The NORFACE (New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe) Network is pleased to announce the new research programme on the topic of Welfare State Futures. The call text and specifications are now available, as well as the application form and the instructions. The deadline for submitting an Outline Proposal is April 16 2013, 11.59 (noon) Central European Time/10.59 Greenwich Mean Time.

Summary of the funding opportunity
The NORFACE Network invites proposals for innovative research addressing the theme Welfare State Futures that involve researchers from at least three different eligible countries. Projects with duration of up to three years can be proposed.

Applications to the NORFACE research programme will be processed in two stages. In the first stage, project Outline Proposals are invited with a deadline of April 16 2013, 11.59 (noon) Central European Time/10.59 Greenwich Mean Time. You can submit your application to the programme via this link.

Applicants invited to the second stage will receive a notification by late July 2013 inviting them to submit a Full Proposal before January 16 2014.

The programme is funded by the 15 NORFACE partners. NORFACE is pleased to announce that the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS) has decided to make an additional contribution to the programme. The available funding of this major trans-national programme now stands at a minimum of 16 M€. EU support may also be available for this programme. More information about this additional funding will be available before the evaluation of the Full Proposals.

For programme details please refer to the NORFACE Research Programme Specifications and Call for Proposals. All relevant documents are provided below:

• Programme Text (PDF)
• Call for Proposals (PDF)
• Annex 1: National Eligibility Requirements (PDF)
• Outline Proposal application template (Word)
• Format Budget Table (Excel)
• Instructions ‘How to submit an Outline proposal’ (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

NB. The National Eligibility Requirements (Annex 1) have been updated on 10 December 2012, ensure that you are working from this second version  Changes have only been made to the section for Finnish applicants.

If you have any question regarding the national eligibility rules, please contact your own funding agency. For national contacts in the NORFACE countries, see the Call for Proposals.

Themes and objectives of the programme
Welfare states are at a critical turning point. The development of welfare systems was one of the defining characteristics of the 20th century, especially in Europe. However, in times of change, it will be important to re-think ‘the welfare state’ with a programme of innovative research designed to ask, and answer, fundamental questions about the design, delivery and experience of welfare in the 21st century.

This programme will have three major objectives:

• To advance globally excellent theoretical and methodological disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and comparative research on Welfare State Futures which builds synergetically on a pan-European basis.
• To motivate and support excellence and capacity building for research on welfare state futures on a cross-national basis throughout the NORFACE countries.
• To develop understanding and promote research-based knowledge and insight into Welfare State Futures for issues of societal, practical and policy relevance, with theoretical foundations but worked on jointly with relevant users and experts.

This call covers five themes of research on Welfare State Futures, described in detail in the Programme Text  accompanying the Call for Proposals . These five themes are:

1. People and the welfare state.
2. Inequalities, diversity and welfare states.
3. Rethinking the economics of the welfare state.
4. The future politics of the welfare state.
5. Shifting responsibilities for welfare.

(VIA)