NORA-Tech Call for Courses 2027

Each year, the NORA Research School supports the development of new courses in cutting-edge AI topics. Funded courses will normally be delivered as stand-alone PhD courses within the NORA Summer School course program. In 2027, the NORA Summer School will take place in Bergen.

The call aims to expand the national PhD-level course offering in AI, address gaps in AI education, and encourage relevant collaboration with industry and the public sector.

To apply you must be affiliated with a NORA partner. See list here: https://www.nora.ai/about/

Applicants may apply jointly with colleagues from one or more institutions. One person should be identified as the course leader and main contact.

Funded courses must meet the following requirements:

• Be designed at PhD level.
• Correspond to 5 ECTS credits.
• Be delivered during the NORA Summer School
• Include at least 25 hours of teaching and learning activities during the Summer School.
• Require participants to complete pre-course work, attend and actively participate throughout the Summer School course, and submit any required post-course assignments or assessments.

The Summer School is expected to run for four to five days in mid-June 2027. Course leaders should plan the course so that participants can meet the required workload while attending and participating fully during the scheduled course days.

A strong application that cannot be delivered during the Summer School may, in exceptional cases, be considered for support as a stand-alone course.

A 5 ECTS course normally represents a total workload of approximately 125–150 hours. This includes:

• At least 25 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities during the Summer School;
• Required pre-course preparation;
• Independent study and/or group work; and
• Post-course assignments, assessments, or other required completion activities.

Course leaders should clearly specify the expected workload, attendance requirements, assessment format, submission deadlines, and criteria for successful completion.

Applications will be assessed based on:

• Academic qualifications: The course leader’s and contributing lecturers’ relevant academic CVs and expertise;
• Course topic: Alignment with the thematic priorities or a demonstrated need in AI education;
• Teaching methodology: Quality of the pedagogical approach, including didactic methods, active learning, and participant interaction;
• Course design: A feasible plan for a PhD-level, 5 ECTS course, including workload, learning outcomes, assessment, and delivery;
• Feasibility: A realistic development and delivery plan within the available budget and timeline; and
• Industry involvement: Participation from industry in course development or guest teaching is desirable but not required.

The following list is indicative and not exhaustive:

• AI for science
• AI alignment
• Agentic AI
• World models
• Embodied AI
• AI Act
• Human-centric AI
• Physics-informed neural networks
• Explainable AI (XAI)

Up to 50,000 NOK may be requested for each course. The total funding available through this call is 150,000 NOK.

Funding is awarded to the applicant’s university, specifically to the research group, department, or unit with which the course leader is affiliated. It is not paid directly to an individual lecturer.

Eligible costs may include expenses directly associated with course development and delivery, such as:

• Staff time;
• Travel and accommodation;
• Teaching materials;
• Guest lecturer expenses; and
• Administrative costs.

Where a course is developed or delivered jointly by more than one institution, the funding may be shared between institutions. Applicants must clearly state the proposed allocation in the application, for example: NOK 20,000 to Institution A and NOK 30,000 to Institution B.

• The responsibility for officially awarding ECTS credits lies with the participating institution.
• Applicants should check with their institutions to ensure the course meets their requirements and that the ECTS credits can be granted

A: The funding is awarded directly to the university, specifically to the research group/department that the course leader is affiliated with.

A: All costs associated with the course’s development and delivery, i.e. staff time, travel, accommodation, teaching materials, or administrative costs

A: The primary purpose of the Call for Courses is to deliver courses during the NORA Summer School 2027 organized in Bergen. However, we do leave open the possibility of a stand-alone course if the application is strong but cannot be delivered during the Summer School.

A: Yes. Courses may be developed and delivered by multiple lecturers, including lecturers from different institutions. The application should identify the course leader, describe each contributor’s role, and specify how the requested funding will be allocated.

A: Yes. If multiple institutions are involved, the requested amount may be divided between them. The proposed distribution must be clearly stated in the application.

A: The course must correspond to 5 ECTS, normally equivalent to approximately 125–150 hours of total participant's work. At least 25 hours must be delivered as teaching and learning activities during the Summer School. The remaining workload should consist of pre-course work, independent study, group work, and/or post-course assignments or assessments.

A: Yes. Participants are expected to attend and actively participate in all scheduled course days. Course leaders should make this requirement clear in the published course description and specify how attendance will be monitored.

A: The host university is responsible for formal course approval and for awarding ECTS credits. NORA manages registration and promotion for the Summer School but does not formally award credits.

A: The Summer School is expected to take place over four to five days in mid-June 2027 in Bergen. Confirmed dates and practical information will be communicated to selected course leaders.