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About the research

The Department of Geosciences at the University of Oslo is Norway's leading Department when it comes to research in geosciences.

The Department has so far been awarded three Norwegian Centres of Excellence (SFF), has participated as partner in two Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME), and is a partner in a Centre of Excellence in Education (SFU). Since 2003, we have had a total of eight ERC research projects. The externally funded research at the department contributes approximately half of the Department's finances, with funding mainly from the Research Council of Norway (NFR) and the EU, but also from industry and public institutions.

Research at the Department of Geosciences embraces a wide range of studies, from the interior of the Earth to its surface processes, and via its climate and environment to the study of other planets. Our data collection is based on field work including an extensive drone laboratory, with an impressive suite of experimental and analytical laboratories and advanced facilities for numerical modelling and remote analysis. The research projects are all part of extensive international collaboration.  

Organisation of the research

The Department of Geosciences is organised into six sections, each bringing together the academic staff within a different geoscience discipline. But much of our research also takes place across these section boundaries in more or less formal research groups and projects, and through extensive collaboration in the centres.

Research centres and commitments

Photo of measurements of the Engabreen glacier. Photo: Pierre-Marie Lefeuvre

Several of the groups/ projects/ centres at the Department demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of our research, and also our commitments. We currently house or participate in several centres, initiatives and collaborations at the University of Oslo, all working closely with international research communities. We would like to highlight these research environments/projects/centres:

Centre of Excellence (SFF)

Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME)

Large national projects and Top Research (NFR)

Strategic research initiatives

Interdisciplinary centres at the MN-faculty

Centres of Excellence in Education (SFU)

Other collaborations, previous collaborations and centres

ERC funded research and projects (ERC)

ERC Advanced Grants:

Logo: ERC

ERC Consolidator Grants:

  • STate-dEPendent Cloud feedbacks: enHANcing understanding and assessing Global Effects (STEP-CHANGE)
  • Untangling Ediacaran Paleomagnetism to Contextualize Immense Global Change (EPIC)

ERC Starting Grants:  

Infrastructure and laboratories

To support research and education, the Department has research laboratories and other infrastructure. The institute houses several national laboratory initiatives, currently these are: