Norwegian Centre for Advanced Study (CAS)

The Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) is Norway’s only basic research institution of excellence that is both interdisciplinary and international.

Each year, outstanding researchers from Norwegian academic institutions can apply to spend a year researching at CAS. The Centre facilitates a bustling research environment, enabling interaction between scholars from a variety of disciplines and countries in quiet and beautiful surroundings.

Our goal is to enhance and internationalise independent basic research.

Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) in Oslo hosts three international research groups yearly. Their research will bear fruit for years to come.

Former participants often describe their stay at CAS as the best and most productive year of their career. One key to success is that CAS provides the whole package. Upon arrival, researchers at CAS need only bring their personal belongings. 

Three groups each year

Following a thorough application process, the CAS board selects outstanding researchers from Norwegian universities to lead groups composed of international researchers for a one-year stay. There are three groups yearly within the fields of:

• humanities/theology
• social science/law
• natural science/medicine/mathematics

Group research at CAS

Unlike most other Centres for Advanced Study, CAS does not invite individual scholars doing their own projects. At CAS they work in groups.

The group leaders of the yearly projects have to be connected to one of CAS’ partner institutions. The agreements between CAS and its partner institutions ensure that the year spent at CAS will be counted as an extraordinary sabbatical year for each group leader. This is also the case for researchers connected to these partner institutions who are invited by a group leader to join the research group. 

Publication points are awarded to the researcher’s home institutions.

Each group has some members whose affiliation to CAS is for the whole academic year, and several researchers participate in the research groups for shorter periods of time.

The groups are also expected to include one or two post-doctoral candidates, which is a vital part of communicating and passing on the research for future generations.

Each year 40-45 researchers of 10-15 nationalities participate in the research projects at CAS.  

Economy: no loss, no gain

The Centre is mainly funded by the Ministry of education and research (Kunnskapsdepartementet) of the Norwegian government.

CAS is also indirectly funded through the agreements with participating Norwegian institutions. These agreements ensure that the invited CAS Fellows’ salaries come from their home institutions during their stay at CAS. Such agreements are an important part of the Centre's economy.

The group leaders manage group budgets allocated by CAS.

Researchers not employed by any of CAS’ partner institutions are encouraged to use their sabbatical during their participation in the CAS project. However, the group leader’s budget may cover the cost of substitutes for foreign scholars who are unable to take an ordinary sabbatical from their own university.

With regards to the fellows, CAS operates on the principle of 'no loss, no gain’. This means that the fellows do not get economic gains from their stay at CAS; nor do they suffer economically as a result.

Enabled by CAS’ services, the group members are freed from academic responsibilities apart from research.

CAS’ services

CAS is located at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo, which founded CAS in 1989, run by a Scientific Director with an administrative team of .

CAS provides the whole package, including not only all the normal research facilities, but also a range of supportive services managed by the CAS administration.

Accommodation, travel costs and expenses such as fees for school or kindergarten are covered by the Centre. Visiting researchers may also receive a stipend (per diem) to cover additional living expenses during their visit.