Call for funding applications: Nordic projects at universities worldwide, 2025

Introduction

The Coordinating Committee for Nordic Studies Abroad (SNU) invites higher education institutions worldwide to apply for funding for Nordic cooperation projects. The funding comes from the national member organizations of SNU (UFM, OPH, SÁM, HK-dir, and SI).

The mission of the Coordinating Committee for Nordic Studies Abroad is to promote and support the instruction of Nordic languages (Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Sámi, Faroese, Greenlandic) as well as Nordic literatures and cultures at universities both within and outside the Nordic countries. In addition, SNU aims to enhance cooperation between those who work in the field of Nordic studies at universities around the world, thus creating a sense of Nordic cohesion.

Purpose and target group

Projects should promote interest in Nordic languages, literatures, and cultures and aim to increase interest in the Nordic countries as a region. Projects should complement regular teaching and research activities at the universities participating in the project.

Guest lectures, seminars, conferences, author visits, film and theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and testing of new Nordic courses are examples of activities that previously have been funded.

Eligible applicants

  • departments responsible for the instruction of Nordic languages and literatures at institutions of higher education worldwide

How to apply

It is important to prepare the application well before the deadline. The application must include

  • a detailed project description
  • a draft program with names of invited speakers
  • itemized budget (in an attached file).

The application form is available in Espresso.

If you are new to Espresso, please register as a New User. If you have previously used Espresso, log in with your username and password. Under “Programmes open for new applications”, please choose “Coordinating Committee for Nordic Studies Abroad (SNU)”/”Samarbeidsnemnda for Nordenundervisning i utlandet (SNU)” and click to create a new application.

The application deadline is November 15, 2024.

Selection criteria

The application should fulfill the following criteria:

  • The project has a clear focus on Nordic languages, literatures and/or cultures, and it includes at least three Nordic countries or languages as part of the project concept.
  • The target groups of project activities should be students and faculty at the higher education institution(s) participating in the project.
  • The project must take place in 2025.

In its selection of projects to fund, SNU will prioritize projects that

  • are formulated in cooperation with other higher education institutions or external partners, e.g. embassies and consulates of the Nordic countries, Nordic associations or other relevant organizations
  • already at the application stage present a clear plan for dissemination and visibility of project activities
  • can show that project activities are co-funded by the applicant’s own department and/or other parties.

It is an advantage if all Nordic languages taught at the university are involved, and if broader audiences within the local community also are included.

When assessing project applications, SNU may prioritize projects that will result in a distribution of funds that reflects a certain geographical spread.

Funding

Applicants can apply for funding for:

  • reasonable travel expenses for guest speakers
  • reasonable accommodation expenses for guest speakers
  • honoraria for guest speakers (freelance lecturers), maximum DKK 5,000
  • honoraria for guest speakers (from other higher education institutions), maximum DKK 3,000
  • costs associated with PR and marketing
  • reasonable costs for catering
  • rental of conference facilities
  • administrative costs related to financial transactions

The total amount applied for may not exceed DKK 100,000.

Ineligible costs

The following items are not eligible for funding:

  • costs for overhead or administration
  • honoraria for lecturers from the applicant institution(s)
  • salary or research costs
  • costs for purchasing technical equipment
  • development and production of teaching materials
  • translation costs
  • publication of literature
  • study trips
  • recurrent activities
  • activities which have already taken place

Funding decisions

Funding decisions will be sent by email no later than January 15, 2025.

Reporting

A separate reporting form will be made available in Espresso under «My tasks» and must be filled out and submitted within 3 months after the (final) activities have taken place. If the report has not been submitted by the deadline, SNU can demand that the grant be returned.

More information about SNU

SNU – Samarbetsnämnden for Nordenundervisning i utlandet (samarbetsnamnden.org)