NORSK UTENRIKSPOLITISK INSTITUTT

Their core work

NUPI is Norway's leading independent research institute on international relations, security policy, and diplomacy. They produce policy-relevant analysis on EU foreign policy, conflict prevention, violent extremism, and global governance — bridging academic research with practical policy advice for governments and international organizations. Their work spans crisis response in conflict-affected regions, EU integration dynamics, and the politics of environmental governance, with a strong emphasis on context-sensitive and gender-aware approaches.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NUPI's early H2020 work (2015–2018) centered on conflict-sensitive EU interventions and post-conflict reform, with EUNPACK unpacking the EU's comprehensive approach to crisis response and ICT4COP examining community policing. From 2019 onward, their focus broadened significantly: they secured an ERC Starting Grant for environmental politics (LORAX), coordinated a major project on violent extremism prevention (PREVEX), and contributed to EU foreign policy analysis (JOINT). The trend shows a shift from reactive crisis analysis toward proactive governance research — including environmental politics and radicalization prevention.

NUPI is expanding from traditional security and EU policy analysis into environmental governance and geopolitics, signaling readiness for interdisciplinary projects linking climate, security, and diplomacy.

How they like to work

NUPI operates as both a project leader and an engaged partner, coordinating half their H2020 projects (3 of 6) including their two largest grants. With 54 unique partners across 30 countries, they build broad European and global consortia rather than relying on a fixed circle of collaborators. This breadth suggests they are well-connected, easy to work with, and experienced at managing diverse, multi-country research teams.

NUPI has collaborated with 54 unique partners across 30 countries, indicating an exceptionally wide network for an institute with 6 projects. Their reach extends well beyond Scandinavia into Southern and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and MENA-connected research communities.

What sets them apart

NUPI combines deep expertise in EU policy mechanics with field-level understanding of conflict zones and governance challenges — a rare combination that lets them connect Brussels-level policy design with on-the-ground realities. Their ERC grant (LORAX) demonstrates individual research excellence alongside their institutional capacity to coordinate large consortia. For partners seeking a Norwegian anchor with genuine policy influence and strong connections to both Nordic and wider European research networks, NUPI is a proven choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LORAX
  ERC Starting Grant worth EUR 1.5M — NUPI's largest single award, signaling frontier research capacity in environmental politics and geopolitics.
• PREVEX
  EUR 1.1M coordinated project on preventing violent extremism across Balkans and MENA — directly policy-relevant with gender-sensitive and context-aware methodology.
• EUNPACK
  First major coordination role (EUR 913K) that established NUPI as a leader in evaluating EU crisis response effectiveness on the ground.