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2005

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Limb wounds in horses are common, however healing is exceedingly slow and fraught with complications. Contrary to body wounds, limb wounds demonstrate only a small amount of wound contraction. The specialist procedure of applying split-thickness skin grafts to limb wounds stimulates wound contraction by unknown mechanisms. The objective of this project is to identify those mechanisms to develop a treatment strategy for equine limb wounds for use in general  practice. Limb wounds are severely impacting animal welfare due to an extended healing/treatment duration, and the risk of euthanasia due to a poor functional outcome. By stimulating wound contraction, healing time will be reduced, and the functional outcome improved, directly benefitting the welfare of wounded horse and reducing treatment cost for the owner. Aim: To identify dermal components stimulating wound contraction, and to develop this knowledge into future state-of-the-art treatment of equine limb wounds for use in general practice. Hypotheses: i) Application of dermal fractions to collagen gels seeded with equine fibroblasts will increase gel contraction in vitro; ii) Application of dermal fractions to experimental limb wounds in vivo, will increase wound contraction resulting in a faster healing time versus wounds treated by conventional methods. Methods: i) The contractile effect of different dermal components will be assessed in a collagen gel/ fibroblast model; ii) Identified dermal components will be tested in a standardized experimental limb wound model in vivo (n=5). Ultimately, results from this project are expected to improve wound treatment in horses, directly impacting animal welfare by reducing healing time and improving the functional outcome of wounded horses. This will also directly benefit horse owners and caretakers and making veterinarians able to offer better treatment solutions.

HESTEFORSK - Raskere og bedre sårheling hos hest med autologe hudkomponenter

The goal of the Bilingual Experiences, Cognitive Ageing and underlying Mechanisms (BECAME) project is to examine the functional neuroplastic mechanisms underlying mitigatory effects of bilingual experience on age-related cognitive decline. While evidence is available for structural brain changes supporting bilingualism-induced effects on cognitive aging (CA), functional mechanisms underlying such effects are not yet well understood. BECAME aims to fill this gap by investigating the trajectory of bilingualism-induced functional neuroplasticity across the adult lifespan (ages 18-85), crucially adopting an individual differences approach related to measurable degree of bilingual engagement. Importantly, although such benefits are thought to be rooted early in the lifespan, evidence for the timeframe and conditions of their early emergence is scarce. The choice of including the whole adult lifespan allows us to investigate these mechanisms and their emergence more directly from a lifespan perspective. I combine behavioral testing with brain recordings via electroencephalography (EEG). EEG is widely used in cognitive neuroscience to assess brain activity and the degree of communication between brain regions (functional connectivity) in response to stimuli and at rest. Combining behavioral and EEG modalities will allow me to test bilingualism’s effect on functional connectivity, as well as its consequences for functional efficiency, the minimum required neural activation to successfully perform a task. This will enable a detailed, evidence-based account of the protective effects observed in older-aged bilinguals, and how they are built from earlier life stages. By illuminating the relationship between multilingualism and resulting neurocognitive adaptations, BECAME will enable to capitalize on it as a health initiative, with manifold societal implications and the potential to be translated into actionable policies exploiting multilingualism to ameliorate effects of CA.

Bilingual Experiences, Cognitive Ageing and underlying Mechanisms

Hovedmålet med kreftbehandling er å eliminere kreftceller og dette er tradisjonelt oppnådd ved kirurgi, bruk av giftige medikamenter (cellegift) og stråling. En ny og betydningsfull tilnærming til kreftbehandling kalt immunterapi, har derimot fått mye oppmerksomhet det siste tiåret; Her forsøker leger og forskere å utnytte immunsystemet vårt for å målrettet  ødelegge kreftceller. En nøkkelaktør i denne banebrytende tilnærmingen er en gruppe «drapsmenn» i immunsystemet kjent som cytotoxiske T-lymfocytter (CTL-er). Disse cellene har en bemerkelsesverdig evne til å oppdage kreftceller ved å gjenkjenne unormale molekyler på overflaten av kreftcellene - molekyler som friske celler ikke har. Når CTL-er gjenkjenner kreftcellene ødelegger de dem ved å frigjøre giftige molekyler som initierer kreftcellenes selvdestruksjon. 
 
Selv om betydelige innsats har blitt dedikert til å forstå hvordan CTL-er aktiveres og hvordan de gjenkjenner kreftceller, vet vi mindre om de påfølgende hendelsene inne i kreftcellene som fører til deres død. Fra før vet vi at CTL-er kan initiere to forskjellige typer celledød i kreft: den første, kalt apoptose, er en stille og ordnet prosess der kreftcellene krymper og brytes opp uten å varsle immunsystemet; den andre, kalt pyroptose, er en mer dramatisk prosess som involverer dannelse av åpninger i cellemembranen, noe som fører til at cellene svulmer opp og sprekker. Under denne cellebristen blir innholdet inne i cellene frigitt i omgivelsene, og dette kan fungere som 'faretegn' som kan stimulere en sterkere immunrespons mot kreftcellene. Betydningen av denne cellebristen for å forsterke anti-tumorresponsene vil bli undersøkt i dette prosjektet. 
 
Videre er vi fascinert av muligheten for å avdekke ytterligere, ennå ukjente, former for celledød indusert av CTL-er. Utforsking av disse dødsrelaterte prosessene i kreftcellene kan potensielt øke effektiviteten av immunterapi og bidra betydelig i den pågående kampen mot kreft.

The primary goal of most cancer therapies is to induce cancer cell death. Immunotherapy relies on the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes such as natural killer cells (NKs) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to achieve this. While a significant amount of research in immunotherapy focuses on the events within cytotoxic lymphocytes or at the interface between cytotoxic lymphocytes and cancer cells, less is known about the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate cancer cell death, particularly in the case of CTL-mediated death.
CTLs are known to induce two types of cell death in cancer: non-inflammatory apoptosis and proinflammatory pyroptosis. Pyroptotic cancer cells release proinflammatory signals that attract immune cells to the tumor site, thereby enhancing the anti-tumor response. Cell lysis is a common outcome of pyroptotic cell death. It is unclear whether lysis can be decoupled from pyroptosis in cancer cells and whether the proinflammatory properties of pyroptotic cancer cell death depend on lysis. Moreover, it remains unknown whether CTLs can induce other forms of cell death in cancer, apart from apoptosis and pyroptosis.
Studying the mechanisms of CTL-mediated cancer cell death is challenging because CTLs selectively target cells expressing specific antigens. However, given the critical role of CTLs in immunotherapy, it is essential to deepen our understanding of CTL-induced cancer cell death.
This project aims to develop novel methodologies to investigate the death mechanisms that are initiated by CTLs. In addition, we will identify new pathways and mediators involved in CTL-induced cancer cell death. Furthermore, we will assess the contribution of proinflammatory cell death and lysis in promoting anti-tumor responses in vivo. Overall, this research will improve our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of CTL-mediated cancer cell death and potentially reveal novel targets to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

T-cell-mediated proinflammatory cell death and lysis in cancer

En av de vanligste, men minst studerte, utfordringene med å bli eldre er problemer med å kommunisere. Mange eldre sliter spesielt med pragmatiske ferdigheter, som å forstå undertekst, eller tilpasse det de sier til personen de snakker med. 

La oss si at en lege må gi en alvorlig beskjed til en pasient. For å gjøre det litt lettere å takle, bruker legen vagere språk, som "kanskje" i stedet for "sannsynligvis". Mens yngre voksne ofte tar hensyn til høflighetsstrategier i måten de tolker det som blir sagt på, har eldre ofte vanskelig for å forstå når noen snakker indirekte. Mange eldre voksne har vanskelig for å forstå ikke-bokstavelig språk og kan misforstå alvorlighetsgraden av diagnosen. Dette kan påvirke beslutningen deres om behandling, noe som kan føre til utilsiktede konsekvenser. 

