To stimulate increased international cooperation, NMBU allocates funds for stays abroad. A prerequisite is that the stay must take place at an internationally recognized university or research institution. The funding stretches to approx. 3.6 million NOK every year, given a budgetary decision by the university board. 

International travel grant for academic staff on sabbatical leave

• Deadline for applications: 1 November yearly. There is only one application deadline per calendar year.
• Academic staff in a permanent position at a NMBU Faculty may apply for international travel grant.
• The deadline 1 November 2023 applies if you plan to stay abroad during the autumn semester 2024 or during spring semester 2025. 
• Awarding the grant prerequisites granting a sabbatical leave by the faculty (dean). Guidelines for sabbatical leave at NMBU may be found in the right margin.
• A maximum of two stays at different institutions may be granted. The institutions in question must be approved by the faculty.
• Applicants must in the application document collaboration with the research community in question.
• A travel grant can be granted for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 10 months.
• The funds can be used for travel and living expenses. Please see further down for rates to be used when calculating the budget.

International travel grant for PhD candidates, Postdoctoral fellows, and Residents

PhD candidates and Postdoctoral fellows appointed either in a KD-funded recruitment position or in a Faculty-funded positions, and Residents, may apply for international travel grants to fund stays abroad. The budget year 2023, approx. 1.8 MNOK is available. These funds are divided into two calls:

• The call with the deadline 2 May 2023 concerns applicants who are planning an international stay abroad during the spring semester 2024.
• The call with the deadline 1 November 2023 concerns applicants who are planning an international stay abroad during the autumn semester 2024. 

The criteria for international travel grants for PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral fellows and Residents, are as follows:

• If you are a PhD or a Postdoctoral fellow, you must be appointed in either a KD-funded recruitment position or in a faculty-funded position to be able to apply for NMBU's funds for stays abroad (see below).
• Awarding the grant prerequisites approval of the international leave by the faculty (dean) and the supervisor.
• A maximum number of stays at two different institutions of high international esteem may be granted. The institutions in question must be approved by the faculty.
• Applicants must document the collaboration in the application.
• A travel grant can be granted for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6 months.
• If there are other alternative sources of funding, application shall be made to that source. If an application for funding for travel and living expenses from sources other than NMBU is accepted, the grant from NMBU will be reduced.
• The funds can be used for travel and living expenses. Please see further down for rates to be used when calculating the budget.
• At the time of submission of the grant application, the applicant must not have lived or worked for more than 12 months over the past three years in the country where the international host institution is located.

How your position is funded determines whether you can apply or not
If you are employed as a research fellow or postdoctoral fellow and receive a salary from a faculty at NMBU, you are either employed in a so-called KD-funded recruitment position, in a position that the faculty finances with "internal" funds, or in a position that is financed via "external " funds, such as project funds from the Research Council.

If you are a PhD candidate or postdoctoral fellow at NMBU, you must be employed in a KD-funded recruitment position or a faculty funded (internally funded) position in order to apply to NMBU for travel grant.

KD-funded recruitment positions
The Ministry of Education and Research (KD) annually finances a large number of scholarship positions at Norwegian universities. In the university sector, this is called "recruitment positions". NMBU has, as of 1 January 2023, 170 recruitment positions. The positions are divided into three categories and are distributed between NMBU's seven faculties according to their own guidelines, which you can read more about here. If you are employed in such a position, you can apply to NMBU for a travel grant.

Faculty-funded positions
You may be employed in a position that the faculty finances with various "internal" budget funds that the faculty itself has control over. If you have internal faculty funding, you can apply for NMBU's travel grant.

Externally funded positions
NMBU also has several PhDs and Postdocs who are employed in so-called externally funded positions, i.e. your salary comes from one or more "external" sources. If this is the case for you, you cannot apply for an NMBU foreign scholarship. It may be that the funding sources have their own schemes that you can apply for. For example, this applies to the Research Council, read more about the Research Council's funding scheme for Research Stays Abroad.

If you don't know the funding source of your position, ask your main supervisor (if you are a PhD candidate) or your academic supervisor/advisor (if you are a postdoctoral fellow), alternatively the head of administration at the faculty! 

