RURALIS - Institute for Rural and Regional Research

Ruralis is an organisation that carries out mostly applied social research. The institute contributes knowledge and information to the political and administrative processes in Norway. However, Ruralis also has a special national mission as the Norwegian node in an international university network of rural sociology. In this way, we are looking inwards at problems of our own field, while we are also reaching out to the main discussion in the scientific community at large.

Purpose

Ruralis has a national responsibility for developing and maintaining a theoretical and methodological research competence in rural sociology.

The staff

Ruralis has a highly competent and multidisciplinary staff. The staff includes about 28 researchers with backgrounds in sociology, geography, history, business economics, social anthropology, political science, agronomy and fisheries.

Co-operation

Ruralis aims to maintain and develop extensive co-operation with other national and international research establishments. We have close co-operation with various departments at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Ruralis has an agreement with the Faculty of Social Science and Technology Management regarding education at the doctorate level.

Internationalisation

Ruralis aims at being one of the leading research groups within rural sociology in Europe. We have extensive international research co-operation through participation in research networks and comparative projects in the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe. This international co-operation is enhanced by foreign visiting professors. Participation at conferences and international publications are given high priority.

Financial sources

The Research Council of Norway is our main financial source, but we also apply to various regional boards to be assigned strategic programs and to finance our research projects, and to industry to co-finance. We also work to obtain financing for comparative research via Nordic sources, various international programs and in particular the European Union’s research programs. Ruralis is currently taking part in three Horizon2020-funded projects.

Gender Equality Plan (GEP)

Ruralis’ GEP English version