects across all scientific disciplines), Startup Grants (enabling outstanding young researchers to build independent research programmes), Grants of Excellence (for large-scale research groups aiming for international leadership), Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants (for career development of young researchers), and Doctoral Student Grants (for doctoral candidates applying in their own name in consultation with supervisors). Thematic scope is unrestricted — the fund covers all scientific disciplines from natural sciences to social sciences, humanities, health sciences, and engineering. Marine science, ecology, environmental research, and related fields are eligible as part of the general open call. Priority areas are determined annually by the Science and Innovation Policy Council based on quality assessment. Geographic scope is Iceland-only. All project activities must be conducted at Icelandic universities, research institutions, or companies. Applicants must be based in Iceland. There is no international component or partnership requirement, though results contribute to international science. Eligible applicants include researchers, research groups, and doctoral students at Icelandic universities and research institutions. Principal Investigators must have completed graduate studies and demonstrate experience running research projects. Doctoral Student Grants do not require this prerequisite. Funding amount is determined by the annual Finance Act and varies by year and grant type. The fund runs annual competitive cycles, with the 2026 deadline for multiple grant types set at June 15, 2026.

Historical Context

The Icelandic Research Fund operates under the Act on Public Support for Scientific Research No. 3 of 2003 (updated 2012). Annual competitive fund with multiple grant types. The 2026 call is open April 26 - June 15, 2026.

Why it was added

Primary Icelandic competitive research fund directly supporting marine science projects

Sources

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