How to apply (applies to all applicants)

Please fill in the e-application form (login with Feide): https://nettskjema.no/a/internationaltravelgrant2023, and include aims for the stay and a budget. You may save your answers and continue the application process later, whenever needed.

Applications from permanent employed academic staff must contain the following attachments:

• confirmation from the faculty (dean) that the sabbatical leave is granted
• formal invitation from the host institution(s) with description of existing / planned collaboration.

Applications from PhD candidates, Postdoctoral fellows and Residents, must contain the following attachments:

• confirmation from the faculty (dean) and the main supervisor that the international leave is approved
• CV with the publication list, mobility, clinical work and institutional duties
• formal invitation from the host institution(s) with description of existing / planned collaboration.

Not all expenses will be covered

• Allocation of funds for stays abroad will be calculated according to the rates published by the Research Council of Norway (please see below).
• Travel expenses to be covered: one return trip per visiting institution and a maximum of two institutions.
• The travel grant is meant to cover "extra costs" connected to the stay abroad, i.e. travel costs and accomodation. 
• The travel grant is not meant to cover clothing and food expenses, i.e. expenses you would have had also "when at home". Daily expenses must - as usual - be covered by your NMBU salary.
• Funding will not be allocated for course fees, conferences, “bench fees” or operating expenses.

Rates to be used to calculate the budget for international stays

The rates to be used in the application, are the same as the Norwegian Research Council rates.

• To cover costs of settling in and other extra costs in connection with the research stay:
  22 000 NOK per month for single persons
  38 000 NOK per month for a family
  
  
• Travel expenses:
  Describe approx. travel expenses such as flight/bus/train tickets in a table.

Alternative financing sources?

The NMBU Research Committee has decided that if there are alternative sources of funding, application shall be made to that source. If an application for funding for travel and living expenses from sources other than NMBU is accepted, the grant from NMBU will be reduced. Reference is made to the Guidelines you will find in the right margin.

As an employee at NMBU you should also check out Staff mobility through Erasmus+. The Research Council Fellow base EURAXESS provides a good overview of other sources of funding for research stays abroad. 

This link leads to an article (in Norwegian) that lists several financial sources to enhance international mobility.

How the application will be handled

Applications submitted within the deadline will be handled by the NMBU Research Department within 4-6 weeks. 

Basic principles - applications from PhD candidates, Postdoctoral fellows and residents: 

• If the received applications amount to a sum larger than the budget, grants will be reduced and the principle that "as many as possible applications should be granted" will be used.
• The number of months covered may be reduced to divide the funds between the applicants.

Applications from permanent employed academic staff will be prioritised based on the following criteria, in given order:

1. Researchers on a sabbatical leave applying for an international travel grant for a first time will be prioritised for funding allocation. Researchers who have not applied for an international travel grant during the last two qualifying periods are considered as a first-time applicant.
2. Principle "as many as possible applications should begranted" will be used. If there are more applications than thebudget covers, travel grants can be shortened beyond the maximum stay of 10 months.
3. Under otherwise equal conditions, female applicants are given priority for award.

The allocation of funds are to be approved by the NMBU Director of Research ahead of the response you receive on your application.  

Travel advance

80% of the grant is paid in advance ahead of the stay abroad. This payment enables you to order and pay e.g. tickets and accommodation, without having to use your private bank account savings.

You may receive the advance payment as soon as the exact date for your departure from Norway, and your return to Norway, is decided.

You have to issue and send the "In advance payment form", found in the right margin, by e-mail to Kirsten Ranheim Berg (the NMBU Finance Department). You will also find a guide on how to fill in the form. You do not have to sign the form, or collect any attestation/approval from anyone.

NMBU is required to link an in advance payment to the exact period of staying abroad. This is why you will not be eligible of the in advance payment as long as the period of your stay abroad is approximate. 

The remaining 20% will be paid on return after the final report and final disbursement form is delivered and has been approved (see below).

While you are abroad

It is of greatest importance that you keep all relevant receipts concerning "extra" running costs (i.e. travel and accomodation) while you are abroad. These receipts must be sent to the NMBU Finance Department's Kirsten Ranheim Berg, together with the final disbursement form within one month after your return to Norway. When the final disbursement form is delivered and reviewed, the remaining 20% of your grant will be paid.