Siden god kommunikasjon er viktig både i viktige medisinske samtaler og i hverdagen, er det viktig at vi finner ut hva som gjør at eldre kan ha vansker med å forstå og bli forstått. RESILIENCE skal hjelpe til med denne utfordringen ved å samle data om praktiske, kognitive og språklige ferdigheter hos voksne i alderen 18-90 år over tid. Dette vil gi oss en stor mengde data om pragmatiske, kognitive og språk ferdigheter og gjøre det tilgjengelig for forskning. Med denne dataen som grunnlag har vi følgende mål: 

• Forstå hvordan praktiske evner endrer seg generelt gjennom voksenlivet. 
• Finne ut hvilke mekanismer som påvirker pragmatiske evner på forskjellige tidspunkter i livet.
 • Utvikle en teoretisk modell som forklarer hvordan pragmatiske ferdigheter endrer seg med alderen.
 • Lage algoritmer som kan forutsi hvordan pragmatiske evner vil utvikle seg for enkeltpersoner i årene som kommer. 
• Utvikle og teste et verktøy som kan måle pragmatisk helse (både pragmatiske ferdigheter og deres underliggende mekanismer), noe som kan åpne  for å iverksette tiltak. 

Dette vil gi oss muligheten til å forstå bedre hvordan folk kan utvikle pragmatisk resiliens gjennom livsløpet.

A cornerstone of human communication is our reliance on pragmatic skills to guide linguistic interactions (e.g., reasoning about others' mental states to bridge the gap between what is said and intended in conversation). However these skills are highly sensitive to age-related decline, leading to miscommunication and uninformed decision making in the older adult population. This raises an important question, one which has puzzled linguistics and psychologists for decades: if pragmatic competence is fundamental to communication, why do individuals vary so much in this capacity? 

Traditionally, psychologists have approached pragmatic competence from a cognitive angle, reasoning that individual differences in executive functions (i.e., the cognitive skills associated with goal-directed actions) are what underlie effective pragmatic behavior. In a similar vein, language scientists have taken a linguistic approach, reasoning that one’s language background (e.g., the frequency with which individuals shift between languages) shapes pragmatic skills by enhancing sensitivity to the communicative context. This focus on either cognitive or linguistic influences has resulted in two expansive yet disparate areas of research.

RESILIENCE will unite these disciplines to pursue a longstanding debate on what underlies pragmatic resilience and decline using a large-scale, interdisciplinary and longitudinal approach. By gathering data on adults' (ages 18-90) pragmatic, cognitive and language skills over multiple time points, we will develop a comprehensive theoretical model that explains how cognitive and linguistic systems interact to shape pragmatic competence as we age, and create algorithms that predict the trajectory of an individual’s pragmatic abilities in upcoming years. Based on these results we will design a multidimensional tool that detects the earliest signs of pragmatic deficits, leading to future interventions, allowing us to uncover the paths to pragmatic resilience.

Uncovering the paths to pragmatic resilience

Sink er et essensielt mikronæringsstoff som kreves for funksjonen til hundrevis av proteiner involvert i et bredt spekter av biologiske prosesser. Etter inntak av sink fra kosten reguleres nivåene i kroppen nøye gjennom absorpsjon, sekresjon og ekskresjon via spesialiserte proteiner, såkalte sinktransportører, i tarmen. Enhver ubalanse er skadelig for menneskers helse, spesielt er tarmen følsom for sinkfluktuasjoner, hvilket påvirker tarmbarrieren og kan føre til inflammatoriske sykdommer og kreft i tarmen. 
På molekylært nivå er de presise mekanismene som styrer funksjonen til de ulike sinktransportørene fortsatt uklare. Hos mennesker finnes det over tjue slike proteiner, og de fleste inneholder områder rike på aminosyren histidin. Disse histidinene mistenkes å spille en avgjørende rolle i å binde sink. Nylig oppdaget vi et enzym som modifiserer disse områdene ved å sette metylgrupper på histidin, og viste at metylerte histidiner har en lavere affinitet for sink. Dette prosjektet har som mål å identifisere nye mekanismer som regulerer sinknivåer gjennom histidinmetylering av sinktransportører, å utvikle forskningsverktøy for effektiv studie av histidinmetylering, og å legge grunnlaget for nye behandlinger av tarmsykdommer.

The delicate balance of zinc levels in the body is essential for human health. Zinc is absorbed and excreted via intestinal zinc transporter proteins, and perturbations of this process are associated with pathologies, including inflammatory diseases and cancers of the bowel. The precise molecular mechanisms regulating zinc transport, however, remain a major knowledge gap. Based on the recent discovery of an enzyme methylating histidine residues in zinc transporters, and drawing on preliminary findings which demonstrate reduced affinity of methylated histidines to zinc, this project aims to identify novel mechanisms regulating zinc homeostasis through histidine methylation. We will examine the regulation and effect of histidine methylation on zinc transport in intestinal cell culture and organoids, and examine how knockout of the methylhistidine-generating enzyme affects the integrity and pathology of the intestinal tract in mouse models. In addition, we will identify reader proteins specifically recognizing methylhistidines and develop anti-methylhistidine antibodies and inhibitors to use as tools for detection, enrichment, and inhibition of histidine methylation. Such tools are urgently needed by the international research community, as none are currently available commercially. Overall, this project will lead to great advances in the field of protein regulation, and may uncover novel mechanisms in intestinal zinc transport and pathology.

Zinc transport regulation through histidine methylation

Noen av oss tåler stressende livshendelser godt. Andre derimot utvikler vedvarende fysiske og psykiske plager som følger av stress. Hvor godt vi håndterer stress avhenger av et komplekst samspill mellom miljøfaktorer, sosiale forhold, biologisk sårbarhet og indre motstandskraft. Forskning på stressreaksjonene til dyr og pasientgrupper som til vanlig lever under mye stress viser at en gruppe signalstoffer i kroppen som aktiverer det samme hjernesystemet som cannabis – endocannabinoidene – kan begrense styrken på stressreaksjoner og bidra til at man raskere kommer seg til hektene. I dette prosjektet skal vi undersøke hvordan mestring av stress på kort og lang sikt henger sammen med nivåer av endocannabinoider i kroppen for å forstå hvorfor noen personer er mer motstandsdyktige mot stress enn andre. I den ene studien følger vi pasienter som skal gjennomgå en stressende, men veldig vanlig, situasjon: kirurgi. Her måler vi pasientenes opplevelse av stress, samt mentale og fysiske helse, fra tiden før til to år etter operasjonen og undersøker hvordan dette henger sammen med nivåene deres av endocannabinoider og andre stresshormoner. I den andre studien bruker vi data fra et eksperiment hvor deltakerne har blitt utsatt for psykososialt stress til å undersøke om endocannabinoidnivået deres påvirker hvordan de reagerer på stress, og om stresset i seg selv kan påvirke kroppens produksjon av endocannabinoider. Til syvende og sist er målet med studien å vurdere hvorvidt målinger av endocannabinoidnivåer kan brukes til å forebygge helseplager og til å evaluere behovet for økt oppfølging etter alvorlig stressende påkjenninger i livet.

In the face of major life stressors, some individuals cope well whereas others develop ill health and long-term adverse outcomes. Predicting who needs additional support in response to major life stressors is essential for targeted prevention and more efficient allocation of resources. The endocannabinoid system is emerging as a promising target for understanding vulnerability and resilience to stress. This system appears to buffer stress in two ways: by limiting the magnitude of the stress response, and by facilitating recovery after a stressful event. While the early findings are intriguing, they mainly stem from studies in rodents and small clinical groups with high stress burden. What role endocannabinoids have more globally for human resilience, health and well-being remains elusive. 

