Is your research within artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics? You have to read this article!

1. You will get a support and feedback for your application (and new partners)

NORA has established a research support nettwork (consists of research advisers) which will help partner institutions work on common applications for funding and increasing the mutual collaboration. You will get the information about funding available at the national and international level, support to application writing and possibly new partners to your consortium.

2. Necessary competences for PhD students in the field of AI (and research schools)

NORA conducts PhD-seminars, conferences and networking events for young researchers. By interlinking parts of the PhD programs, HiØ will be able to provide significantly better education than they can individually and increase the quality of the PhD study program. At the same time we will contribte to the development of a nationwide educational ecosystem among Norway’s future AI experts. See more here: https://www.nora.ai/nora.research_school/  Is it not just perfect for our DDS initiative and our plans for own PhD programme? 

3. Opportunities for innovation and start ups

NORA has NORA.startup! What is it? It is a national networking arena. NORA.startup focuses on dissemination of knowledge and competence, the exchange of experiences and the facilitation of collaboration between start-up companies, research communities and the business sector, with emphasis on professional competence, expertise, development and application of the mentioned technologies.

4. Visible at the international level (and Horizon Europe opportunities)

The consortium will further contribute to positioning Norwegian research in artificial intelligence on the international arena and have a special responsibility for developing activities aimed at Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. NORA is also a member of CLAIRE - Confederation of laboratories for artificial intelligence research in Europe and has taken a role to serve as CLAIRE office in Norway/Nordics.

5. Fill out the gaps in Norway’s higher educational system within AI

Currently, the Norwegian higher education system has AI covered as a research topic at most universities and university colleges, but the courses are fragmented and not easily available to a larger number of students or early stage researchers, and some subtopics of AI are not covered at all within Norway’s higher educational system. By networking and collaboration between partners the NORA consortium will address the opportunities and build a better and more comprehensive national research and education profile in AI.

6. Increased research activity within the fields of AI

The funds available at the national level are not yet sufficient to support the needs and requirements for the development of AI research in Norway. NORA has a goal to contribute in discussing these challenges with the national institutions responsible for research funding in order to influence the future goals and formulations of calls for funding within AI.

7. AI as a part in public debate

AI is going to be more and more involved in our lives. It will soon be present in every field. In order to be able to use AI in all parts of society, there is also a need to raise the general competence of the entire population. Therefore, researchers need to be more visible in the public sphere, and they must be good intermediaries who speak a language that people understand. You will have opportunity to disseminate you research to the society through NORA network (which in fact has communication forum group to help you to find the way).

8. Responsible and ethical framework for AI both nationally and internationally

AI also raises a number of ethical and legal issues in both the public and private sectors. NORA want to encourage and support transparent and testable algorithms, accessible training data and open science in general. The consortium has a goal to work for protection of the privacy of citizens in the field of AI.

9. Cooperation with industry

NORA has also an ambition to develop collaboration with businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses, and play an active part in connecting businesses and research groups within the NORA network.

+ Webinars -> https://www.nora.ai/nora-webinars/

+ Podcast -> https://www.nora.ai/podcast/

+ Open position within the field -> https://www.nora.ai/open-positions/

The NORA consortium was established 21 November 2018. The consortium consists of the following partners: the University of Agder, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, University of Bergen, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Simula Research Laboratory AS, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, the University of Oslo, the University of Stavanger, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kristiania University College and Østfold University College. The website: https://www.nora.ai/