After your return to Norway

To be eligible of receiiving the remaining 20%, and keeping the 80% you have been paid in advance, you must hand in a final report and final disbursement form after returning to Norway.

1. Final report: The final report should be filled in electonically within one month after your return to Norway. The link to the final report e-form can be found here (login with Feide): https://nettskjema.no/a/finalreport

2. Final disbursement form: The final disbursement form (available in the right margin) and original receipts must be physically sent to Kirsten Ranheim Berg (NMBU Finance Department) within one month after your return to Norway.

When you do not travel as planned

Applicants who are promised funds can, if the stay abroad cannot be carried out at the planned time, and given the Faculty approves the postponement, keep the promise of funds for up to

- one year from the departure time stated in the application (PhDs, Postdocs, Residents)
- two years from the departure time stated in the application (academic staff on sabbatical leave).

Please notify the NMBU Research Support Office (kari.moxnes@nmbu.no) of any changes of plans.

In case you have received payment in advance you might have to repay all, or a part, of the amount received.

Available funds will be transferred to persons on the travel grant waiting list.

Tax information

Research stay grants are in principle taxable. However, if the expense documentation for the grant is attached, e.g. original receipts (whenever possible) for payments/ costs, it will be reported as non-deductible. Relevant expenses are all additional costs incurred in connection with the stay, with the exception of food and clothing.

Salary is reported the same month it is paid, while grants are only reported as non-deductible / taxable grants after your return to Norway. The employee must not report anything directly to the Norwegian Tax Administration. If you have had a reduced tax during your stay abroad, it is important to get a new tax card upon return.

Tax agreement between Norway and USA
There is a 'Tax Convention' between Norway and USA allowing the possibility of being exempted, both in Norway and in the US, from paying tax on your income including any travel grants you receive while abroad. You must teach or perform research to be exempted from paying tax. In advance of your stay abroad, you must yourself apply for a preliminary exemption from paying tax / a change of your tax deduction card, with reference to the Tax Convention. An invitation letter from the research organisation or the university you will visit is mandatory documentation, along with a letter from the NMBU Faculty your employed at, stating that you will be receiving salary (monthly sum) of NOK... while on research stay". 

You must apply through the AltInn webpage, please see a guide on how to apply in the right margin.  

As soon as the Norwegian Tax Administration has accepted your application, you will receive a tax deduction card showing a lower tax rate. The tax rate will not equal 0%, because while beeing in the US, you still have to pay the Norwegian Social Security Tax (8,2%). Your tax deduction card (the tax rate) will also be adjusted to the fact that it counts for one whole calendar year.

Please be aware that what you get is a preliminary approval. To be eligible of tax exemption, you have to apply for a final approval in connection with filling in your income tax form. The Norwegian Tax Administration's electronic form RF-1150, should be used for this purpose.

Insurance

NMBU is a state-owned enterprise and is therefore a "self-insurer", which means that NMBU is not allowed to take out insurance on behalf of its employees or students. Government enterprises are nevertheless allowed to take out travel insurance for individual trips abroad if the trip is defined as "business trip". Research stays are not defined as a business trip. To be the best possible insured during travel / stay abroad, you must therefore have a private travel and personal injury insurance.

The insurance should at least cover:

• Accident, house(hold) contents and travel
• Expenses for hospital stays if you travel outside the EEA area / USA
• Expenses for home transport in the event of serious injury / death

When traveling to other EEA countries (+ Switzerland), you should keep a valid European Health Insurance Card with you at all times. As the name suggests, the European Health Insurance Card cannot be used outside the EEA or Switzerland. It can also not be used on Svalbard. The health rights you have under the EEA agreement are limited. It is therefore important, no matter where you are going to travel, to have a private travel insurance (in addition to the health insurance card).

Changes due to the corona situation

If you are anable to complete your planned stay abroad / your stay abroad must be postponed due to the corona situation, you must apply to postpone the stay. It is important that you have a dialogue with the dean at your faculty so that you jointly find a good solution for the postponement. The application (an e-mail is sufficient) should be sent to kari.moxnes@nmbu.no with the dean in a copy.