In this project we address this gap by leveraging comprehensive experimental and clinical data on two potent stress models: psychosocial stress and surgery. Drawing on these unique datasets, which combine experimental control with ecological validity, we will decipher how endocannabinoid levels influence people’s stress response and recovery across minutes, days, weeks and years. The project represents a novel directional shift for endocannabinoid research and will (i) determine the value of endocannabinoid levels as a biomarker to predict outcomes after surgery, (ii) quantify sex differences, (iii) assess endocannabinoid interplay with opioid analgesics, sex hormones and other stress markers (iv) spearhead open and reproducible science practices in endocannabinoid research, and (v) make this fine-grained and novel data available through an interactive web application. 

This project represents an ambitious effort to understand endocannabinoids’ role in stress resilience and will determine the value of endocannabinoids as a predictive biomarker and potential target for individualized treatment.

Deciphering endocannabinoid stress buffering in humans: 
Mechanistic and clinical investigations

WHeelchair Activity Monitoring project (WHAM)

Wheelchair users (WCU) are three to five times more inactive than the general population, leading to a high risk of developing preventable secondary conditions. Although physical activity (PA) guidelines have been specifically developed for WCU, we lack systematic approaches to implement them in practice, as well as valid algorithms to monitor PA change in WCU through sensor-based solutions. Accordingly, the overall scientific aim of the WHeelchair Activity Monitoring project (WHAM) is to advance PA research and practice in WCU by developing valid digital markers for monitoring of and providing feedback on PA, paving the way for implementation and intervention. I will accomplish this through combining the complementary research fields of 1) behavioural intervention studies focusing on increasing PA in WCU (core competence University of British Columbia, UBC; outgoing phase) and 2) sensor-based PA monitoring (core competence Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU; returning phase – consolidated by non-academic placement at Maastricht Instruments, which develop research prototypes including PA monitors). WHAM’s scientific aim is achieved through three objectives: 1) Measure the effect of a pragmatic exercise intervention trial on self-reported physical activity levels and cardio-respiratory fitness, 2) Develop valid algorithms for tracking PA markers in WCU, and 3) Co-create a framework that outlines how PA can be conjointly monitored and provided feedback on in WCU. This fellowship will enable me to become established as an internationally recognized researcher in the field of “physical activity and disability”, while bringing together ongoing national disjointed research activities in this field. Altogether, my overall ambition is to contribute to reducing inequalities in daily-life participation among WCU compared to the rest of the population.

BOLD MINDS aspires to enhance the understanding of vulnerability factors underlying the emergence of borderline personality disorder (BPD), with an ultimate aim of increasing the potential for young individuals to receive early, evidence-based help when their mental health is at risk. BOLD MINDS will achieve this by investigating whether disruptions in two aspects of autobiographical memory (AM), narrative identity (NI) and involuntary AM (IAM), are associated with BPD features and problem behaviours in adolescents concurrently and over time. In doing so, BOLD MINDS will strengthen the understanding of mechanisms underlying the emergence of BPD in adolescence and lay a groundwork for developing evidence-based early interventions for BPD. While currently limited, the study of AM in this field is essential for two reasons. Firstly, because the aspects of AM under investigation, NI and IAM, are known to be involved in identity formation and emotion regulation which represent two key psychological processes that are disrupted in adults with BPD and are linked to problem behaviours such as self-harm and suicidality. Secondly, because promising research is emerging on the use of AM targets in the treatment of emotional disorder in adults, and provides a strong model for future treatment development with vulnerable adolescents. In addition, this timely research program aligns with calls from international organizations to prioritize early interventions to promote adolescent mental health. BOLD MINDS will adopt and adapt state-of-the-art ecological momentary assessment and analytical techniques and work at the crossroads of clinical and cognitive psychological perspectives, allowing for a multidimensional approach to understanding BPD vulnerability. Training-through-research and formalized training of the experienced researcher will prepare her for a permanent academic position and the founding of her own research lab specializing in AM and early interventions for BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Memory and Identity in Adolescence

Per- og polyfluorerte stoffer (PFAS) er en stor gruppe menneskeskapte kjemikalier med høyt fluorinnhold som antas å ha negative helseeffekter. Kilder til PFAS kan være produksjon av vann-, varme- og flekkbestandige produkter og disse kjemikaliene er en del av hverdagen vår. PFAS påvirkning av biologiske systemer er ikke fullstendig forstått. Noen PFAS er antatt å øke risikoen for å utvikling av ikke-alkoholisk fettleversykdom (NAFLD) og øke risikoen for diabetes. 

For å forstå hvordan PFAS påvirker organene våre ønsker vi å bruke små laboratoriedyrkede organmodeller, kalt organoider. Disse miniatyrorganene kan dyrkes fra menneskelige stamceller og tilbyr et kontrollert miljø for å studere hvordan PFAS påvirker f.eks lever og bukspyttkjertelen vår, uten bruk av dyreforsøk.

For å studere helseeffekter må vi kunne måle nivået av biomolekyler som fettstoffer i leveren og hormoner i bukspyttkjertelen. Til dette trenger vi å utvikle analytiske verktøy for å måle effektene. Først vil vi bekrefte at når leverorganoidene eksponeres for enkelte PFAS-forbindelser utvikles det NAFLD-lignende sykdom ved å sammenligne den biokjemiske profilen (proteiner og metabolitter) til organoider av lever med PFAS-eksponerte organoider. Deretter vil vi utvide den analytiske verktøykassen for å undersøke hvilke metabolske veier som påvirkes, og om effekten er den samme i NAFLD-induserte og PFAS-eksponerte organoider. Vi vil også eksponere insulinproduserende bukspyttkjertelorganoider for PFAS for å undersøke effekten av PFAS på hormonproduksjon. Når effektene av PFAS-eksponering på lever- og bukspyttkjertel-organoider er etablert, vil organoidene bli samkultivert i en chip, og effektene av PFAS-eksponering vil bli undersøkt og sammenlignet med individuelle organoider.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are believed to contribute to metabolic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 1 diabetes. HE-POP aims to investigate the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), a type of POPs), on organ function in a controlled environment.

Organoids are multicellular laboratory-grown miniature organs, that are grown from stem cells. HE-POP will use organoids to examine how PFAS affects our organs and develop cutting-edge bioanalytical tools and methodology to measure these effects using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. HE-POP hypothesizes that PFAS negatively affects organ function, as evidenced by changes in hormone and lipid levels characteristic of NAFLD and type 1 diabetes. 

Organoids offer a controlled environment to study the effects of PFAS on the liver and pancreas, without the use of animal models. HE-POP aims to gain evidence of the negative effects of PFAS on organ function through controlled experiments on organoids and aid in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying NAFLD and type 1 diabetes.

HE-POP has fundaments in UN sustainable development goals, specifically #3, #12, and #14/15, seeking an understanding of diseases with worldwide prevalence, and understanding how POPs affect our life and surroundings and help enable the right regulatory actions and replacement chemicals.

HE-POP: Studying the Health Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Using Mass Spectrometry, Organoids, and Organ-On-A-Chip

Dette prosjektet, kalt Hukommelse for musikk, fokuserer på det økende antallet mennesker over hele verden som lever med demens, spesielt Alzheimer's sykdom (AD). AD starter typisk med hukommelsesproblemer og påvirker etter hvert daglige aktiviteter. Aktive musikkintervensjoner, spesielt sang, har vist positive effekter på humør, atferd og livskvalitet for personer med demens, men deres innvirkning på kognisjon er ikke godt forstått. Prosjektet har som mål å fylle dette kunnskapsgapet ved å studere effektene av å lære nye sanger på kognitiv, atferdsmessig og hjernemessig funksjon.

