New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe (NORFACE) is a partnership between fourteen social sciences research councils across Europe was established in 2004, when the network successfully bid for an FP6 award to coordinate activities. The twelve partners involved are the research councils for the social sciences from Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Canada and Austria participate in NORFACE as associate partners. This partnership is built on a history of less formal co-operation and joint activities between the Nordic and UK research councils. NORFACE formalises this existing working relationship and provides a framework and a vision for a durable multi-national strategic partnership in research funding and practice. NORFACE is an ambitious programme of communication, enquiry, sharing of experience and action. Over the five project years, the partners will engage in a range of initiatives designed to deliver new levels of co-operative research policy and practice. Research teams in Ireland are collaborating in 5 of the NORFACE funded research projects.

For more information: www.norface.org/