The scheme for Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO) is an open national competitive arena for all disciplines. The funding scheme is administrated by The Research Council of Norway (NFR).
Two researchers at the Department of Geosciences have received funding from the Research Council’s program for groundbreaking research, FRIPRO. Grants in FRIPRO are awarded to researchers who excel in their fields. In this application round, the University of Oslo was awarded four out of nine grants within the Early Career Researcher Project category and two out of nine grants for experienced researchers.
– Our young researchers at the beginning of their careers contribute important research for society. It is encouraging to see that talent is found across the university's fields of study. At the same time, our experienced researchers are also making their mark, so congratulations are in order, says the Rector of the University of Oslo, Svein Stølen, in a comment on the recently announced awards.
Resaerch projects at GEO:
The two researchers from the Department of Geosciences who are receiving FRIPRO funding are:
Haochi Che, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Geosciences
Projekt: Cloud phase shifts and their role in shaping Arctic climate toward a warming future
Amount: 7,8 million NOK
Trond Helge Torsvik, Professor and Leader of the CeO-Centre Center for Planetary Habitability (PHAB)
Receives 12 million NOK to provide insights into one of the most profound events in Earth's history - the Great Oxygenation Event.
Projekt: The Great Oxygenation Event and Planetary Habitability
Amount: 12 million NOK
The Research Council states that in this application round, they received a total of 105 applications from researchers across the country. The applications were submitted to the Research Council’s program for groundbreaking research, FRIPRO, during the period from October 2024 to March 2025. A total of 191 million NOK was awarded this time.
Read more about the awards on the Research Council's website.
Read the articles (in Norwegian):
Toppforskere ved UiO får 60 millioner til forskning, UiO, 10.06.2025