Studien vil omfatte hjemmeboende voksne over 65 år med AD fra Argentina, Østerrike og Norge. Deltakerne vil gjennomgå 5 måneder med intensiv musikalsk opplæring (to ganger i uken) og 5 måneder med minimal opplæring (en gang i måneden) i tilfeldig rekkefølge, med en to måneders pause imellom. Intervensjonene inkluderer å lære nye sanger med en personlig musikklærer. Generell kognisjon vil bli målt ved bruk av Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-cog), og hukommelse for musikk vil bli vurdert gjennom ulike metoder, inkludert atferdsoppgaver og hjerneaktivitet (EEG). Humør vil også bli evaluert i hver økt.

Målet er å inkludere 113 deltakere for å sikre pålitelig påvisning av meningsfulle effekter. Studien vil utforske hvordan humør og hukommelse for musikk bidrar til endringer i kognitive evner, og om disse effektene varierer basert på faktorer som kjønn, alder, AD-stadium, eller tidligere musikalsk opplæring og generell utdanning. Prosjektet vektlegger samarbeid mellom forskere, tjenesteytere og brukere for å sikre studiens relevans og anvendelighet.

The number of people living with dementia is increasing and is high in low, middle, and high-income countries. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, manifests itself initially with cognitive impairment in memory domains, and later affects all activities of daily living. Active music interventions, particularly singing, can help to improve mood, behaviour problems, and quality of life. Too little is known about their effects on cognition, although some promising studies exist. The M4M project aims to fill this gap by measuring effects of learning new songs on clinical, behavioural and brain functioning. Specifically, M4M aims to examine changes in general cognitive functioning and memory for music in non-musician adults with AD undergoing intensive individual musical training based on singing novel songs, compared to minimal training.
        Home-dwelling adults with AD, 65 years or older, in 3 countries (Argentina, Austria, Norway), will receive 5 months of intensive intervention (2x/week) and 5 months of minimal intervention (1x/month), in random order, with a 2-month break in between. Interventions will entail learning new songs with an individual music teacher. At the end of each intervention period, general cognition will be measured with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive (ADAS-cog) by a person who is unaware of the intervention received. Memory for music will be tested with observations, behavioural tasks, and brain responses (EEG). Mood will be assessed in each session. We aim to include 113 participants; this will help us to reliably detect clinically meaningful effects. We will also examine how mood and memory for music lead to changes in cognitive abilities, and whether effects depend on sex, age, AD stage, or previous musical training or general education. M4M will be conducted in close collaboration between academic researchers, service providers, and service users to ensure relevance and applicability.

Memory for Music: Effects of individual intensive musical training based on singing in non-musicians with Alzheimer’s disease

Midlene fra HAVKYST-Havet og kysten fordelt på år

Midlene fra HAVKYST-Havet og kysten fordelt på fylker

Midlene fra HAVKYST-Havet og kysten fordelt på fagområde

Senior Research Scientist

The marine environment is an important natural resource of the Earth?s system and provides vast economic and social resources. Marine, coastal and estuarine ecosystems are complex assemblages of biota, chemical processes and physical dynamics that are gre atly influenced by human activities. Interactions between these system components are often non-linear and comprise varied feedback mechanisms. As a result, changes in biological responses in marine organisms and species distributions are rarely fully und erstood. On the other hand, it is recognised in the last years that risk assessment can not be based interely on chemical analysis as this in itself will not give any information regarding the health of organisms. Consequently, there is a need to use biol ogical response data in risk assessment. At present, the main problem remains in finding the best way to use biological response data obtained from biomonitoring programs. This includes finding the best way to extract information from a large an complex d ataset, which will tell us something about the quality of the environment. Furthermore, it is very important to make the information accessible an easy to interpret for the public or people outside the scientific community, in order for these to be able t o use them effectively in environmental legislation and policy. We propose to develop an easy and effective tool: Index of the Quality of the Environment (Marine Environment IQ), integrating biomarker dataset and producing maps (with the support of Geogra phical Information Systems, GIS). This requires supporting research from several disciplines, including biology, chemistry and modelling. By integrating data using GIS, ti si possible to share information resources, reduce data redundancy, and increase da ta accurancy. Therefore, GIS become a technology which is able to create, manage, publish and dissiminate knowledge.

Developing an Index of the Quality of the Marine Environment(Marine Environment I.Q.) based on biomarkers: integration of pollutant effects.

Prosjektet har som hovedmål å initiere og utvikle samarbeid mellom IFE og European Spallation Source (ESS) i Lund, Sverige. Tre stillinger, en forsker, en ingeniør og en post doc finansieres på prosjektet for 5 år med finansiering fra Forskningsrådet og direkte fra ESS. Videre er det årlig bevilging til drift fra Forskningsrådet. Samarbeidet er hovedsaklig knyttet til utvikling og testing av nye metoder for å detektere nøytroner, spesielt B-10 type detektorer, men også skjermingsmaterialer og komponenter for nøytronoptikk er del av aktiviteten.  R2D2-instrumentet i JEEP II reaktoren, som er et fleksibelt instrument for testing av instrumentering og komponenter som utvikles av ESS har vært fullt operativt siden 2014. Bruken av R2D2 instrumentet har økt gjennom prosjektperioden og i siste rapportperiode har det vært tilsammen 10 eksperimenter fra ESS og samarbeidende institusjoner. Hovedfokus har vært på uttesting og optimalisering av detektorer, men det har også vært eksperimenter med skjermingsmaterialer. De ansatte på IFE er integrert i detektorgruppen ved ESS og deltar aktivt i møtet og samarbeidsprosjekter. Vi har deltatt og presentert resultater på møter arrangert av ESS, men også andre internasjonale konferanser. Det er planlagt videreføring av prosjektet med R2D2 som testoppsett for ESS, og da som del av norsk in-kind bidrag til ESS.

The Randers-Riste Center (RRC) is a proposed neutron science and knowledge exchange center associated with the JEEP II research reactor and will exploit the decades-long expertise in neutron scattering at IFE. Its vision is to couple Norwegian basic research and education at the universities as well as industrial technological developments in Norway to the opportunities offered by the construction of a 1.5 billion Euro international research facility, the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund.

The Norwegian government has decided to contribute 2.5 % of the ESS construction cost. A significant fraction of the Norwegian contribution will be in-kind. The establishment of RRC will constitute a substantial contribution to Norway's in-kind payment to the ESS.

The importance of the JEEP II reactor has been acknowledged by the ESS management in a Memorandum of Understanding with IFE. This was followed up by a Specific Agreement 6. IFE is one of the preferred sites for training of ESS staff and users and for testing of ideas and components (detectors, neutron optics, etc) which will be implemented at the ESS. 

A critical success factor of the RRC project is timing. It is of utmost importance that the current project with sharing of 3 positions is initiated as soon as possible, so that it goes forward side by side with the final design phase up to 2012 of the ESS.

Specific Agreement on Joint Research between IFE and ESS

We propose the establishment of NorNet, a distributed network facility that will serve as a flexible platform for measurements, experimentation and innovation in the Norwegian communications infrastructure. NorNet will provide a unique platform for research and innovation in the networking domain, by filling the gap between existing network testbeds and production networks. Two guiding principles are central in constructing NorNet. First, we maximise flexibility for the hosted experiments, offering a core infrastructure that is programmable at the networking layer and above. This allows testing and experimentation with novel protocols and services that cannot be deployed in production networks. Second, we provide a high degree of realism through close integration with commercial networks in Norway. A central goal of the NorNet facility is to support experiments that explore the increased performance and robustness that can be achieved by dynamically exploiting the infrastructure from several access providers. 

NorNet will consist of 10 programmable core nodes that are connected to all existing large network providers in Norway (NorNet Core), and a large number of smaller mobile hosts with multiple wireless interfaces (NorNet Edge). The core nodes will run virtualization software that allows users to create their own virtual networks for testing and experimentation with new or modified applications and networking protocols. The mobile hosts will be well suited for performing systematic long-term measurements and for testing out experimental protocols in a realistic environment.

