Mission
Since 1999, the National Research Fund (FNR) has developed various thematic and structural funding instruments that helped to construct Luxembourg’s reputation as a research site.
The FNR serves all branches of science and the humanities with an emphasis on strategically aligned research domains.
A Performance Contract, concluded with the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, sets the budgetary frame for the well-defined short- and long-term objectives.
Strategic Objective
With its current funding activities for public research, the FNR pursues a three-fold strategic objective:
- supporting researchers to build up scientific quality and excellence;
- improving Luxembourg’s research environment and institutional framework;
- promoting scientific culture, particularly among the young (Science in Society).
Instruments
Since 2000, the FNR has thus implemented
- various thematic and structural Research Programmes, through which research projects in priority areas for Luxembourg are financed,
- the AFR (Aides à la formation-recherche) Grant Scheme (the former BFR grants of the Ministry of Research), with the objective to financially support PhDs and postdocs in their training,
- various Science in Society grants and activities to strengthen the exchange and dialogue between science and society, and to promote science and research towards the general public, and above all young people,
- various grants under the Support for Research Communication scheme, to promote scientific outcomes and exchanges.
Peer Review
The FNR subscribes to several basic principles in the peer review process which were released at the May 2012 Global Summit on Merit Review.