Norwegian-focused call for applications 2026

Topic: The Role of the Equine Industry in Society

Which projects can apply?

There is a need for updated statistics and knowledge about the economic significance of the equine industry at regional and national level in Norway, to provide a better basis for decision-making and to highlight what the equine sector contributes. Through this call, we are therefore seeking research projects that document and shed light on:

• The socioeconomic effects of the equine industry in Norway. This includes the industry's importance for employment, value creation, and local development.

Beyond this, projects are welcome to explore one or more of the following:

• The role of the equine industry in agriculture, for example through the sale of feed and rental of facilities and/or land
• The socioeconomic effects of public-facing equestrian competitions or events, compared to other sporting events
• The socioeconomic effects of breeding and raising horses within the country's borders
• The societal effects of equestrian sport and leisure activities, including their impact on employment, promotion of physical activity and health among children and young people, and what these activities mean for their development and maturity
• The significance of the equine industry from a social and cultural perspective, for example in creating qualified and sought-after workers in the equine industry and society in general, as well as maintaining and improving people's mental and physical health, both in healthy individuals and those with illness
• The significance of the equine industry from an environmental perspective, for example the horse's role as a land manager and for biodiversity, recommended manure management, and the use of manure as a nutritional resource

Project proposals that include several of the above points will be prioritised. The call primarily supports research with direct relevance to the aspects mentioned, but other similar aspects may also be relevant. The application should include the development of a model that makes it possible to track developments over time, covering among other things the total consumption of horse-related goods and services per year in Norway (households, businesses, public sector).

Collaborative projects across multiple areas of expertise and institutions are strongly encouraged, as well as interdisciplinary projects that can span both of the foundation's traditional research areas (VHT and SH). It is possible to apply for funding in a single application covering the entire announced amount, combining research across multiple fields through several sub-projects for a comprehensive overview of the role of horses and the equine industry in society. In this type of application, the lead applicant acts as coordinator to leverage synergies between sub-projects, and funds may be distributed freely between sub-projects and years. The application may include funding for a doctoral position.

Application process

The call takes place in one step as a full-scale research application.

Important information for all applications

• Language

• The application is to be written in English with a summary in Norwegian.
• Use SHF's templates and follow the handbook carefully
• All applications must use the research application template found on the foundation's website (link) and follow the instructions — including character limits. The same template is also used when registering with the Research Council of Norway. Applications that do not follow the handbook will be automatically rejected.
• Methodology description
• If the project must use experimental animals or humans in the study, it must be stated why and how, based on the three R's (Reduce, Refine, Replace). For all applications, a clear methodology description including the number of animals/persons planned for the study must be provided.
• Plan for dissemination and practical use
• The application must clearly describe how expected results will be disseminated to the practical equine industry/horse owners and how the project plans to ensure the practical application of results.
• Amount to apply for
• The entire announced amount may be applied for over a project period of a maximum of 4 years.
• Budget
• Salary funding for researchers based outside Norway may be applied for up to a maximum of 15% of the project budget. Salary cannot be applied for in respect of researchers in Russia and Belarus. Additional research activity from partners outside Norway/Sweden is welcome if the extra salary costs are self-financed.
• Requirements for the lead applicant: Only approved Norwegian research organisations may apply. See the list of the Research Council of Norway's approved research organisations. The project leader must hold an approved doctorate or equivalent before the application deadline and be affiliated with a Norwegian research environment on the specified list.

New application system

For this year's open call, the Swedish Horse Research Foundation has switched application systems. We are shutting down the old system, SBS Manager, and introducing the new one, Researchweb.

Researchweb is ready to use, but only for new applications. The new application system is not yet ready for those with ongoing projects from previous rounds; it will become available in June.
For reviewers: The new application system will be ready in early June, at which point you will also be able to create a new account in Researchweb to access applications.

For those applying in the annual open call, this means you will need to create a new account in Researchweb, which you can do from the time the call opens on 1 April. If you have applied previously, your account has been transferred from the old system and you will have received a welcome email from Researchweb. Your previous applications will become available in your account as we migrate the information from the old system. The same applies to all co-applicants. See detailed instructions on how to proceed in the Handbook!

For those with an ongoing project who need access before June: Your information will become available in your account as we migrate the data from the previous application system. Contact the foundation's office for guidance on how to proceed.

Do you have questions about the switch of application systems? Once you have logged into Researchweb, there is a Help section with clear questions and answers. Instructions on the application process and information about the assessment criteria can be found in the Swedish Horse Research Foundation's handbook. We would emphasise that applications that do not follow the handbook's instructions will be automatically rejected.

Download all documents before submitting the application.

Conditions for grant approval to projects that, according to Swedish law, requires an Ethics approval from an Ethics committee, but where experimental animals are not located in Sweden or Norway

Kontaktpersoner

Tina Rebecca Hov-Gylthe

+47 928 115 96

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Lina Bengtsson

Forskningssekreterare

+46 70 309 84 54

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