NorNet - Norwegian Infrastructure for Network Experimentation

Chemical Biology (CB) is defined as exploring biology by the use of small organic molecules and natural compounds. There is an increasing need for new bioactive compounds in many fields of Life Sciences and bioactive chemical compounds constitute the most  common form of medical therapies and are also of great relevance within fields like agriculture, nutrition and biotechnology. The EU-Openscreen currently comprising 20 partners from 12 countries, is aiming to integrate high-throughput screening (HTS) pla tforms, chemical libraries, chemical resources for hit discovery and lead optimization in addition to a database containing screening results, assay protocols and chemical information. The broad interdisciplinary CB approach covering all areas of the mole cular life sciences, brings together chemists, engineers, informaticians and biologists, thereby creating numerous opportunities for basic science, innovation and commercialization. The consortium has recently entered a three-year preparatory phase that w ill form the basis for the construction and operation of this pan-European infrastructure of open access CB screening platforms. 
This distributed infrastructure will be used by researchers from universities and research institutions who have limited in-h ouse facilities or no access at all to such infrastructure, thereby for the first time offering European researchers from academia access to the most advanced screening technology currently only available in the pharmaceutical industry. UiO and the Norweg ian CB Platform, ChemBioNet Norway, is one of the EU-Openscreen partners. In addition to UiO, the national network consists of partners from the UiB, SINTEF Mat. & Chem. (Trondheim) and Marbio (UiT). The main aim for the Norwegian CB Platform will be to d evelop and enable technologies for CB and marine bioprospecting, HTS as well as target valdation, allowing progress to proof-of-concept in vivo and allow the use of CB HTS to identify tools and new lead compounds.

Participation of ChemBioNet Norway NOR-OPENSCREEN in ESFRI-preparatory phase project EU-OPENSCREEN

The main goal with the present initiative is to establish a new national consortium with a unique national collaboration between the foremost institutions in Norway holding and operating hundreds databases of national character, highly relevant for future  biodiversity research and management. The present proposal also includes international collaboration, both with a parallel Swedish LifeWatch and the FP 7 EU funded LifeWatch international program. NINA has also been invited by NordForsk to stimulate esta blishment of a Nordic Life Watch Network.
One of the main objectives of the project will, therefore, be to establish the national LifeWatch consortium, to map data availability and to work towards the development of e-tools for biodiversity data flow, har monized both with the EU project and the parallel Swedish strategy.
Collaboration and development of compatible systems for exchange of data at the national level represents an important step towards increased internationalization of biodiversity research . One of the ideas with the EU project LifeWatch, is to stimulate the partners to establish national funded LifeWatch Case studies.

Establishment of the ESFRI LifeWatch Norwegian consortium.

Norway  has hitherto been strongly involved in the preparatory work of establishing an ESS ERIC. The Research Council of Norway as well as NSD has been members of the ESS Infrastructure Preparatory Phase Consortium, and the fact that Norway signed the Mem orandum of understanding at the Consortium's final meeting on November the 10th 2010 in Brüssel, and thereby became member of the ESS ERIC Steering Committee, reflects Norway's commitment to the new and permanent infrastructure. As the ESSprep project now  comes to an end, it is high time to prepare for Norwegian membership in ESS ERIC and to establish an ESS Infrastructure in Norway, which will be essential for maintaining Norway's role in the ESS. NSD has therefore on behalf of the research communities i n Norway submitted a grant proposal to the programme Research Infrastructure in order to:
1. Ensure Norwegian membership in ESS ERIC
2. Fund a National Coordinator responsible for conducting the ESS surveys in Norway, and for establishing networks based o n ESS research, nationally and internationally.
3. Ensure that NSD's leading role in the development and operation of the ESS e-infrastructure is maintained. This leading role in an international context is central for maintaining and developing NSD as an  efficient infrastructure resource for the Norwegian social sciences in general.

Norwegian membership and participation in the European Social Survey ERIC (ESS ERIC), preparatory work.

CESSDA is an umbrella organisation for social science data archives across Europe, which was on the ESFRI Roadmap in 2006. The objective was to develop a most advantageous research infrastructure for the European research communities. CESSDA was granted f unding for a Preparatory Phase Project under FP7 with the pupose to demonstrate what benefits an upgrade of CESSDA will have for the research communities and for the society in general.

Upgrading CESSDA to an ERIC with full legal capacity will give a con siderable better integration of the members' services and competence than today. CESSDA ERIC will be organized as a consortium coordinated by a central unit located in Norway and with Service Providers located in each of the participating countries. 

The re is established a steering committee for the establishment of CESSDA ERIC. The committee's main goal is to end CESSDA PPP by preparing an application to the European Commission. The steering committee is composed of members who have signed a MoU. Countr ies that have a clear intention to sign can be represented by observers. Each national partner has one vote. In addition, they can be followed by one expert each. The President of CESSDA and the European Commission participates in the meetings as observer s.

Completion of work with CESSDA PPP and the establishment of CESSDA ERIC

Population ageing presents new conditions and contexts for adult lives and relationships. The proposed project will develop a durable research infrastructure (The ACCESS Life-Course Database) aimed at improving the ability of social researchers to underst and the challenges and opportunities that recent demographic changes represent. The infrastructure will build on two large Norwegian datasets. The complex structure of the existing datasets is a major barrier to users. The aim of the proposed infrastructu re is to reduce the complexity by developing an easy-to-use and secure database with access to tailored files and full documentation. Workshops and individual support are integrated elements. The two already existing datasets are: (1) the Norwegian Life C ourse, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG) and (2) the Life Course, Generations and Gender Study (LOGG). Currently, two waves of NorLAG are available, with plans to add another three waves. Included in LOGG is the Norwegian version of the multi-nation Ge nerations and Gender Survey, initiated by the United Nations. Together the two studies include a representative sample of 15,156 men and women aged 18-84. The ACCESS Life Course Database will provide multi-purpose, multi-level, multi-disciplinary and long itudinal data on life-course trajectories and transitions such as family formation, retirement, and care. The proposed infrastructure will provide a meeting-ground for national and international researchers interested in life course research, and will sti mulate the creation of new knowledge and improved analytical tools for studying lives over time in different and changing social contexts.

The ACCESS Life Course Database

We propose to establish an infrastructure consisting primarily of state-of-the-art ocean glider instruments which initially provide real time temperature and salinity profiles as well as drift velocity in the area off the mid-Norwegian shelf towards the P olar Front. These observations will be combined with moored current meters as reference in key location. There will also be benefit from combination with detailed time series observations from the newly funded Polarbuoy. 

Gliders will be available for us er defined science projects in the area off the mid-Norwegian shelf from the Svinøy to the Gimsly section centered on station M.  Initially gliders will be set to operate along the Svinøy Section and across the Lofoten Basin down to 1000m every 8 hour. Th e gliders will be combined with real time data from reference mooring on the Svinøy section, providing continuity to 15 year time series.

Data will be handled in a common facility which will provide rapid access to near real time data as well as integrat ed long term data sets.

Norwegian Atlantic Current Observatory

Palaeoecology is the ecology of the past and is concerned with the reconstruction of past flora, fauna, populations, communities, landscapes, and environments and with the understanding of the causes of observed changes seen in the palaeoecological record  preserved as fossil pollen, seeds, and animal remains in lake or bog sediments. The palaeoecological record is a natural long-term ecological observatory. It is a means of "coaxing history to conduct experiments" because in many environmental sciences, " when time is needed, there is no substitute for history"

The Bergen Palaeoecological Laboratory (BPL) has made several unique contributions to the politically important applied topics of the causes of surface-water acidification in Norway and of the magn itude and rates of natural climate variability and to many basic research questions.

