Translated by UiOGPT
Starting in 2025, the Ministry of Education and Research (KD) will introduce a new national funding model for universities and colleges. The new funding model will be implemented with a so-called budget-neutral effect. In practice, this means that UiO's current budget framework from KD will be continued, and only changes in UiO's results, as well as politically decided changes (such as budget cuts or special initiatives), will impact KD's funding in the years ahead. One significant change in KD's new funding model is that all performance indicators related to research will disappear. Additionally, some of the performance indicators related to educational activities will also disappear. The national model includes a completion incentive associated with the completion of degree programs within the standard time. The performance indicators related to awarded study points and doctorates will continue in the national model. However, the most important of all performance indicators is the study points indicator, which will gain increased significance. In other words, if UiO hopes to receive increased funding from KD in the years ahead, the institution must improve the overall production of study points. When comparing the development of study points production at UiO with similar figures from UiB and NTNU for the period 2016-2023, UiO's overall development has been weak. While UiB has had a growth of 27 percent and NTNU a growth of 10 percent during this period, the study points production at UiO has decreased by 1 percent. There's clearly room for improvement.
KD's new funding model places a heightened responsibility on the institutions, including UiO, to utilize their allocated capacity well and prioritize or re-prioritize between academic fields and activities. Institutions also bear an even clearer responsibility for the composition and sizing of study programs. The new funding model is intended to make it easier for institutions to assume this responsibility.
KD's funding model has been known for some time. However, little has been known about what UiO's internal allocation model would look like, as the university administration has kept its cards close to its chest while working on the new model. But this week, the university board approved a new internal allocation model for UiO. The newly approved model will be used for the first time when the allocation to the faculties for 2026 is decided.
The new UiO model will be simpler than the previous one, and a substantial part of the funding from UiO to the faculties will, starting from 2026, come in the form of an unspecified lump sum or "black box" that is no longer specified as funding for a certain number of study places in various funding categories, recruitment positions, extra allocations to small subjects, or other previously specified matters. This is intended to highlight that UiO has great flexibility in how the institution chooses to allocate the annual funding from the Ministry of Education and Research. UiO has also opted to implement the changes in its internal allocation model budget-neutrally. This means that the faculty's allocation in 2026 will be the same as in 2025, plus (or minus) changes in the faculty's results.
So, what results does UiO's model emphasize? Firstly, the model includes an incentive related to awarded doctorates. Secondly, the UiO model includes a research incentive tied to EU funding. The Faculty of Social Sciences has been very successful with EU funding, and we are pleased that the revised model still includes such an incentive, even though EU funding will be less lucrative in the new internal allocation model than it was in the previous one.
However, the most important performance incentive in UiO's new model is neither doctorates nor EU funding but awarded study points. The new allocation model is explicitly designed to help UiO improve its educational results, and it means that faculties with weak development in study points will be financially impacted, while faculties with growth will receive increased funding. During the department heads' breakfast ahead of the university board meeting where the allocation model was to be adopted, University Director Arne Benjaminsen summarized the three most important points in the proposal for the new allocation model as follows: "Study points. Study points. Study points."
The faculty leadership has been waiting for UiO's internal allocation model to be approved and will soon begin working on drafting a proposal for a revised allocation model for the Faculty of Social Sciences. We also have great flexibility in how we allocate the annual funding from UiO, and various considerations do not necessarily pull in the same direction. We will now set up a working group to outline different alternatives, and the matter will be presented to both department and centre heads and office managers. We also wish to have a formal consultation process where all the faculty's basic units can provide written feedback before the board adopts the new model.
We know that many have been curious about what kind of allocation model the university board would adopt and are also concerned about the faculty's allocation model. We, therefore, aim for transparency in the work. When details about the working group and the mandate are ready, we will provide more information.