The programme planning committee is headed by Professor Tore Bjørgo of the Norwegian Police University College. Dr Bjørgo is also affiliated with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
The committee is comprised of nine researchers from different fields and institutions in addition to representatives from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has also been invited to participate. The committee will draw up the underlying thematic and scientific orientation for a five-year research programme by the end of the year.
Societal security denotes the ability of society to maintain critical societal functions while safeguarding the lives, health and basic needs of inhabitants during events involving various types of emergencies. The committee's mandate states that the new programme must address the need for knowledge, understanding and solutions in situations caused by diverse catastrophic events such as malicious, hostile or criminal acts or incidents, accidents and natural disasters.
Increased funding anticipated
The funding framework for the programme has not been finalised yet, but the committee has been asked to draw up plans based on a budget of NOK 20-30 million per year for the duration of the programme period. This represents a funding amount of up to three times greater than the budget for the Societal Security and Risk (SAMRISK) programme, which was concluded in 2010.
The Research Council expects to see an increase in the funding allocated to this area of research on the national budget.
Focus on international collaboration
The committee will assess how best to coordinate the activities of the new programme with the security programme under Horizon 2020 (the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation), with other international programmes and with a possible Nordic programme under Nordforsk. The work programme will build on the conclusions of the previous SAMRISK programme.
Committee members
- Tore Bjørgo, Norwegian Police University College/Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Chair
- J. Peter Burgess, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
- Terje Jensen, Telenor
- Gerd H. Kjølle, SINTEF Energy Research/Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Heidi Mork Lomell, Norwegian Police University College
- Lise Hellebø Rykkja, University of Bergen/Stein Rokkan Centre for Social Studies
- Ove Njå, International Research Institute of Stavanger
- Eli Skogerbø, University of Oslo, Department of Media and Communication
- Einar Arthur Snekkenes, Norwegian Information Security Laboratory (NISLab)
- Ministry of Defence: Jan Ivar Botnan, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
- Ministry of Transport and Communications: Ragnhild Kise Haugland