The BPL is the leading palaeoecological laboratory in Norway and it has a high international standing and outstanding publication record.

This application is for new in frastructure (environmental scanning electron microscope; eInfrastructure; automated pollen counting equipment; extraction and micromanipulation equipment for pollen for radiocarbon, DNA, isotope, and UV-B analyses; Coulter counter; microscopes; technical  personnel) that will enable the BPL to research on new and important problems in palaeoecology.

The infrastructure would form a very strong national and international facility and would enhance the high national and international standing of the BPL and  of Norwegian palaeoecology internationally.

Research Infrastructure for High-Precision Palaeoecological Analyses

The ambitions of the proposal are to provide national access to an infrastructure that contains generic equipment applicable for micro- and nanotechnology including complete process capabilities. It addresses a broad spectrum of users ranging from academi c groups focusing on fundamental research and education, to innovative companies with the need for a small scale production facility. It thus addresses the whole value chain from education and basic research to industry applications.

In micro- and nanote chnology the main challenge is that both basic and applied research, as well as industrial production rely on fast development, expensive equipment and complex processes. In order to fulfil the vision, an infrastructure in this field must be maintained at  top international level and made available to interdisciplinary research. This requires continuous upgrading of the equipment and of the associated knowledge.

Another challenge is to provide for the easy use of such complex instrumentations within disci plines which can benefit from utilising them. Through operating cost-effective and knowledge sharing infrastructures in combination with appropriate support for pre-projects this issue will be addressed by the project.

The application aims at supporting  research important both for fundamental science in general and especially for applied technologies within the thematic areas described in the National White paper on Research; Environment, Sea, Food, Energy, Health, Biotechnology, ICT and New Materials.

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Norwegian Micro- and Nano-Fabrication Facility (NORFAB)

The infrastructure includes an OBLO (Offshore Boundary Layer Observatory), a measurement facility for observation of environment, atmospheric and oceanic boundary layer conditions, and a FLEXWT (Floating Experimental Wind Turbine), a fully instrumented mo derate sized (~225 kW) floating offshore wind turbine for research purposes. 

The motivation for the realisation of the proposed infrastructure is two-folded: 1) to underpin and enable research on wind energy as a resource and new technologies and concep ts, and 2) to enable industrial development and innovation through offering new and globally unique facilities for measurement, test, qualification and demonstration.

NOWERI will greatly enhance the basis for understanding and optimising the energy harve sting from offshore wind turbines, assess forces and design of offshore structures as well the potential impact of these installations on the environment. The infrastructure represents a globally unique platform for research, development and demonstration  of new offshore wind technologies that will substantially strengthen Norway as a supplier of wind energy, technology and expertise. NOWERI will enable and underpin the development of Norwegian wind industry, which has been clearly expressed in the Letter s of Support (LoS) from major Norwegian industry clusters like ARENA NOW and ARENA Vindenergi, and major industrial companies like Statoil and GE.

The proposed infrastructure will be a very important stepping stone for research and innovation within offs hore wind energy and will advance the Norwegian development of offshore wind energy
to the scientific forefront. It will underpin and expand on existing research and technology development within this field, and attract attention also of scientists who wo uld otherwise work in other branches of the involved sciences.

Norwegian Offshore Wind Energy Research Infrastructure

The NORMAP research infrastructure targets availability of essential satellite based Earth Observations (EO) information products covering the high latitudes and Arctic regions, compliant with the Norwegian High North strategy emphasising the need for knowledge-based management of the Arctic region. NORMAP will systematically provide access to reliable EO data to stimulate, strengthen and assist multidisciplinary environmental, ecosystem and climate research applications. NORMAP builds on a vision that by 2020 Norway aims to be an internationally leading country in the integrated use of satellite EO data for: (i) cutting edge research and applications targeting the environmental, ecosystem and climate changes in the Nordic Seas and Arctic regions, and (ii) knowledge-based support to management and industry. The NORMAP repository will comprise geo-referenced and co-located EO data, including long-term time series and daily updated near real-time data. NORMAP will (i) contribute to advances in research on the upper ocean and atmospheric boundary layer and their role for climate and environment change, (ii) strengthen the use of satellite EO data for operational application and management, (iii) trigger new multidisciplinary research, collaborations and networks, (iv) aid Master and PhD students working with satellite EO data; (v) foster the development of the new generation of climate models, (vi) stimulate international collaboration. Its technical design will be aligned with international interoperability standards as approved by INSPIRE, WMO Information System (WIS) and GEOSS. The web-based NORMAP data repository will be linked with and complementing the global satellite data catalogues of the space agencies as well as oceanographic and meteorological databases in Norway and the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). A roadmap plan for sustainability and long term funding of NORMAP will be outlined during the last phase of the project.

Norwegian Satellite Earth Observation Database for Marine and Polar Research

Present day approaches to the study of language, linguistic processes and applied language technologies are crucially dependent on large 'treebanks'. These are collections of authentic sentences, annotated with detailed linguistic analyses at the syntactic and often also the semantic levels. Since there is currently no suitable treebank for Norwegian, and such a treebank is essential for progress, one will be constructed and made accessible in this project.

INESS will be a research infrastructure providing access to detailed, high quality treebanks for Norwegian and other languages. The methods and tools from the pilot project TREPIL will be used to achieve this goal. A Norwegian reference corpus of 500,000 words will be automatically analyzed and manually disambiguated. This material will provide the pattern on which automatic annotation of 500 million words can be achieved. This annotation effort is the largest task in the project.

INESS will allow researchers to search for syntactic and semantic patterns in actual language data. This information will enrich our knowledge of the language and will be important for theoretical linguistics, historical linguistics, language teaching, and for the development of language based applications such as machine translation, information retrieval, human-computer interaction, etc. The next generation of IT systems that understand language will be dependent on linguistic insights gained from treebanks.

INESS will be different from existing treebanks in that it will not only provide complex data, but it will make access to this information easy through intelligent and powerful interactions. The infrastructure will expand and evolve over time and users can experiment with the data in different ways, even build their own treebanks interactively.

Infrastructure for the Exploration of Syntax and Semantics

Traditionally, biomedical research in Europe has been strong. Comparing the biomedical research budgets in the US to the EU, the output in publications and citations of European scientists is more than competitive. However, the transition from research di scovery to clinical product has not kept pace, primarily due to a separation of disciplines and a lack of communication between clinical and basic scientists, in addition to problems accessing the necessary development facilities. The European Advanced Tr anslational Research Infrastructure in Medicine (EATRIS) will enable Europe to fulfill its potential through:
-Accelerated, cost effective and timely development of new
therapeutics and diagnostics.
-Maximizing of Europe's innovative and competitive posit ion in the
global health market.
So far this kind of infrastructure has not been available in Europe.

It is a primary focus of the pre-project to develop a detailed construction plan for a Norwegian EATRIS Centre containing a scientific, technological an d physical description of Norwegian translational research resources, groups and environments
contributing to the infrastructure. Using a gap-analysis approach, the relevant participants will be surveyed based on existing infrastructures and capacities, c reating the necessary
background information for this plan. So far, a survey has been completed for the University of Oslo/Oslo University Hospitals identifying relevant centres of acknowledged research
excellence, unique platform technologies and exclusi ve combinations of facilities. A similar survey will be carried out for all participants of the National Consortium, and the analyses will also be used to reveal requirements for upgrades and/or new investments.

Norwegian participation in the European Advanced Translational Research Infrastructure in Medicine (EATRIS)

This project will support the development of plans for establishment of a Norwegian Node of the ELIXIR European Bioinformatics Infrastructure. It will involve activities to increase the awareness of the initiative in the Norwegian community of bionformati cs users and mapping out needs and priorities in the user group. Further it will involve organisation of a meeting with key stakeholders including participating institutions, contributing and collaborating group both in academia, industry, and government  and representatives from related infrastructure projects including National and International efforts. This will form basis for development of a plan for the establishment and operation of a Norwegian Node including its organisation, funding, interface to  the user community and other infrastructure projects, and importantly its scientific profile that is defining areas in which the Norwegian Node will serve as a competence and resource centre for the entire ELIXIR infrastructure and the international user  community.

The planning of the Norwegian ELIXIR Node

This proposal to establish an internationally competitive Norwegian High-Throughput Sequencing Centre (NSC) is built upon the existing HTS instruments in Norway: the Illumina Genome Analyzer II (GAII), and the 454 (Roche) sequencing platforms at Institute  of Medical Genetics (IMG) and Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES). Both of these University of Oslo (UoO) affiliated centers have already status as core facilities for Southeastern Regional Health Authorities (which cover >50% of Hosp ital capacity in Norway) and nationally (RCN, FUGE), respectively. We propose a coordinated activity between the two sites to serve the entire research community of Norway for resequencing, transcriptomics, metagenomics and de novo sequencing. For this pu rpose we apply for infrastructures at IMG and CEES including additional and upgraded sequencers, quality assurance and automation equipment and human resources for building a streamlined infrastructure. NSC will have two sites: at IMG for Illumina GAII ba sed analyses (to a large extent re-sequencing, transcriptomics and epigenetics) and at CEES for 454-based analyses (de novo sequencing, metagenomics and transcriptomics/EST and mainly non-human projects). There will be close collaborations with the Bioinf ormatics FUGE platforms and with USIT regarding downstream sequence analysis and data storage. An important part of the proposal is establishment of a pipeline for sequence analysis adaptable for most needs and to provide an interface between the users' n eeds and the sequencing platform. NSC has established a steering committee of leading scientists across Norway and a scientific advisory board consisting of leading international experts which will ensure optimal functionality at all levels of the sequenc ing centre. As part of NSC we will also provide services from a bioethical review board to deal with ethical challenges related to incidental findings and return of results policies in human resequencing project.

Norwegian High-Throughput Sequencing Centre

The ESFRI-project Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure (CLARIN) is a large-scale pan-European collaborative effort to create, coordinate and make language resources and technology available and readily useable. The envisaged research in frastructure will act as an eScience mediator offering web services for cataloguing, searching, filtering, processing, reformatting, and visualizing language information in many ways. The present proposal calls for a national supporting action under the n ame of NO-CLARIN, with the goal to strengthen Norwegian participation in the current preparatory phase of the CLARIN project, in order to promote Norwegian participation in the construction and exploitation phase of CLARIN starting after 2010. NO-CLARIN w ill provide means that allow Norwegian participation in current CLARIN activities, provide a forum for Norwegian language-related research infrastructure that can be related to CLARIN, investigate the possibilities of establishing infrastructure centers c onnected to the CLARIN grid, lay the foundation for a project application and disseminate information on infrastructure status, plans and opportunities to relevant audiences.

Norwegian Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure

The objective of the NorStore initiative is to develop and operate a persistent, nationally coordinated infrastructure that provides non-trivial services to a broad range of scientific disciplines that have a variety of needs for storing and publishing di gital data.

The infrastructure provides services for easy, secure and transparent access to geographically distributed storage resources, digital databases and collections, facilitates the creation and use of scientific repositories, provides large aggre gate capacities for storage and data transfer, and optimizes the utilization of the overall resource capacity that is available in the infrastructure.

The NorStore infrastructure was established in 2007 to meet the increasing demand for capacity, skills  and services for storing, sharing, publication and preservation of digital scientific data in various fields of research in Norway. The infrastructure was funded in part by a one-time grant from the Research Council of Norway and in part by the participat ing centres. The initial infrastructure was established in 2008. The operation of this initial infrastructure is currently defined until the end of 2011.

The main objective of this application is to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the infrastr ucture, in particular the further development of the infrastructure, expansion of its functionality, and the long-term financing.

NorStore - Norwegian Data Storage Infrastructure

The P-Cable 3D Seismic system is a newly developed system for acquisition of high-resolution 3D data. The P-Cable system has been developed from idea to proven technology during the past eight years. It offers forefront marine technology developed by a co nsortium of Norwegian Universities and companies in cooperation with European partners. More than twelve surveys and several equipment tests have been successfully completed during this period. The benefit of the P-Cable system is that it is lightweight,  flexible and mobile, and provides superior 3D seismic data with a lateral resolution that is at least an order of magnitude higher than conventional 3D seismic data. Building on the acquired knowledge and existing technology, we propose to purchase and in tegrate a fully operational and mobile P-Cable 3D seismic system that can be widely used by academia and industry in Norway. The P-Cable 3D seismic system will have a profound impact on Norwegian marine geological research and innovation as it will bring  a wealth of new information and knowledge of geological subsurface structures and fluid flow processes that is crucial for deep water exploration and safety or understanding complex and dynamic geosystems of gas hydrates and fluid migration. Both research  institutions and the industry will benefit from cost-efficient acquisition of high-resolution 3D seismic data. It may be used in both frontier and mature regions in an intelligent, versatile way to acquire successive small-size surveys (25 to 250 km^2).

Geosystem 3-D Seismic Imaging (G3)

Svalbard har en unik geografisk plassering for rom-relaterte studier, og muliggjør både direkte og proxy studier av hvordan partikler fra solen påvirker vårt nære verdensrom. Universitetssenteret på Svalbard (UNIS) eier og drifter to store forskningsinstallasjoner for studier av prosesser i den øvre atmosfæren; Kjell Henriksen Observatoriet (KHO) som er et av verdens største optiske observatorium for studier av mesosfæren og ionosfæren (høydelaget 60 - 1000 km), samt SuperDARN som er en radar med et enormt synsfelt over polkalotten for studier av partikkelhastigheter (konveksjon) i ionosfæren. SuperDARN er også med i et globalt nettverk av tilsvarende radarer. Infraspace-prosjektet har vært og er svært viktig for investering av ny og moderne teknologi. Prosjektet brukes til innkjøp av ny instrumentering for studier av mesosfæren, oppgradering av eksisterende instrumentering (så som ny elektronikk, nye detektorer med større følsomhet enn tidligere) og kalibreringsinstrumenter for absolutt kalibrering av alle våre optiske instrumenter. Data fra våre bakkebaserte forskningsinstallsjoner brukes av forskere over hele verden - ikke bare for grunnforskning av vår øvre atmosfære, men også for anvendt forsking som studier av satellittbaserte systemer for navigasjon og posisjonering (GNSS).

There is a solid foundation for space-related research infrastructure on Svalbard. In the vicinity of Longyearbyen, EISCAT operates an incoherent scatter radar system, UNIS operates the SPEAR heating facility, as well as the optical field observatory the  Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO).
This cluster of ground-based instrumentation draws considerable attention from both national and international researchers. Svalbard is fortuitously located beneath the magnetospheric cusp region, enabling direct or by-p roxy measurements of dayside magnetospheric/ionospheric phenomena, and
polar cap and auroral related phenomena on the nightside.

InfraSpace will be used to: 
a) construct new ground-based instrumentation for measurements in the arctic mesosphere (middle  atmosphere) and ionosphere (upper atmosphere), b) invest in optical calibration equipment and 
c) upgrade existing instrumentation. 
The bulk of the costs in the budget will come in parts a) and b). The research infrastructure will be part of a national a nd international collaboration network of space-related research, and the only of its kind in Europe. The total cost of InfraSpace will be on the order of 8 MNoK, over a timeframe of 3 years.

Infrastructure for space physics related research on Svalbard.

Subsequent to being approved on the ESFRI Roadmap, ERICON has received Preparatory Phase (PP) funding from EU to establish a European consortium for construction and operation of the icebreaking research platform Aurora Borealis. University of Bergen is a mong the ERICON partner institutions  European Polar Board, European Science Foundation leads ERICON in cooperation with  AWI, Bremerhaven. Norwegian scientists, on the advice of NFR, have formed a national Aurora Borealis working group to develop and coo rdinate the Norwegian research intersts in ERICON. The work includes Norwegian input to ERICON planning, development of a national scientific white paper, and prepartion for a Norwegian application of partcipation.

ESFRI Preparatory Phase project: European Icebreaker Consortium (ERICON) - Aurora Borealis

The quantitative study of armed conflict is rapidly developing. The Armed Conflict Dataset, a joint Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and PRIO project, has for some time been the most widely used dataset in this field. In order to maintain this status  we must address the changing needs of the research community.

The infrastructure we propose will be a framework for data collection projects. A key challenge for the field as a whole is that many innovative datasets are based on idiosyncratic data struct ures, which makes them difficult to combine and expensive to collect. We want to develop three authoritative data structures, based on the Armed Conflict Dataset, which third parties can use as a starting point for collecting data, and we want to set up a  bibliography of relevant sources, organized by conflict. 

The standardized data structures we propose will cover (i) the actors involved in conflicts (ii) the geographic location of conflicts, and (iii) a grid-structure that opens up the possibility of  collecting sub-national data in a systematic, transparent and rigorous way.

Researchers that choose to use our framework as their starting point will be relieved of the task of defining the universe of cases, will have access to a rich set of information  material, and will make their end product compatible with many others. This will reduce costs and improve usability.

We plan to spend four years establishing this framework, and after that period we intend to work with third-party data collection projec ts to secure future funding. With this platform in place PRIO will be in a very good position to build on the achievements of the Centre for the Study of Civil Wars.

The project will be staffed by a Research Professor and three Senior Researchers, a full -time research assistant position, and will be aided by a Supervising Council consisting of five prominent members of the national and international research community.

Advanced Conflict Data Catalogue: Defining an Industry-Standard for Data on Armed Conflict

Menotec (Medieval Nordic Text Corpus) is a three-year project (2010-2012) which will build a large and balanced corpus of Medieval Norwegian texts, covering the period from around 1150 to around 1550. It will extend the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (http: //www.menota.org) which by now contains ca. 0.5 M words. By the end of 2012, the Menotec corpus will reach a total of 1.5 M transcribed words, of which 1.0 M have been morphologically annotated and 0.5 M syntactically annotated. It will become the largest  corpus of Medieval Norwegian texts available anywhere, and the amount of linguistic annotation will be far above comparable corpora. It will be an open access archive of national standing, distributed between the two major research centres at the univers ities of Oslo and Bergen, and it will also be linked to several international projects. Menotec will enable a large number of linguistic and to some extent literary projects and be instrumental for several ongoing projects, within areas such as language h istory, grammar, lexicography and comparative syntax.

The morphological annotation is based on a Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) compatible scheme developed by Menota and already used for a corpus of 0.2 M words. The syntactical annotation will be based o n the PROIEL project (www.hf.uio.no/ifikk/proiel) which by now has considerable knowledge about creating treebanks for ancient languages (Latin, Greek, Gothic, Old Church Slavic). The syntactic annotation scheme used in the PROIEL project is a variant of  dependency grammar designed to be compatible with Lexical-Functional Grammar, and thus compliant with the large-scale LFG-based grammar for Modern Norwegian developed in the NorGram, LOGON and TrePil projects. The morphological annotation will be compatib le with the lexicographical work being done by the Norsk Ordbok 2014, and it will enable a pan-Nordic meta dictionary, linking the lexicographical resources of Medieval Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish and Danish.

Medieval Norwegian Text Corpus

This application for scientific equipment relates to the FME Project BIGCCS Research Center, and encompasses the following equipment categories:

1) Equipment for development of high temperature membranes. This includes a planetary mill for preparing thin  membranes with high heat flux, a test rig for evaluation of high temperature membranes, and HSE improvements for a ceramic extrusion laboratory. The objective is to develop new, asymmetric membranes with high flux, high stability and finding new strategi es for up-scaling processes. 

2) High pressure combustion platform for studies of hydrogen combustion. This facility consists of a combustion cell with spectroscopic grade optical access and controlled pressure. The unique feature is that it is designed  to cope with combustion studies relevant to emerging CO2 capture technologies with new fuels, oxidants and gas streams. The objective is to control and improve the laws of combustion science and validate the models.

3) Equilibrium cell system for studies  of thermodynamic properties. 
With this equipment it will be possible to measure thermodynamic equilibrium of CO2 with impurities in the temperature range -60 to 70C, and with pressures up to 200 bar. The facility consists of an equilibrium cell with win dows for optical observation or use of laser for phase change detection. It also contains a micro-valve for sampling of vapour phase without altering the pressure.

4) Gamma attenuation equipment for accurate saturation measurements. The objective with th is test rig is to acquire accurate saturation profiles along core samples during reservoir-conditions core-flooding experiments. It will be possible to determine fluid flow properties of cap-rock and reservoir materials for shallow saline aquifers that ar e candidates for CO2 storage, and it will be of major importance in predicting the safety of CO2 storage.

The total cost of the investment package is NOK 11 million.

BIGCCS Laboratory

This proposal is related to the planned large-scale research infrastructure MAX IV decided to be built in Lund, Sweden. Norway has been invited as a partner in this facility. Currently, Norway is member of ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) th rough NORDSYNC. Moreover, Norway has been invited, and expressed interest, to participate in ESS (European Spallation Source) planned to be located in Lund . The present application represents a preparatory project in this context and has the following sp ecific goals:

Develop plans for future research and active Norwegian participation in state-of-the-art X-ray facilities abroad, also seen in perspective of Norwegian plans for neutron-based research. 

Develop schemes for Norwegian participation in beam  line development and other infrastructure
Develop plans for a possible Norwegian participation in MAX IV through discussions with the MAX IV organisation

Consider possible schemes for funding

A scientific working group will be established with members f rom current and future user groups in Norway. The project is planned linked to the strategies of the relevant institutions (universities and research institutes) through a reference group consisting of leaders at the appropriate organisational level. Emph asis will be on how academia, research institutes and industry would benefit, within our major national strategic research areas, by competent use of the next generation of European large-scale facilities. 

The ambition is that this preparatory project w ill serve as a firm basis for an active involvement of Norwegian researchers in developing and utilization of MAX IV and other state-of-the-art X-ray facilities. The work will be coordinated with preparation for Norwegian neutron research activities assoc iated with ESS.

Preparatory project: Norwegian participation in MAX IV

This pre-project is preparing for a large-scale research infrastructure (RI) for hydrogen technologies. Initially, the initiative is supported by the two largest R&D institutions in the field, NTNU and SINTEF, but the ultimate goal is to engage and involv e all major national stakeholders, both from academia and industry.

The need for such a RI is pinpointed in several strategic documents, from the National Hydrogen Council as well as reflected in the involved R&D partners' strategic priorities.

The pre- project has a duration of 14 months and is coordinated by SINTEF. Three national stakeholder workshops will facilitate robust decision making and concensus building with respect to organization, localization and host institution for the large scale RI. 

 Phase I of the pre-project will assess the need for such an RI, as well as reveal the national stakeholders' commitment to involve in a national initiative. Depending on the findings, the project is either terminated or continued into Phase II, in which d etailed plans for the RI, cooperation schemes, cost-shareing models etc will be developed.

The project commence November 2009 and will be finalized December 2010, with a total budget of 2 million NOK.

HAVKYST-Havet og kysten

Developing an Index of the Quality of the Marine Environment(Marine Environment I.Q.) based on biomarkers: integration of pollutant effects.

Awarded: NOK 2.7 mill.

Summary

Funding scheme:

HAVKYST-Havet og kysten

Funding Sources

Thematic Areas and Topics